PhD student receives IRC award for space innovation research
Aaron Maloney, a PhD student in Technological University of the Shannon was awarded the ‘Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence’ by the Irish Research Council (IRC).
Maloney is the first technological university student to receive this accolade. He received the award for his research which focuses on ‘UV stabilisation and recyclability of high-performance polymers for in space additive manufacturing’. Additionally, Maloney was awarded funding by the IRC through the Government of Ireland postgraduate programme to complete his studies.
Maloney began his research with the joint TUS and applied polymer technology PhD scholarship, awarded to top-performing students in the undergraduate degree programme, under the guidance of supervisors Dr Declan Devine, Dr Noel Gately, and Dr Ian Major. His research represents a leap forward in space technology, addressing challenges associated with the sustainability and durability of materials produced in space.
Aaron Maloney, PhD student, TUS, said: “I’m driven by the opportunity to innovate in advanced industries and make a real-world impact. The interdisciplinary nature of this work and its potential to shape the future of aerospace continually inspire my research efforts. It will reduce the need for costly resupply missions, enabling on-demand manufacturing of spare parts, for maintenance in case of emergency and as required.”
Professor Vincent Cunnane, president, TUS, said: “By providing opportunities like these for highly skilled research professionals, TUS continues to not only future-proof national skill needs but also provide opportunities for skilled researchers like Aaron to produce work that has real-world impact, while also being quite literally out of this world.”
Dr Declan Devine, director, PRISM research institute at TUS, said: “The genesis of Aaron’s project has been our engagement with the European Space Agency (ESA). The topic of the project is related to a number of projects we have run in collaboration with ESA and partners around the development of 3D printing for in space applications. Aaron has supported this research since he started with us.
“The acknowledgement from the prestigious IRC postgraduate award is a great accomplishment for any researcher but to also be awarded the Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence Award is a true reflection of the excellent research and outputs that Aaron has made since he began his PhD journey.”
TechCentral Reporters
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers