Testimonials from NAP users

"In order to explore the dependence of optical and electrical properties of high quality InGaAs/InP epitaxial structures on small substrate misorientations it was necessary to access the state of the art MOVPE growth capabilities at Tyndall. This work complements and significantly extends the range of research activities we can undertake by providing access to facilities not available in our own laboratories"
Dr. Greg Hughes, Dr. Paul Hurley, Dr. Emanuele Pelucchi - DCU,Tyndall - Project title: MOVPE growth of high quality InGaAs/InP epitaxial structures with small substrate misorientations (NAP 152)

"Could not have undertaken this project without the resources available at Tyndall through NAP"
Dr. Justin D. Holmes - UCC - Project title: Templated Growth and Electrical Contacting of Nanowire Arrays on Silicon Substrates (NAP 115)

"The Tyndall-Body Area Network developed for NAP174 will greatly accelerate our research as it provides us with leading edge technologies which other international research bodies may not have access to. This research will assist in the advancement of pervasive patient monitoring for decades to come"
Dr. John O’Donoghue - UCC - Project title: A Medical Based Body Area Network for Falls Assessment (NAP 174)

"The NAP project was a simple and efficient way to test research hypothesis aimed to improve the performance of an important new bioassay"
Professor Dmitri B. Papkovsky - UCC - Project title: Design and fabrication of customised SiO2-coated plasticware for bioanalytical applications (NAP 176)

"This award greatly enriched the IRCSET-funded PhD research programme of Mr Giuliano Greco and allowed him to demonstrate cutting-edge research capability"
Professor John Davenport - UCC - Project title: Atomic Force Microscopic Charaterisation of Crab Eye Surfaces (NAP 202)

"Through the National Access Programme we have been able to demonstrate that the current state-of-the-art algorithms in nonlinear system identification are inadequate to model complex dynamic systems such as electrostatic MEMS. We regard this as a very important outcome, particularly in the field of system identification of complex nonlinear systems where very little has been known about the limitations of the existing algorithms. Thus this project has provided a valuable case study of a system which is extremely difficult to model. Solving the issues will become the focus of our future work in this field"
Dr. Marcin Cychowski - CIT - Project title: Development of novel low-complexity models and optimised voltage actuation strategies for electrostatic RF-MEMS - using nonlinear system identification and advanced control (NAP 204)

"This NAP has enabled us to prove that it is feasible to embed sensors and electronics within concrete which is an extremely aggressive environment and broadcast the results wirelessly without undue interference from the steel reinforcement or indeed the formwork"
Dr. Ger Kelly - CIT - Project title: Smart System for Monitoring Concrete Curing & Structural Health (NAP 183)

"Participation in NAP has provided a concrete application for the research we have done on conical diffraction"
Professor James G. Lunney - TCD - Project title: Formation of Bessel beam using conical refraction for 2-photon ploymerisation (NAP 219)

"Tyndall have produced for us a set of robust, high-quality state-of-the-art sensors, which will be very useful in a broad range of research applications in the sports field"
Dr. Ciarán Ó Conaire - DCU - Project title: Estimating Tennis Player Motion via Inertial and Visual Sensing (NAP 209)

"This NAP project has provided with valuable access to facility nowhere else available in Ireland"
Dr. Patrick Fournet - NUIG - Project title: Ink-Jetting of NUI Galway ’s Argentink^TM’ silver nanoparticles (NAP 184)

"Support from NAP has permitted us to answer basic questions at the initiation of this project and these findings have highlighted areas of Intellectual Property generation and have focused our research on potential mechanisms of action. Without it, it would have taken a significantly long period of time to slowly build up these findings. Support from NAP has permitted efficient, competitive research to occur that is on track to generate IP and competitive successful research to continue. It’s an excellent mechanism of support as it allows researchers access to core facilities. It would be marvelous if this could be established in the biomedical field of Irish research"
Dr. Anne Moore - UCC - Project title: Design and Fabrication of Microneedle Arrays for Transdermal Vaccine Delivery (NAP 170)

"The NAP 167 project facilitated the understanding of micro-device behaviour under shock and vibration stimuli. The project supported the entire research programme from fabrication of suitable devices right through to testing and post-analysis by granting access to all the available facilities and personnel at the Tyndall Institute. The project allowed pioneering research in the field of MEMS which resulted in two conference papers, a journal article and ultimately a doctoral thesis"
Michael Sheehy - UL - Project title: Characterisation and Simulation of Notched Micro-beams for Investigation of Failure Mechanisms under Shock and Vibration Stimuli (NAP 167)

"The research was greatly enhanced by the National Access Programme (NAP) at Tyndall which provided an invaluable resource for characterisation of polymers by SEM"
Rachel Walsh - WIT - Project title: Development of controlled polymerisation techniques for the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (NAP 159)

"NAP has proven invaluable in the progression of our work towards development of more effective treatments for cancer. This work involves the treatment of surface tumours with electric fields to destroy the tumour. Current methods of delivering this treatment have certain drawbacks and we along with our partners in Tyndall are trying to overcome some of the issues currently experienced with the treatment"
Mr. Timothy Doody - UCC - Project title: Silicon microneedle mediated electroporation to enhance gene and drug delivery for the treatment of cancer (NAP 157)

"The NAP programme has provide invaluable resources to my Group. I am delighted with the microneedles prepared under this scheme by Tyndall and believe that this work will lead to a number of good publications"
Dr. Ryan F. Donnelly - QUB - Project title: Physicochemical characterisation of novel polymeric microneedle arrays designed for transdermal drug delivery (NAP 156)

"Working with the team in TNI has been a great help for our research team.  They have always been excellent at bringing researchers from a non-technical background along the way with them.  Their role serves as a perfect bridge between researchers from a clinical environment and the vast possibilities offered by sensors"
Dr. Brian Caulfield - UCD - Project title: Wireless Equine Biomechanical Measurement System (NAP 150)

"The NAP proposal has been essential for the fabrication of the metal-dielectric nanostructures. Without this grant we would not have been able to fabricate the device to the extant where it was possible to gain a complete understanding of the physical phenomena we were observing"
Dr. Pierpaolo Porta - UCC - Project title: Metal-dielectric nanostructures (NAP 147)

"The research work completed to date on pseudonoise fault location and identification would not have been possible without SFI funding of my NAP projects, the equipment facilities available and the specialized assistance of technical personnel at the Tyndall Institute"
Dr. Richard Guinee -CIT - Project title: Extended Experimental Testing and Verification of a Novel Correlation Diagnostic Tester Methodology for Transmission Line Fault Monitoring, Location and Identification using Pseudorandom Binary Sequences (NAP 144)

"In our opinion, this was a very successful project"
Dr. Zakia Rahman - UL - Project title: Magnetic Characterization of RE doped Transition Metals and Alloys Thin Films and Nanowires/Nanorods (NAP 123)

"The work done by NAP was excellent and very promising"
Dr. Jean-Paul Mosnier - DCU - Project title: Realising Electronic Devices on PLD-grown ZnO (Nap 122)

"The NAP provides a wonderful opportunity for researchers to use world-class facilities in a professional, supportive and helpful environment"
Greg Doyle - IT Carlow - Project title: Data-diffraction Metrology Capability Test Programme (NAP 120)

"I am quite satisfied with the quality of work that MN has performed on this research and would love to continue using NAP for my future collaborative work with Tyndall Nat. Inst. There were minimal procedural intricacies and the hospitality in Tyndall was superb"
Dr. Syed Tofail - UL - Project title: Metal Oxide Formation at the Surface of Metallic Alloys (NAP 119)

"The NAP allowed us to have access to a useful range of equipment we couldn’t access otherwise. Our specific need for these measurements did not justify the purchase of the equipment. The NAP was the perfect solution for us, benefiting not only from access to the diagnostic tools, but also (and most importantly) from the expertise of trained staff"
Fabien Bernard - NUIG - Project title: Characterisation of Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ) in laser machined parts (NAP 118)

"The computational modeling group at the Tyndall were very professional in all of our dealings. The prescribed work on our NAP project was completed with great efficiency and thoroughness leading to a very comprehensive study of our system. The project will lead to future collaborations, publications and more importantly an exchange of radical ideas between our groups"
Dr. Florence McCarthy - UCC - Project title: Design of novel Ellipticine c-Kit kinase inhibitors (NAP 109)

