How to Explore Research and Innovation at University College Cork (UCC)

You can explore UCC research in two main ways: browse the institutional pages on ucc.ie for strategy, structure and news, or go directly to research.ucc.ie to search individual researchers, expertise, outputs, activities and collaborations. The first route suits prospective students, partners or journalists who want the big picture; the second suits anyone looking for a specific person, project or area of expertise. Both are openly accessible from the main site navigation.

Start with the Research and Innovation section on ucc.ie

The main site groups research content under Research and Innovation, with these sub-areas listed in the site navigation:

• Research and Innovation Overview — the entry point to the university's research profile
• Research Charter — the stated principles and commitments behind UCC's research activity
• Research Strategy — the institutional direction and priorities for research
• Research Office — the administrative and support function for research
• Innovation — how research is translated into innovation activity
• UCC Futures — a distinct programme area within the research portfolio

Use this section when you need to understand how UCC organises and governs its research, rather than to find a specific researcher. Read the Charter and Strategy pages together: the first tells you the commitments, the second the priorities, and the two should be consistent with each other.

Search people and outputs on research.ucc.ie

The site directs visitors to research.ucc.ie to "explore our researchers, their areas of expertise, outputs, activities, collaborations and contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals." That description tells you what the portal is designed to answer:

A practical approach: start with a topic or a name, then use the expertise and outputs fields to confirm you have the right person or group before relying on the result. If you are a prospective postgraduate student looking for a supervisor, search by expertise rather than by department name — the portal is organised around researchers and their work, not around school structures.

See research impact through The Arch

The Arch (thearch.ucc.ie) is UCC's digital magazine. The site describes it as showcasing "research impact, teaching expertise and engagement, that together is seeking to shape a better future." Use it when you want narrative examples of what UCC research looks like in practice rather than a database record. It is a magazine, so treat it as illustrative rather than comprehensive — for completeness, return to research.ucc.ie.

Check the news for current activity

The ucc.ie homepage carries a Latest news feed, which is where recent research-related announcements surface (for example, the 23 Oct 2026 item on the 1845 Foundation Medal awarded to Dr Michael Dowling). News is useful for timeliness; the Research and Innovation pages and research.ucc.ie are better for stable, structured information.

Choosing your route

• Prospective student or supervisor search: go to research.ucc.ie first, then the Courses pages for programme details.
• Partner, funder or journalist wanting the institutional picture: read Research Charter and Research Strategy, then browse The Arch for examples.
• Looking for something recent: start with the news feed, then follow links back to the relevant research pages.

One caution: the site navigation lists research areas and structures, but it does not publish fees, funding amounts or entry requirements on these pages. For fees, the navigation points to a separate "How much are my fees?" page under Study; for programme-specific conditions, use the Courses section.