computer science research institute - Research - University of Ulster

group is focussed on methodologies for reasoning, inference and classification,
with applications to knowledge engineering, natural language processing and
bioinformatics. Application of artificial intelligence research to healthcare
informatics is a directing influence, with particular emphasis on Ambient Assisted
Living.
2006-07 has seen the launch of a major infrastructural initiative: the Intelligent
Systems Research Centre was formally launched in May 2007 and represents a
substantial commitment to long-term expansion and sustainability. The Centre has
funding support totalling £7.2M over the next 5 years from InvestNI, through its
Centres of Excellence programme, and the government’s Integrated Development
Fund. The University is investing additional support commitment of £7.31M that
will enable relocation of the Centre’s research staff to a designated refurbished
building and state-of-the-art infrastructure. The Centre is creating 12 new posts:
3 senior academic staff, 6 research staff, a support post for knowledge and
technology transfer, a commercial exploitation manager, and secretarial support,
and a business plan is in place to attract a further £5.95M of external income over
the next five years to support further expansion of research staff and students.
The Centre, under the directorship of Professor Martin McGinnity, will focus on
four areas of research activity: cognitive robotics; biologically inspired computation;
wireless technology / ambient intelligence; and brain-computer interfacing. The
Centre will provide a sustained programme of visiting international researchers,
an integrated business realisation unit and incubator facilities, and an expansion of
activities in technology transfer and new industrial and community partnerships
to inspire and support regional economic development.
2006-07 has been another strong year for new research grant income. There have
been three new major awards from the UK EPSRC: funding of £571,002 through
to June 2011 for healthcare informatics research on Self Management supported
by Assistive, Rehabilitation and Telecare Technologies; funding of £118,919 to
lead a UK-India network for Next Generation Networks Systems and Services:
Enablers for the Digital Economy, involving 25 UK and 16 Indian academic and
industrial partners; and funding of £125,000 to support a five-year UK Research
Council Academic Fellowship through to September 2011.
New grant awards have been secured from a range of funders to support
research within the Healthcare Informatics sector, aligning with the UK Research
Councils’ Ageing Research programme and EU initiatives in Ageing/Ambient
Assisted Living (a flagship area within the i2010 initiative). Funding from the
EU Framework 6 programme supports the COGKNOW project (£262,551):
Helping People with Mild Dementia Navigate their Day, to develop a prototype
user-validated cognitive prosthetic device and associated services. Funding from
the HPSSNI R&D Office (£149,009) supports collaborative work with the Belfast
City Hospital’s Memory Clinic to develop and assess cognitive prosthetics, in
conjunction with funding from the ETAC consortium (£70,673), sponsored by the
Alzheimer’s Association, Intel Corporation and Agilent Technologies, to develop
and assess the use of cell-phone video streaming in care support for Alzheimer’s
disease. Support through to 2011 for new research personnel and infrastructure
has been secured through the Nestling Technologies Initiative (£420,555) and
the InterRegIIIa-funded NETWELL project (£80,468), in collaboration with the
North-East Health Services Executive (Republic of Ireland), Dundalk Institute of
Technology and Dundalk Council; this award has enabled the refurbishment of a
laboratory replicating a kitchen and living area, each comprehensively equipped
with a network of activity sensors, to support research in ambient artificial
intelligence technologies for assisted living. This environment replicates the design
of real dwellings that will be developed within the Nestling Technologies Initiative
and supports experimental design, data collection and analysis. In association with
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