Rachel Msetfi

I had the pleasure of visiting Berkeley Lab with Daniel Kearns, Attaché for Talent and Innovation at the Consulate General of Ireland in San Francisco. Many thanks to Eoin Brodie and his colleagues for hosting us and for such an engaging discussion about their research, as well as the opportunity to see some of the outstanding facilities at Berkeley Lab. Visits like this really bring home what sustained national investment in research infrastructure can enable. As Ireland moves forward with initiatives such as the INSPIRE programme, it is exciting to think about the scale of scientific ambition and collaboration that this kind of investment can support. Thank you again to Eoin and the Berkeley Lab team for their time and generosity in sharing their work! #ResearchInfrastructure #INSPIRE #BerkeleyLab #InternationalCollaboration @LBNLresearch

Priorities for 2026

Talent, excellence and impact at the heart of this new @Researchirel strategy! Wonderful to hear accounts of impactful research at the launch.

LIMERICK IN PHOTOS: All ills cured at teddy bear hospital SPECIAL ‘paw-scriptions’ were filled out as the beloved teddy bear hospital returned to the University of Limerick this past week. More on the link in our bio. 📷 Arthur Ellis #Limerick #LimerickInPhotos

A further highlight of our visit to Aga Khan University in Nairobi was the opportunity to tour the campus and see first-hand the academic facilities and the Aga Khan University Hospital. From the health sciences education spaces and advanced simulation laboratories, to the library’s wonderful learning environment and the Graduate School of Media & Communications’ journalism and media production facilities, the campus was impressive providing a wonderful learning environment. Thank you to our @AKUGlobal University colleagues for the generosity of the welcome and the open discussions about how our institutions can continue to learn from one another. #HigherEducation #GlobalPartnerships #HealthEducation #MediaEducation #ResearchCollaboration #AKU #MaynoothUniversity

I was honoured to attend the @AKUGlobal University Convocation in Nairobi this week and to witness the graduation of so many talented students in education, nursing, medicine and the health sciences. These graduates will go on to shape health systems, education systems and communities across East Africa and beyond. To celebrate their achievement alongside AKU leadership, faculty and families was really inspiring. During the visit, we also held a focused AKU - Maynooth University Research Session, co-led by @virani_md and myself. We had excellent discussions around shared priorities, including: • Climate change, sustainability and community resilience • Digital innovation, data science and data governance • Health, nursing and workforce development • Mental health, ageing and global health equity What stood out most for me was the depth of alignment, not only in research excellence, but in shared purpose. Both institutions are committed to research that is community-engaged, globally relevant and impact-driven. The STEADY Network (funded through Erasmus+) is supporting 42 mobilities between our institutions and is already creating meaningful opportunities for exchange, collaboration and co-creation. This will ensure that these conversations translate into sustained partnerships between researchers, staff and students. More to follow! #GlobalPartnerships #HigherEducation #ResearchCollaboration #GlobalHealth #Sustainability #DataScience #AKU #MaynoothUniversity

Peer review is essential — but it’s breaking under the weight of workload. Research funding and publishing rely on vast amounts of un-costed peer-review labour. Reviewers are increasingly hard to find, workloads keep growing, and improving fairness often means more reviewers and more coordination — all of which costs time and money that the system rarely acknowledges. A recent Nature Communications study explored a lottery-first funding model: short expressions of interest, a lottery to decide who progresses, and peer review only at the final stage. The results were interesting: Of course there were far fewer proposals to review and the authors estimated 68% lower process costs AND Higher representation of women among applicants and awardees No drop in proposal quality once peer review takes place So in theory we should not abandon peer review, but we should use it where it adds the most value. We would then avoid exhausting reviewers — and levels of collegiality — on applications that can never be funded. Curious to hear what others think! nature.com/articles/s4146…

I was delighted to join the virtual launch of STEADY — Society, Health & Sustainability, strengthening collaboration between @AKUGlobal and @MaynoothUni, supported by our EU Erasmus+ ICM (KA171) award. Led at MU by @jamie_saris and Steve McCarron, STEADY supports mobility and collaboration across society, health & sustainability, aligning closely with MU’s Research Beacons in all three areas. A great example of the value of equitable international partnership between Ireland, Kenya and Tanzania — and just the beginning. #ResearchBeacons #GlobalEngagement #HealthAndWellbeing #Sustainability #PublicPolicy #ErasmusPlus

Great opportunity for aspiring doctoral researchers! The National University of Ireland has opened applications for the 2026 NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentships, supporting PhD research that is internationally mobile, collaborative, and ambitious. The programme is open across all disciplines and the studentships provide significant four-year funding for NUI graduates at the very start of their doctoral journey. This year also marks 100 years of partnership between NUI and the French Embassy in Ireland, with one studentship dedicated to projects that involve research connections with France — whether through study, collaboration, or research travel. Again this is a fantastic opportunity to do great research and build international networks! Full details are available from NUI: nui.ie/awards/Travell… Please do share with anyone who might be considering doctoral study. #DoctoralResearch #PhDFunding #ResearchOpportunities #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #InternationalResearch #EarlyCareerResearchers

