AMBER

AMBER Researcher Professor Maurice N Collins is part of a team who have received prize funding under the National Challenge Fund.

Traceless, led by Dr Yuanyuan Chen (Pictured) Technological University of the Shannon and Professor Maurice Collins, with Societal Impact Champion, Maurice Ryan of Green Belt Ltd, has won the Healthy Environment for All Challenge.

Traceless is developing fully biodegradable, durable, tree-supporting products with controlled-release fertilizers. The proposed solution can position Ireland as an innovation leader in green forestry practices that can be adopted globally, while enabling compliance with EU regulations on plastic reduction and improving soil health.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, TD has announced €8 million in prize phase funding for six research teams across four challenge programmes under the National Challenge Fund, including Traceless.

AMBER Science Week Event: “Smalltalk on the Big Screen” takes place 13th November 6pm, Old Science Gallery,

Led by AMBER, “Smalltalk on the Big Screen” invites attendees of all ages to get playful with hands-on materials science & bioengineering activities including: 3-D printing, LEGO® challenges, and interactive demos with TCD, and Trinity Quantum Alliance.

👉 Perhaps you might like to try your hand at making your own battery with the team from Current Chemistry Investigators?
👉Enjoy a quiet read in our STEM stories space?
👉Be sure to stop by our PPI Ignite Network Chillout Zone where you can relax while learning more about the work of those involved in Public Patient Involvement.

After that, grab your popcorn and enjoy the premiere of two animated shorts:

‘Something’s Missing’, created by the multi-talented Ian Benjamin Kenny, where rabbit princes Joshua and Kevin turn to the power of regenerative medicine to reveal a long-lost secret.

‘Quantum Quest’, from the creative minds of Adam Rael’s team at Cassette Vision, Alice and Bob are transported to the Quantum Realm, where they experience bizarre phenomena.

Both shorts were created with support from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland’s National Talent Academy for Animation, based on original storybooks conceived and written through a collaboration between AMBER and Our event wraps up with a lively panel discussion with scientists and animation teams behind each movie, who will delve into the science behind each animation- audience participation encouraged!

🎥 Event: Science Week Event: “Smalltalk on the Big Screen”
📆 Date & Time: 13th November 6pm – 8pm
📌 Location: Ground Floor of the Naughton Institute, Old Science Gallery, Pearse Street, Trinity College Dublin
Who is the event for: Accessible + inclusive event for all ages

While this event is free tickets are limited due to capacity so please register at 🔗 in bio

Congratulations to AMBER and CRANN Researcher Apostolos Koutsioukis, who was selected to attend the 74th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Apostolos works as part of AMBER PI Professor Valeria Nicolosi’s Group in his work is about designing better materials—mainly combining ultra-thin 2D materials with metals to create new composites that are not only high-performing, but also sustainable and recyclable. These materials can play a significant role in energy storage and other real-world applications.

“What really excites me is the challenge of starting at the nanoscale and ending up with something that could make a difference in the world. I applied to the Lindau Meeting because it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet and learn from some of the greatest minds in chemistry—scientists whose work I’ve studied and admired for years. I wanted to hear how they have tackled major scientific questions, stayed motivated, and envisioned the future of science. But beyond the Nobel Laureates, I was also really drawn to the idea of meeting other young researchers from all over the world. As someone who’s moved between countries for my research, I know how powerful these international exchanges can be. I wanted to be part of that energy—to share, to learn, and hopefully to build new collaborations.”

Read the full article of his experience on website

CAPERS – Children And Parents Enjoying Reading and Science, is an initiative run by AMBER, the Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research, Fighting Words, and Dublin City Libraries. CAPERS aims to foster positive dispositions to reading, creative writing and science whilst strengthening educational links between scientists, school communities and local libraries.

Led by AMBER, CAPERS enjoyed support from wonderful partners in Fighting Words (Nóra Nic Con Ultaigh, Pierina Campbell & ), Dublin City Library-Pearse Street (Eimear Hegarty), (Emma Farragher) and (Becky Long). Inspired by the Smalltalk stories, students of 5th class in Scoil Chaitríona Baggot Street created ‘Science World’, a special place readers can enter through stories, drawings, AI- images, comic strips, handmade props and Braille. The Five Kingdoms of Science World reflect the inclusive spirit of this class, where diversity and creativity are celebrated.

