SBI/Conway Transition Year project awarded SFI Discover Programme funding
(TY pupils from Tallaght Community College attend ABE Ireland workshop during visit to UCD Diabetes Complications Research Centre, UCD Conway Institute. Photo credit: ABE Ireland)
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, announced Monday a €5.2 million funding initiative to support 49 projects as part of Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme.
The funding will support a number of exciting projects across the country including a Transition Year placement week run by Systems Biology Ireland and the Conway Institute. The joint SBI-Conway project, called Ensuring equity of access to a STEM placement programme, was funded for €49,563 and is headed by Prof. Walter Kolch (SBI) and Prof. William Gallagher (Conway Institute).
“We can all see that science and technology are changing the world around us at a pace far greater than ever before,” Minister Harris said on Monday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought home to us just how important the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields are. It’s vital that younger people in particular feel encouraged to participate in STEM careers, and that there are no barriers to entry.”
Sle Lane, Public Engagement in Research Officer for SBI and the Conway Institute, said that this year’s SFI Discover Programme focused on funding activities that increase equity of access to STEM activities, discussions and careers, and that the joint project fits squarely within that focus.
“We will run a number of placement weeks at SBI and the Conway Institute where transition year students will spend a week with us learning about the daily life of scientists and careers in research and doing lots of hands-on lab activities. We have partnered with the UCD Access office to ensure that most of the places go to kids from local DEIS-designated schools," she said.
"All the activities during the placement weeks will be delivered by postdoctoral and postgrad researchers at the two institutes who have been trained in public engagement and in working with teenagers. We’re excited that Camille Ternet, Annabelle Nwaokorie, Cian D’Arcy, Sarah Lussoso, Dr Daniel Johnston and Dr Luke Jones from SBI are part of the team delivering the first placement week in April.”
The other 48 projects in the programme will take place local and nationally covering topics including biodiversity, STEM sign language, climate action and sustainability, coding, epilepsy, understanding pandemics, digital wellbeing, and the link between music, maths, and physics. The initiatives also target a wide range of ages including young children, teens, and adults as well as some initiatives designed for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and attending DEIS schools and those living with sight loss – encouraging inclusivity and diversity.
For more information or to see the full press release: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/58a2c-minister-harris-announces-52-million-to-support-science-foundation-ireland-discover-programme/
Video: Prof. Walter Kolch (SBI), Sile Lane (SBI/Conway) and Elaine Quinn (Conway) share details about the project.