Mystery as a luxury service brand signal! This topic is explored in a new paper by @MaynoothUni @MU_Business colleagues Dean Creevey, Joseph Coughlan and Christina O’Connor, which examines mystery as a strategic signal in luxury service marketing. Focusing on Michelin-star restaurants, the research shows how chefs and teams deliberately manage what they reveal – and what they withhold – online. Too much disclosure can dilute exclusivity; too little can push audiences elsewhere for information. The study identifies six distinct “mystery appeals” used to balance visibility, expectation and prestige. What makes this work particularly compelling is how closely it reflects the real, everyday decisions faced by Michelin-star kitchens — where reputation, creativity and experience must be carefully curated long before a guest ever sits down at the table. A strong example of business research grounded in practice, with clear relevance for luxury services, digital marketing and hospitality leadership. #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #BusinessResearch #LuxuryServices #Hospitality #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #EvidenceBasedPractice sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

📘 Access to books and printed materials matters, for everyone As discussions around accessibility, copyright, and inclusion continue to evolve, this research provides an important evidence base for policymakers, practitioners, & researchers alike #MUResearch #MarrakeshTreaty

From academic analysis to EU policy impact! The European Commission’s Review of the Marrakesh Directive (2017/1564) and Marrakesh Regulation (2017/1563) (December 2025) draws on multiple scholarly outputs by Prof Delia Ferri and collaborators at the @MaynoothUni @All_Institute. One example is Delia’s 2023 article in IIC – International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, which examines how the EU’s implementation of the #MarrakeshTreaty operates in practice — highlighting both progress and the ongoing barriers in addressing the “book famine” experienced by people with print-related disabilities. That this wider body of work is cited across both the Commission’s report and the accompanying Staff Working Document demonstrates how sustained, rigorous academic research can meaningfully inform EU-level policy reflection and implementation. mdpi.com/2673-7272/3/2/… #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #HealthAndWellbeing #SocialJustice #PublicPolicy #DisabilityRights #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #EvidenceBasedPolicy #EULaw #CopyrightLaw

Research Ireland is participating in the International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges (IIDTAC), now open for applications. Administrated by New Frontiers in Research Fund, Canada. Visit: researchireland.ie/funding/global… #CRCC

The first all-island mental health collaborative research network – CO-PRIME – has been set up to help combat mental ill health in a more coordinated way right across Ireland and will be headed up by MU's @CMHCR_maynooth Director, Prof Sinead McGilloway. maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/mu…

If the evidence for restorative justice is so strong, why is access still so poor? Because restorative justice isn’t failing — the system around it is. This paper by @MaynoothUni colleague @iancriminology shows that restorative justice is widely supported by evidence, policy, and international frameworks — yet victims are less likely to be offered it today than a decade ago. Restorative justice itself is not the problem. The problem is a criminal justice system that is risk-averse, under-resourced, and built around punishment rather than repair — where access depends on gatekeepers, not victims’ choices. The key messages are: Evidence alone doesn’t change systems. Access requires structural and cultural reform. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17… #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #SocietyAndPublicPolicy #SocialJustice #EvidenceBasedPolicy #RestorativeJustice #CriminalJustice #PublicPolicy

Lovely to see this thought-provoking paper land on Scopus! Ní Dhiorbháin, Nic Aindriú, Connaughton-Crean & Ó Duibhir (2025) explore Irish-medium education and multilingual learners through principals’ and teachers’ perspectives. The study shows how immersion education can be inclusive and highly effective, while also highlighting the structural and policy barriers that shape who currently accesses Irish-medium schooling. Congratulations to @froebelMU (@MaynoothUni ) and their DCU colleagues for leading on this important discussion on language, equity and inclusion. tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… #InclusiveEducation #MultilingualLearners #IrishMediumEducation #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #Heritage #Culture #Languages

We were honoured to welcome MU alumna and PSI President @DrSarahCassidy as speaker at the final #MUPsychologyAt25 event, introduced by @MaynoothUni President Prof Eeva Leinonen & @deirdre_desmond, followed by a panel discussion with Alumna Dr Anne Kehoe and Dr Ian O’Grady.

🎓 PhD Scholarship Opportunity🎓 The John & Pat Hume Doctoral Awards are open. If you are interested in Supervisor, Dr Bruno Morando's proposal on "Farmers' ageing and the economic and environmental sustainability of Irish agriculture" click here buff.ly/kut0jtF

I was delighted to attend the culmination of the Psychology Department’s 25th anniversary celebrations @MaynoothUni yesterday. The event opened with a thoughtful reflection on the department’s history and achievements by Head of Department, Professor @deirdre_desmond, followed by an address from our President, Professor Eeva Leinonen. We then heard a compelling keynote from Sarah Cassidy, President-Elect of the Psychological Society of Ireland and an alum of the department, on navigating new frontiers in Irish psychology. The keynote was introduced by Professor @Cooganlab , who also expertly hosted the engaging panel discussion that followed. A wonderful celebration of 25 years of excellence in psychological research and education, highlighting the discipline’s vital role in advancing mental health, shaping evidence-informed practice, and educating generations of students who go on to make a real-world impact in Ireland and beyond. #MaynoothUniversity #MUResearch #ResearchBeacons #HealthAndWellbeing #Psychology #MentalHealth #StudentEducation #HigherEducation #IrishPsychology