29 April 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Colm Burke, TD (Fine Gael, Cork North Central) has today welcomed news that a study conducted by Professor Ivan Perry (Head of Department of University College Cork’s School of Epidemiology and Public Health) has been listed among 26 new COVID-19 projects to receive funding.
Colm Burke is a Cork North Central TD, here was previously a Senator
The newly-established national, coordinated research and innovation response to the COVID-19 pandemic will release €5 million funding to these 26 projects. More than 350 applications were received with these final 26 proving successful.
The research projects are part of a broader initiative by the Irish State to mitigate and manage the COVID-19 pandemic by unlocking the potential of Irish based researchers and innovators, and to complement similar work around the world. All of the projects were internationally peer reviewed at the assessment stage.
Colm Burke said,
“The need to respond to fast unfolding developments is best met with a streamlined approach to funding projects. Ireland’s research and innovation landscape is one that allows cutting edge research to thrive. Responsive funding such as this €5 million is in place to facilitate and support research, as results from studies themselves can often take some time to be collected and published.”
Professor Perry’s study is entitled “Covid-19: Estimating the burden of symptomatic disease in the community and the impact of public health measures on physical, mental and social wellbeing”, and was awarded funding of €199,945 as part of an initiative overseen by a coordinated multi-agency Rapid Response Research, Development and Innovation programme established by the Health Research Board (HRB), Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
Deputy Burke continued, “I am impressed at the holistic approach towards public health that Professor Perry’s study is taking as it will better inform legislators like myself of the hidden burden of diseases, and how we protect our communities better going forward”.
File image of UCC crest / logo
“It is encouraging to see a research project flying the flag for Cork to be listed among the best and brightest in this national response to COVID-19. I would strongly support similar coordinated efforts across government agencies and academia to pool all resources to attain high-quality research for the greater good in future,” Deputy Burke concluded.
