Two Trinity-led mental health research projects receive HRB investment
Posted on: 08 January 2026
The HRB is supporting 10 new mental health research projects with a focus on priority and underserved groups through its Applied Partnership Awards scheme.
Trinity-led mental health research projects focused on children in care and adults living with HIV are among ten projects to be funded by the Health Research Board (HRB). An investment of €2 million in a total of ten projects was announced today by Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler.
The Trinity projects are:
- Improving Outcomes for Children in Care, led by Prof. David Hevey and Prof. Ben Butlin (Trinity College Dublin) and Robert O’Connor (Tusla Child and Family Agency).
- Understanding and Addressing Mental Health, Loneliness and Quality of Life in Older People Living with HIV in Ireland: A Pathway to Social Prescribing, led by Dr Louise Brennan (Trinity College Dublin) and Professor David Robinson (St James’s Hospital Dublin).
Professor in Clinical Health Psychology David Hevey said of his project: “Children placed in the care of the state are at risk of experiencing a range of negative outcomes; key questions for Tusla include what therapeutic help to offer, to whom and when? Unfortunately, the evidence base to inform such decision-making remains unclear. One explanation for this evidence gap is that the screening tools widely used in traditional mental health settings are unable to detect the core difficulties of children in care.
“Working with our partners in Tusla, this novel project is based in the School of Psychology’s new Research Centre for the Developing Person. Subject to Tusla approval we will apply psychological science to design and test a screening and outcome measurement framework that can be implemented nationally.”
The HRB is supporting 10 new mental health research projects with a focus on priority and underserved groups through its Applied Partnership Awards scheme.
A separate grant of €1 million will establish a new all-island ‘Collaborative Research Network’ in mental health which will be led by Maynooth University, in partnership with the University of Galway, and the National Suicide Research Foundation at University College Cork.
Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler, said: "This significant investment marks a major step forward in how we understand and respond to mental health needs in Ireland. Dedicated funding for mental health research has tripled since 2022, reflecting our strong commitment to evidence-based policy and innovation.”
Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive of the HRB, said: “We welcome the Minister’s continued commitment to advance mental health research which has seen the HRB’s dedicated mental health research budget triple since 2022. This recent investment demonstrates the power of co-production and collaboration in driving research that improves mental health and wellbeing, especially among priority and underserved populations, across the island of Ireland.”
ENDS