Research Ireland gives St. Patrick’s Day Medal to experts in philosophy and healthcare
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was on hand to present the prestigious Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal to Prof Richard Kearney, Charles B Seelig Professor in Philosophy at Boston College, and Mr Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health.
The Medal recognises the contribution of academic and industry leaders in the US across all disciplines, from science and engineering to the arts, humanities and social sciences. These experts contribute to the research ecosystem in Ireland and to collaboration between research in Ireland and the United States.
At the presentation event in Washington, DC, the Taoiseach said: “I am delighted to present the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal to Prof Richard Kearney and Mr Michael Dowling. Their significant achievements in the fields of philosophy and healthcare respectively illustrate the exceptional work being carried out by the Irish research diaspora across the United States.
“The leadership and innovation of Prof Kearney and Mr Dowling have been impactful across diverse areas, from aiding peace agreements to improving healthcare access. The Government of Ireland and Research Ireland are delighted to support transformative research such as this, which has wide-reaching benefits across Ireland and the US.”
Prof Richard Kearney holds the Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College and has served as a Visiting Professor at University College Dublin and the University of Paris. He is the author of more than 30 books on European philosophy and literature, including The Irish Mind, Navigations: Selected Irish Essays and most recently Hosting Earth: facing the Climate Crisis (2025). He was formerly a member of the Arts Council of Ireland, the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and Chairman of the Irish School of Film at UCD. He was involved in drafting proposals for the Northern Irish peace agreement and has appeared frequently in Irish, European and North American media. His third and most recent novel, Salvage, set in West Cork, is currently being adapted for film.
Prof Kearney said: “I am honoured to be awarded the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal. My connection with Ireland has always been central to my career. Bringing people together to share stories and perspectives is key to addressing our era’s greatest challenges. Collaborations and exchanges can help to transcend divides and build peace and reconciliation. I look forward to continuing my work with colleagues in both the US and Ireland to strengthen empathy and understanding.”
Michael Dowling is one of the healthcare industry’s most highly respected voices. As President and CEO of Northwell Health, he oversees the largest healthcare provider in New York State, caring for over 2 million people annually through a network of 21 hospitals and over 900 outpatient facilities. Dowling has invested heavily in Northwell’s research arm, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, transforming the treatment of conditions like lupus, arthritis, sepsis, cancer, psychiatric illness and Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr Dowling has developed a visionary approach to medical education, working on innovative medical school curricula and creating a corporate university. Throughout his career he has initiated numerous programmes to expand primary care access to medical care, particularly to those who are uninsured.
On receiving his award, Dowling said: “I am delighted to accept the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal recognizing my efforts to improve health outcomes for patients, through clinical care and research. In our work, it is vital to remain open to new knowledge. Partnerships with Irish companies continue to provide new perspectives that help to improve patient care in the US, Ireland and beyond. Maintaining close ties with Ireland continues to be of deep importance to my career.”
The news comes as Research Ireland and the National Science Foundation have sign a five-year bilateral partnership that will create a unique international government-academia-enterprise partnership delivering world-leading research and strengthening industry-academic collaboration on both sides of the Atlantic.
Among the guiding principles of the partnership are that the NSF and Research Ireland will focus on the facilitation of excellent research and training activities; cooperate in the approach to design and implementation of merit (peer) review; avoid additional burden on proposers, reviewers, and funders; and carry out transparent proposal and review processes.
Signing the new partnership, Dr Sethuraman ‘Panch’ Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation, commented: “NSF is delighted to sign a partnership with Research Ireland, formalizing and fortifying a research bond that stretches back over two decades,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “We look forward to the partnership promoting knowledge transfer, innovation, and research and enterprise opportunities for both our countries across a range of priority sectors.”
Signing the partnership on behalf of Research Ireland, Deputy CEO, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, said: “Ireland and the US have a long-standing and deep collaboration in research, development and innovation – one that is greatly valued. This new partnership signed here today builds upon that, and paves the way for the development of specific funding opportunities, coordinated peer review processes, joint conferences and workshops, staff exchanges to facilitate shared learning and develop dialogues, and alignment of larger investments, including collaboration on facilities.”
The new partnership follows an intensive series of workshops involving academics from US universities and Irish research institutions in October 2024.
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