Research at DCU

You can find details of our research outputs and impact in the Faculties, Schools, Research Institutes and Centres throughout DCU via the links below.

DCU Research Centres and Institutes

Please find a list of the University Designated Research Centres and the SFI funded Centres we partner in below.

You can also search by Research Centre on our Research Portal to find a list of affiliated researchers.

ADAPT - The SFI Research Centre for AI-driven Digital Content Technology is a collaboration of leading academics, researchers and industry partners that is driven by a vision of “empowering people for deeper engagement in a digital world”. ADAPT researchers are based across eight leading Irish Higher Education Institutions: TCD, DCU, UCD, TU Dublin, MU, MTU, NUIG & AIT.
Biodesign Europe is a transatlantic applied research institute established in partnership with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute. Biodesign Europe focuses, in collaboration of leading academics, researchers and industry partners, on the discovery of innovative solutions to today’s complex global challenges in healthcare, sustainability and security by harnessing the building blocks of Nature’s grand design and translating these solutions into high-value technologies and clinical practice.
CONNECT – The SFI Centre for Future Networks and Communications (CONNECT) is a flagship research centre for communications networking, services, applications and technologies. Its mission is to research, develop and innovate solutions to the communications challenges facing society. New broadband architectures, new cellular technologies and the Internet of Things is at the centre of its work.
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) - ABC leads the field of research, resource development and training in bullying in Ireland and is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in bullying research.
DCU Advanced Process Technology Research Centre (APT) – The Advanced Processing Technology Research Centre (APT) focuses on state of the art research activities in the areas of Production Technology, Sustainable Technology, Micro and Nano Technology, and Advanced Engineering Materials.
DCU Anti-Corruption Research Centre (ARC) - DCU’s Anti-Corruption Research Centre (ARC) is the first academic centre in Ireland dedicated to research, policy impact and education on corruption and anti-corruption.
DCU Biography & Life-Writing Research Group aims to promote informed debate and research excellence in the related areas of Biography and Life-Writing.
DCU Centre for Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning (CASTeL) – CASTeL research is focused on 'the classroom and the lab' – on enhancing the impact of the full spectrum of teaching, learning and assessment activities in mathematics and science.
DCU Centre for Astrophysics & Relativity (CfAR) - CfAR links research across a wide range of disciplines within astrophysics and relativity broadly. The research currently undertaken includes Exoplanet research, proto-planetary disk research, high energy astrophysics including gamma ray bursts and both research into the astrophysical and relativistic treatment of black holes.
DCU Centre for Climate & Society - the focus of the Centre for Climate and Society is on bringing a social science and humanities perspective to the challenges of climate change.
DCU Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education (CREATE) aims to drive research into the continuum of teacher education, to disseminate this research, and to draw on the research to ensure teacher education is subjected to sustained critique and innovation and to inform policy development, pedagogy and programme development.
DCU Centre for Decarbonisation, Sustainability and Innovation (DESI) seeks to address climate change challenges by developing cleaner energy systems and embedding innovative and sustainable solutions that will lead to global impact.
DCU Centre for Evaluation, Quality & Inspection (EQI) – The Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection is a multidisciplinary research group focused on the thematic areas of School Evaluation and Inspection and Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment.
National Centre for Family Business – The first family business centre of excellence and learning in Ireland, translating leading Irish and International research into best practice, for this generation and future generations of Irish family businesses.
DCU Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education (CHRCE) - CHRCE champions educational policy and practice which promotes human rights, children’s rights, global justice and environmental sustainability.
DCU Centre for Inclusive Pedagogy - The overall purpose of the centre is to focus research on how to include all students in the general education system from a pedagogical, curricular, assessment and community perspective, giving all access to, participation in and benefit from individually relevant learning.
DCU Centre for Literacy Research, Policy & Practice leads innovative scholarship in Literacy Research, Policy and Practice to promote equity and transform lives across the lifespan
DCU Centre for Possibility Studies aims to advance our scientific understanding of the the ways in which individuals, organisations, communities and societies become aware of, explore, decide between, and enact possibilities in psychological, social, material, technological, cultural, artistic, educational, ethical, and political terms.
