Are the Irish about to create an anti-depressant with fewer side effects? They could well be on the brink and their efforts are gaining them awards.

This week two Irish post-graduate students conducting cutting-edge research in their separate fields were given special recognition for their work.

PhD students Dermot Donnelly, 25, from the University of Limerick, and Daniel O'Donovan, 26, of Trinity College Dublin, won the Making an Impact competition run by the Irish Higher Education Authority in partnership with the Irish Independent.

Donnelly's eye-catching idea of a virtual laboratory where students can perform their experiments online is already being used on a trial basis in some schools, the Independent reports.

O'Donovan is working on a new generation of anti-depressants which will be more effective and have fewer side-effects, he claims.

Both men will receive a scholarship of $3,600.