"Working on the NAP project has enabled the NCLA research staff to explore a concept with assistance from Tyndall enabling the necessary expertise in the semiconductor field and access to electrical testing.   Without this access the NCLA would not have been able to explore the concept in this detail"
Fiona Parker - NUIG - Project title: Laser surface engineering of semiconductors for enhanced electrical contact adhesion (NAP 106)

"The National Access Programme has allowed the mechanical engineers in my research group to access and benefit from a set of manufacturing tools and considerable expertise in their use that would certainly not have ordinarily been available to them in their work. We have benefited significantly from this collaboration"
Dr. Cormac Eason - UL - Project title: DRIE micromachining of silicon to create superhydrophobic surfaces (NAP 104)

“The NAP programme has been invaluable in bringing this new and exciting microfluidic technology from the drawing board to a working prototype”
Dr. Anthony Robinson - TCD - Project title: Development of electrohydrodynamic ion-drag micropumps for microscale electronics cooling systems (NAP 103)

"The ability to get customized sensor nodes for research use is a luxury that we in Ireland are very fortunate to have, and certainly gives us an edge over other groups overseas that work on experimental wireless sensor networks"
Professor Cormac Sreenan - UCC - Project title: Deployment, Characterisation and Test of a Ruggedised Wireless Sensor Network (NAP 102)

"We are very happy to be involved in collaboration with Tyndall via NAP scheme. The computer modelling was very useful and helped to understand and explain the chemical and optical  properties of our materials. We would like to thank  Dr. S. Elliott for the great job, which he has done in this project"
Dr. Yurii Gun’ko - TCD - Project title: Modelling of chiral quantum dots (NAP 99)

"This project provided UL/Analog Devices the opportunity to collaborate with Tyndall on a nanofabrication research project. This collaboration resulted in the successful fabrication of novel nanoscale sensors. Without NAP support & Tyndall’s research input,  this would not have been possible. All collaborating partners involved in NAP have benefited greatly from the knowledge they gained during the course of the project"
Stephen Gilmartin - UL - Project title: The fabrication of novel thermal nanosensor structures using electon beam nanolithography (NAP 98)

"The NAP project has enabled us to bring together the advanced characterisation tools in DCU with the advanced wavelength conversion scheme developed in Tyndall.  In has also strengthened the ties between the two research groups aiding in the development of future research projects"
Professor Liam Barry - DCU - Project title: Frequency Resolved Optical Gating Characterisation of Fast Optical Switch operating at data rates up to 160 GBit/s (NAP 93)

"NAP enabled me to pursue novel device concepts in user friendly manner"
Dr. James O’Callaghan - UCC - Project title: Quantum dot intermixing for superluminesencent diodes (NAP 90)

"Access to NAP is invaluable for my SFI investigator grant as it has allowed access to state of the art E-Beam facilities which allows me to compete on a par with international researchers for nanoscale device fabrication"
Dr. Kevin M. Ryan - UL - Project title: Lithographic patterning of substrates for perpendicular nanorod assembly (NAP 89)

"The NAP has facilitated Stokes to design and create micro-scale cantilever devices in order to conduct high-g shock testing, vibrometry and failure analysis – as part of its reliability physics investigation on MEMS devices under mechanical loads"
Dr. Jeff Punch - UL - Project title: Design and Fabrication of Notched Micro-beams for Impact Experimentation (NAP 87)

"Despite the fact that the results from this particular project were disappointing, it is important to recognize the fundamental importance of having the NAP programme to allow researchers access to components that otherwise would not be readily available"
Dr. Alan G. Ryder - NUIG - Project title: Preparation of reproducible, high aspect ratio nanostructures for Metal Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) substrates (NAP 86)

"This has allowed us to explore a new area of research, in collaboration with an acknowledged expert on electroless deposition. The benefits of this new collaboration between our research group cannot be under-estimated, and look set to develop and strengthen in the future"
Dr. Simon Lawrence - UCC - Project title: Electroless Plating in Porous Alumina Membranes (NAP 85)