DCU Centre for Translation and Textual Studies (CTTS) pursues research in translation and textual studies, applied languages, and related areas.
DCU Conflict Institute – brings together authoritative analysis of the Northern Ireland peace process with research and expertise on conflict and peacebuilding in a number of regions around the world, including West and Central Africa, Eastern Europe, and South and Central Asia.
DCU Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC) is an interdisciplinary research centre that investigates policies and politics, pedagogies and practices in early childhood locally and internationally from a critical perspective that is informed by a shared interest in the transformative potential of collaborative research.
DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre - the Centre's purpose is to engage in research, teaching, advocacy and community engagement regarding social and economic exclusion across education and related sectors in Ireland, Europe and globally, in order to promote equitable inclusive systems and lead policy and practice development and reform.
DCU European Law Institute (DELI) – DELI is the prime hub for research and scientific collaboration in the field of EU law and policy at DCU. Led by Prof. Federico Fabbrini, it includes over 20 international scholars from various EU member states. Expanding on the success of the Brexit Institute, DELI hosts numerous funded research projects, produces leading scholarship, and organizes high-level events.
DCU Further Education & Training Research Centre (FETRC) - the Centre mission is to influence the strategic direction of the further education and training sector in Ireland, ensuring that policy and practice is driven by evidence based research
Entwine – Entwine's mission is to provide a networked platform with a global reach for the provision of services that enable the scalable machine-to-machine communication required to realise a true Internet of Things.
Food for Health@DCU – Food for Health Ireland is a multi-location, multi-partnered, multi-disciplinary research centre that addresses some of today's most pressing health issues through food.
DCU Institute for Ethics – The Institute of Ethics aims to create ethical awareness in relation to all fields of the university's activities and to play a leading role in raising public awareness of, and stimulating debate about, ethical issues.
DCU Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities (IRGS) is a university-wide research centre whose core mission is to foster new, inter-disciplinary synergies to respond to the most urgent issues relating to gender and sexuality in contemporary society.
DCU Institute of Future Media, Democracy, and Society (FuJo) – FuJo is an innovative and experimental space for journalism and media research. It provides a platform where journalists, communication scholars, social and data scientists, software engineers and philosophers can come together.
DCU Ireland-India Institute strives to generate deeper academic knowledge and specialised expertise on India and South Asia, with a focus on addressing concrete Sustainable Development Goals as well as the historical, social, and cultural linkages with Ireland and Europe.
DCU REACH Centre - the REACH Collaboratory is a joint partnership between researchers at DCU and the HSE Dublin North City and County Community Health Organisation. It's mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of the community by generating evidence to inform effective decision-making and policy, in partnership with local communities, and in relation to community health services and system development.
DCU Water Institute – The Water Institute (WI) is a cross-faculty initiative of research and education on water.
I-FORM – The mission of the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing (I-Form) is to shape the future of manufacturing through high-impact research into the application of digital technologies to materials processing.
Irish Institute of Digital Business (IIDB) – IIDB is a centre of excellence for theoretical and applied research that investigates and accelerates the adoption of digital technologies and the transformation of business using these technologies.
INSIGHT – The SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics (Insight) is one of the biggest data analytics centres in Europe. It undertakes high-impact research, seeks to derive value from Big Data and provides innovative technology solutions for industry and society by enabling better decision-making.
IPIC – The SFI Research Centre for Irish Photonics Integrations (IPIC) focuses on developing new light-enabled technologies. Photonics is a key enabling technology that underpins the internet and affects diverse industries such as medical devices, renewable energy, manufacturing and environmental monitoring.
LERO - The SFI Research Centre for Software (LERO) brings together leading software teams from universities and institutes of technology in a coordinated centre of research excellence with a strong industry focus.
SEALBHÚ: Lárionad Taighde DCU um Fhoglaim agus Teagasc na Gaeilge - a cross-faculty Centre which aims to consolidate and co-ordinate Applied Linguistics and Language Planning research in Ireland and to work closely with partners in other countries who are investigating similar issues.