Tess Ames is the Research Group Manager and EU Projects Manager at the Ocular Therapeutics Research Group (OTRG) at South East Technological University (SETU). Her work lies at the intersection of translational pharmaceutical research, patient engagement, and European research funding strategy. Tess has played a pivotal role in developing, securing, and managing large-scale collaborative research programmes, including the €3.6 million INNOVISION COFUND (MSCA Horizon Europe). 

Her portfolio demonstrates a sustained commitment to embedding public and patient involvement (PPI) within biomedical and pharmaceutical research, particularly in preclinical and early-stage translational science. She co-developed the NO TEARS Framework, which has become a national reference point for PPI in lab-based drug development. Tess has led the design and implementation of innovative PPIE models across multiple disciplines, advancing ethical, inclusive, and impact-driven research practice.

Tess’s expertise includes:

• EU and national funding acquisition, consortium coordination, and compliance (MSCA, Horizon Europe, Research Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland)

• Infrastructure and capability building, including successful applications for major research equipment and training platforms

• Strategic research planning, aligning institutional priorities with national and EU research agendas (e.g. HEA, UN SDGs)

• Stakeholder and industry engagement, fostering partnerships with pharma, clinical centres, and civic society

• Science communication and capacity building, including STEM outreach and PPIE training for researchers and contributors

She supports the supervision and development of PhD students and  postdoctoral researchers, and has established innovative mechanisms to link undergraduate education with advanced research infrastructure. 

Tess has presented internationally on best practices in engaged research, vision science, and research management, and is a regular contributor to strategic policy and planning within SETU. Her research and implementation work continues to focus on expanding equitable access to research, integrating diverse perspectives into drug development, and strengthening SETU’s role as a research-intensive institution.