The inaugural Story Share Day was held in the Fitzgerald Library, on Wednesday 11th June where students of 5th class Scoil Chaitríona, Baggot St shared stories from ‘Science World’ which was created in partnership with AMBER &

AMBER and (IMR) have officially launched the European Space Agency (ESA) Phi-Lab Ireland – a pioneering six-year programme designed to drive innovation in space technologies within companies in Ireland. The lab is supported by - ESA,

More information on the launch and how to apply to the open call available at ESA Phi Lab Ireland Website

Who can apply? It is open to companies: existing and new companies looking to develop ‘upstream space hardware at scale‘ or existing upstream space companies looking to ‘transition their products to potentially larger terrestrial markets‘. Academic researchers can be partners in proposals/projects and receive up to 30% of the budget. Project will be of a maximum 2 year duration with budgets from €200-400k.

How to apply? See the website for information. There is an expression of interest stage (deadline 18 July), and a full proposal deadline of 16th September. There is one call for proposals in 2025 and there will be 2 calls for proposal per year from 2026. It is expected that 8 projects will be funded over the 6 years, with 1-2 projects funded in the first call.

Thanks to for the coverage on this exciting national endeavour.

Great contribution by AMBER Principal Investigator Kevin Ryan in .ie piece on University Research contributing to solving societal challenges.

Great contribution by AMBER Principal Investigator Kevin Ryan of University of Limerick in today’s Irish Universities Association piece on University Research contributing to solving societal challenges. Prof Ryan’s work focuses on energy storage solutions in batteries.

‘Ireland’s energy future is at risk. With heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels, dwindling domestic gas production, and increasing geopolitical instability, we face growing energy insecurity.

But university research is powering solutions. From battery storage to hydrogen fuels, Irish researchers are delivering real-world breakthroughs that reduce our dependence on foreign energy and unlock a clean, secure, resilient future.’

See how University Research is developing clean energy: https://www.iua.ie/betterireland/energy/

AMBER Researcher Saranya RameshKumar, PhD has received funding from under the New Foundations Award for project ‘Nanoengineered Membranes for Biomethane Recovery and Capturing Carbon Emissions’.

Saranya, a Research Fellow based in was awarded €9,900 under the ‘Interdisciplinary Research Networking Awards’ Strand. Her project combines nano and carbon capture technology and will contributes to sustainable materials and climate change mitigation via net-zero carbon emission.

Our international funding team attended INORM2025.

This was an opportunity to make new interdisciplinary global connections, and explore key topics like Open Science, and in research management.

AMBER’s Funding & International Engagement Manager, Deirdre Caden, participated in EARMA’s Policy & Representation Committees meeting to discuss an EARMA draft paper on Simplification in the next EC Framework Funding Programme.

A productive meeting took place with colleagues from the University of Malta to explore funding opportunities in and strengthen our networks across Europe.

Claire McKenna and Alwynne Morton of our funding team shared insights on the crucial role of local, domain-specific support in driving the success of large-scale international advanced materials research projects!

With a project manager supporting multiple Horizon Europe coordinators, we’re enhancing post-award support and strengthening structures across the project life cycle in AMBER, building a more sustainable future for advanced materials research.

The European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA) is hosting the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Congress 2025 at the IFEMA Palacio Municipal in Madrid, Spain, from 6th – 8th May.

An All Island Pitch Tar Drop shared learning day took place in AMBER, Trinity College Dublin on 27th March 2025 hosted by the School of Physics, and AMBER. Over 100 secondary school students who participated in the All Island Pitch Tar Drop Experiment attended the event showcasing scientific posters demonstrating the observations and outcomes of their own pitch tar experiments in the schools. The day included talks from: Professor Louise Bradley, Chair of Physics 300 and scientific experiment displays and interactions. Coordinated by AMBER’s Education and Public Engagement Manager

Images Credit: Kseniia Mamaeva

AMBER Researchers have secured European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept Awards for two projects. Professor Valeria Nicolosi of materials science project ‘E-Wood’ will transform wood waste into high value sustainable electromagnetic interference shielding materials for modern technology. Professor Fergal O’Brien of bioengineering project ‘DEEPSTIM’ is a digitally enabled electroconductive patient specific stimulation implant for spinal cord injury.

These ERC Proof of Concept Awards bring the total ERC awards for AMBER the Centre for Advanced Materials and Bio-Engineering to 34 since the Centre was established in 2013. The combined value of the awards secured by AMBER Researchers to date being approximately €40 Million. Professor Nicolosi currently holds 8 ERC Awards and Professor O’Brien holds 4, with a dozen awards combined their research work has proven pivotal in progressing advances in materials science and bioengineering research and innovations to the benefit of ICT, energy, sustainability and quality of life and healthcare interventions.