"NAP has allowed me and my institution to acquire the know-how necessary for development of DNA Microchips using Molecular beacons. This technology has many different applications not only in the marine environment but also in human medicine for point-of-care diagnostics. Additionally, it will potentially allow us (LYIT) to incorporate such technologies into the undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the Science Dept."
Dr. Ivan F. Bendezu - Letterkenny IT - Project title: DNA Microchip for detection of marine bivalve larvae (NAP 83)

“The National Access Programme has helped us by preparing test structures on which we can test our theories for novel laser material interactions. This enhancing the scope and quality of our research”
Dr. Gerard O’Connor - NUIG - Project title: Development of test structures for use the investigation of plasma expansion dynamics and time of flight measurements observed in femtosecond laser ablation of metals (NAP 79)

"NAP has provided me the opportunity of using specialized facilities and high frequency equipment, available only at the Tyndall Institute, to research a novel test methodology for transmission line fault finding using pseudorandom binary sequences (PRBS) as a competitive alternative to Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)"
Dr. Richard Guinee - CIT - Project title: A Feasibility Study concerning a Novel Pulse Echo Correlation Diagnostics Test methodology for Transmission Line Condition Monitoring, Fault Finding and Identification using Pseudorandom Binary Sequences (NAP 78)

"The NAP project allowed us to explore novel methods of position monitoring in medium-sized mammals. Unfortunately the device developed did not give sufficiently precise positioning, but in discussion with Tyndall staff a number of other possibilities suggested themselves"
Professor John Davenport - UCC - Project title: Inertial tracking of badgers (NAP 77)

"The NAP has provided myself and other researchers in my group at WIT with invaluable access to the capabilities of Tyndall. This access has allowed us to design, fabricate, test and analyse novel state-of -the-art photonic devices that are currently available only to a small number of research groups in Europe. As a result, our research will be of interest to a wide audience and will help our group to grow academic and industrial links throughout the continent"
Dr. John Houlihan - WIT - Project title: Unstable resonators for next generation high brightness quantum dot devices (NAP 75)

"Tyndall has provided access to high-quality research facilities & equipment together with a team of qualified engineers that have interacted with our researchers to identify the originality and offer initial guidelines for the project. NAP represents a great opportunity for researchers that want to start an innovative field of research and to obtain customized prototype devices according to the requirements of the project"
Dr. Antonio G. Ruzzelli - UCD - Project title: Dual-Channel adaptive MAC for WSNs (NAP 67)

"Being able to use the NAP for development of tailored WSNs for audio-based event detection has allowed us to concentrate our research at the higher end of the task, allowing us to develop event detection algorithms without having to worry about low-level hardware considerations"
Michael McHugh & Professor Alan F. Smeaton - DCU - Project title: Wireless Audio Sensor Creation (NAP 66)

" The NAP programme allowed Stokes to carry out drop impact testing to the required standard and to be confident in the results"
Dr. Bryan Rodgers - UL - Project title: Drop Impact Testing of Electronic Assemblies (NAP 64)

"Obtaining the modified Tyndall mote was very useful for our BlueDot project. Without the NAP, we would have had to buy in standard equipment from the US and modify it ourselves. Access to the skills in Tyndall provided us with a better experimental testbed and allowed us to spend more time on our own research"
Dr Chris Bleakley - UCD - Project title: Wireless sensor network motes for low power hardware-software co-design (NAP 63)

"NAP gave us access to equipment which was not available to us in house. Our positive experience in using this equipment through the NAP helped us to make key decisions on equipment and purchasing"
Dr. Humphrey Moynihan - UCC - Project title: Molecular-level Control of Crystal Nucleation (NAP 62)

"The NAP programme has been really fantastic to work with. The staff at Tyndall have a scholarly openness, extending the overall team competencies beyond what I have seen in any other part of the world. The facilities at Tyndall are state-of-the-art, by all standards of world class. Without NAP, it would have been more expensive and perhaps not even possible to achieve our results"
Mikael Fernström - UL - Project title: Celeritas - application of motes in performance art systems (NAP 60)

