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DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh and Martin Brown, Professor of Education at the School of Policy and Practice at the Institute of Education
DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh and Martin Brown, Professor of Education at the School of Policy and Practice at the Institute of Education.

2025 DCU President’s Awards for Research take place in the Helix

DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh and Martin Brown, Professor of Education at the School of Policy and Practice at the Institute of Education
Prof Martin Brown, Dr Valesca Lima and Prof Federico Fabbrini recognised for their contribution and impact

The 2025 Dublin City University President’s Awards for Research have been awarded to Dr Valesca Lima, Assistant Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government; Professor Federico Fabbrini, founding director of the Dublin European Law Institute; and Martin Brown, Professor of Education at the School of Policy and Practice at the Institute of Education. 

The annual awards recognise researchers with sustained contributions in their field, those making impact early in their careers, as well as those making significant impact beyond academia.

At the ceremony in The Helix on DCU’s Glasnevin Campus, DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh said:

Today, we not only showcase the awardees and their achievements, but we also celebrate the excellence of our wider research community. These annual awards are a showcase for the impact of DCU research in addressing key global challenges, and they give us an opportunity to reflect with pride on one of the core drivers of our University.

Prof Martin Brown was recognised for his work in the field of comparative education studies, culturally responsive education and educational evaluation. Prof Brown’s work has directly informed pivotal policy reforms, and he has also acted as advisor, rapporteur, and evaluator for multiple national and transnational organisations, including the Teaching Council, the European Commission, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

In the Early Career category, Dr Valesca Lima was recognised for her research and work on housing policy and participatory governance. Dr Lima has published two books and 20 peer-reviewed journal articles in high-quality journals, and her leadership in her field has been recognised with her appointment as a Fellow of the Governance and Local Development Institute in the University of Gothenburg.

In the Research Impact category, Prof Federico Fabbrini was recognised for thought leadership in the fields of Brexit and European affairs. Prof Fabbrini authored five high-level reports commissioned by the European Parliament and the Irish Department of Finance, andi advised Michel Barnier during his tenure as the EU’s Chief Brexit negotiator. He founded the DCU Brexit Institute in 2017 and the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI) in 2024.