"Advancing our group’s research in the rapid development of ubiquitous computing applications required obtaining new skills in the programming of embedded software on sensor motes. The NAP not only provided access to the hardware but was very supportive in providing the essential training in embedded system programming needed to integrate real sensor systems into our research"
Dr. David Lewis - TCD - Project title: Incorporating and validating sensor capabilities into a pervasive computing simulation tool (NAP 59)

"This project has provided customized sensor interfaces specifically designed for chemical sensors under development in the Adaptive Sensors Group, DCU.  This has streamlined the process of sensor evaluation and will fast track field deployment of these systems"
Dr. Rod Shepherd - DCU - Project title: Comparison Studies of Tyndall and CrossBow Inc. Motes in Chemo-sensor and Wearable Sensor Networks (NAP 56)

"Access to the facilities at Tyndall have been invaluable. The SAM at Tyndall has allowed us to image bone samples at high resolution and achieve good results which were invaluable to the progress of the project"
Patrick Wulliamoz - TCD - Project title: Micromechanical modelling of normal, drug treated and osteoporotic bone using non-destructive testing and finite element analysis (NAP 53)

"The NAP has provided the foundation for the development of novel cantilever sensors as well as opening up the prospect of improved SFM imaging in liquid"
Dr. Anthony Grant - CIT - Project title: Fabrication of Coated Cantilevers for Scanning Force Microscopy and Biosensor Applications (NAP 52)

"The NAP facillitated the production of unique silicon membrane structures that would have been impossible to produce elsewhere. The flexibility and capability of the Tyndall Institute, combined with the NAP framework, made the decision to pursue this project with Tyndall an easy one. The project has served the Intel/CRANN research initiative well to date"
Chris Murray - TCD - Project title: Production of thin Si membranes using SOI wafers (NAP 45/50)

"Access to high quality advanced technology is essential for the future of photonics"
Brian Corbett - UCC - Project title: Incorporating photonic crystals into quantum dot lasers at 1300nm (NAP 47)

"There can be no doubt that the work produced via our NAP proposal has attracted considerable interest and has opened up the possibility of integrating colloidal photonic crystal technology into existing III-V optoelectronic devices. Our main paper arising from this work has thus far only received 3 citations but these are from key players in the field and so we are very pleased to have been cited. The data that we have obtained underpins a large part of  our strategy for further research over the next 5 years. It also has been instrumental in establishing some possible new collaborations"
Professor M E Pemble - UCC - Project title: Novel III-V Structures from Synthetic Opal Templates (NAP 45)

"The access programme has allowed us to evaluate the Tyndall mote design. We are confident that this programme is a significant contribution to the area of wireless sensor network design, being a clear advance on the state of the art and which will – if suitable volumes are available – make a significant international contribution"
Dr. S. Neely, Dr. S. Dobson - UCD - Project title: Device Positioning Using Smart Zigbee Beacons (NAP 42)

“The NAP has provided access to very interesting customized LED devices that are simply not available from commercial sources.  In particular multi-LED arrays look very promising for application in the area of multi-analyte fluidic detection systems”
Dr Rod Shepherd - DCU - Project title: Customised light emitting diodes for enhanced performance optical chemical sensors (NAP 40)

"The project has been a great success and the NAP program has been instrumental in the development of the AES team’s research in RF and Antenna development. It is now hoped to build on this work and endeavor to further increase Tyndall’s profile in the area of antenna research"
John Buckley - UCC - Project title: Antenna Design, Fabrication/Characterization (NAP 39)

“Funding through the Tyndall Research Centre and NAP has allowed us direct access to equipment and expertise improving the speed of our research while greatly enhancing its output”
Robert Lynch - UL - Project title: Study of the Mechanism of porous layer formation in III-V semiconductors in aqueous electrolytes under anodic conditions (NAP 37)

"This was an excellent opportunity for us to utilize the microfabrication facility at Tyndall and was the only means to fabricate the CPWs in Ireland . Without these CPWs, the experimental technique would have been a failure"
Dr. I. Z. Rahman - UL - Project title: Design and Fabrication of Coplanar Waveguides (NAP 36)

"This project has allowed a basic proof of concept for the new ultrasonic transducer MEMs and will thus be a key factor in future funding applications"
Dr. William Wright - UCC - Project title: Manufacture of novel capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (cMUT) MEMS (NAP 35)

"The access gained for us under the NAP has become an integral part of our research projects, providing the preeminent analytical tool in our evaluation of binding efficiency"
Gerard O'Sullivan & Norma Scully - UCC - Project title: Analysis of silicas, derivatised using supercritical carbon dioxide (NAP 34)

"Our experience of the NAP scheme has been very positive. It has facilitated in building a strong research relationship with Dr Paul Hurley’s group in Tyndall which has continued in the subsequent SFI funded project"
Dr. Greg Hughes - DCU - Project title: Fabrication and characterisation of high-k dielectric layers on Germanium and Silicon substrates (NAP 30)

"In addition to providing top-class facilities for performing experimental work, the educational value of the project was immense"
Damian Aherne - UCD - Project title: Electrical Characterization of DNA Templated Gold Nanowires (NAP 27)

"The MESRC (Microelectronics and Semiconductor Research Centre) at UL would like to acknowledge the help and cooperation of the NAP, which resulted in driving our research further steps. Without their help this project would not be possible to progress, as the facilities of Tyndall are highly appreciated. Also many thanks to SFI for providing such a great opportunity of NAP/SFI project"
Professor Khalil Arshak - UL - Project title: Design & fabrication of nanoscale potentiometric pH biosensors using FIB nanolithography (NAP 24)

"At every stage of the project, the Tyndall staff were enthusiastic, helpful and promptly answered any questions posed. Their professionalism greatly contributed towards the project’s success"
Brian Mc Cormack - TCD - Project title: Fabrication, inspection and dicing of SAW sensors (NAP 21)

"The NAP project has facilitated the start of research in the area of embedded wireless location technologies in my group at CIT. The development of location technology expertise has lead, since the award of the NAP project in the participation of two EU funded projects The FP6 “wearIT@work” project, were CIT replaced the original location techniques partner, who had left the project. CIT’s selection by the consortium was based on our growing reputation in the area of location techniques"
Dr. Dirk Pesch - CIT - Project title: Indoor Environment Monitoring for Smart Buildings (NAP 20)

"The time and effort that all the Tyndall engineers gave towards the development of the Tyndall-DMS-Mote is much appreciated. We are really pleased with the positive contributions and enthusiastic co-operation of all concerned"
Dr. John Herbert - UCC - Project title: QoS Issues within a Medical environment using Wireless Sensor Networks (NAP 19)

"The National Access Programme has been an invaluable aid in the development of my research. The researchers in Tyndall are enthusiastic, supportive, and flexible"
Dr. Stephen Brown - NUIM - Project title: Lifetime support for wireless sensor networks (NAP 18)

"The benefits of the NAP programme for our research activities can be summarized as: Provides MEMS device samples which are of a standard comparable with the best research groups in the world. Gives our postgraduate students the opportunity to work on state-of-the-art characterization equipment with proactive assistance from Tyndall staff experiences with the equipment operation and the measurements of interest to us. Has allowed us to begin interactions with potential industrial partners in the area of RF system design"
Dr. Martin Hill - CIT - Project title: High tuning range MEMS variable capacitor for RF systems (VARICAP) (NAP 12)

"It was extremely helpful to us that we could directly contact those researchers at Tyndall responsible for different stages of the project"
Dr. Lien Ngo - TCD - Project title: Nanowire and nano-contacts (NAP 6)

"This is an excellent scheme because (a) it enables small and inexpensive but vital elements of a project to be funded - I strongly recommend that the scheme be continued"
Dr. Robert Barklie - TCD - Project title: Growth and characterisation of HfO 2 and ZrO 2 films on silicon (NAP 5)

"My group gained exposure to the latest technology developed at Tyndall. This technology was used then to map various algorithms and architectures developed by my group. In future, it is my intention to use this technology in some of my lectures and practicals - I think that the programme is of great benefit and hopefully it will continue in the future"
Dr. Emanuel Popovici - UCC - Project title: Fault Tolerance And Low Power Cryptography In Sensor Networks (NAP 4)