International conference will discuss and present innovative processes to decarbonise the energy system to achieve a carbon-neutral industry, sustainable agriculture and sustainable cities NUI Galway will host the 8th International Conference on ‘Biotechniques for Air Pollution Control and Bioenergy’. This major international conference will focus on the topic of Waste Gas Treatment and will involve over 80 researchers from 20 countries around the world. It will take place at NUI Galway from the 28-30 August. New research from NUI Galway’s New Energy Technologies laboratory will present novel developments in hydrogen gas production using microbes from waste, as well as the production of valuable chemicals from carbon dioxide gas. For example, biogas formed during manure decomposition on farms can be used as a fuel. To do so, the biogas must go through a purification stage, which is currently being investigated by the NUI Galway research team. Experts from around the world will meet and share their latest research findings on a range of established and emerging topics in waste gas research including: biogas purification and upgrading by using bacteria; converting industrial waste gases into useful biofuels; and analytical and modelling methods to monitor the functioning of waste gas treatment systems. The Biotechniques 2019 conference covers a range of topics related to the application of environmental biotechnology to control air pollution, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as well as produce and upgrade biofuels. The conference will feature over 50 presentations and aims to open new doors to academic and industrial partners in order to facilitate research cooperation between academia and industry, potentially allowing commercialisation of the innovative bioprocesses that will be presented at the conference. Chair of the conference, Professor Piet Lens, a leading expert in environmental biotechnology and Established Professor of New Energy Technologies at NUI Galway’s College of Science and Engineering, will deliver the opening address. Professor Piet Lens, Established Professor of New Energy Technologies, NUI Galway, said: “This is a unique conference, organised biannually to discuss biological processes to treat waste gas emissions from industry and agriculture. At the conference, innovative processes to decarbonise the energy system will be discussed in order to achieve a carbon-neutral industry, sustainable agriculture and sustainable cities. Hands-on technologies will be presented at the conference that are required to meet the targets set in Ireland’s All-of-Government Climate Action Plan to Tackle Climate Breakdown, published earlier this year.” Conference Keynote Speakers: Patrick Kenny, EPA Air Quality Manager will discuss the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme in Ireland. Associate Professor, Guangxue Wu, Tsinghua University, China will discuss biogas production from sulfate-containing wastewaters. Associate Professor, Jingying Xi, Tsinghua University, China will discuss industrial waste gases that are currently being treated in China. Professor Christian Kennes, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of A Coruña, Spain will discuss how microorganisms can convert waste gases into biofuels and platform chemicals. Professor Henry Curran, Director of the Combustion Chemistry Centre, NUI Galway will discuss how biofuels will become part of our energy sources in the future. Professor Xinmin Zhan, Professor of Civil Engineering at NUI Galway will discuss the role of digestate management when producing biogas from waste on farms. The conference will take place in the Ó Tnúthail Lecture Theatre, Arts Millenium Building, South Campus, NUI Galway from 28-30 August. To register for the conference visit: https://campusliving.clr.events/ and to stay informed, Follow @ietsbio3 on Twitter for updates. -Ends-      

The Health Economic and Policy Analysis Centre in collaboration with PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway will host a seminar on the Challenges and Perspectives of Public and Patient Involvement in Health Economics Research. The event is open to researchers, academics, healthcare professionals and all with an interest in hearing about the importance of the voice of the patient in health research, particularly health economics research,  The seminar takes place on Friday, 30 August at NUI Galway. Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) is increasingly recognised as an essential component of health research. PPI is defined as research carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public. Health Economics provides a framework for thinking about how society should allocate its limited health resources (for example, money, staffing, equipment) to meet people’s demands and needs for health care services, health promotion and prevention. The rationale for involving patients and the public in health economics research is that it promotes research quality and relevance to service users.                                                 Supported by the Health Research Board, people attending the seminar will hear about Public and Patient Involvement from various different perspectives, including why we should have PPI in our health economics research; the researcher’s perspective; the patient’s voice in healthcare; how we can reflect and evaluate PPI, for example, how the research may have been improved through PPI; and the current state of play regarding PPI in health research from the perspective of the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA). Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on; Why involving patients and the public in health economics research is important? What value can PPI bring? How can PPI in health economics research be evaluated? Is there a role for the public and patients in Health Technology Assessments? Key speakers at the seminar Dr Conor Teljeur, Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) will talk about how PPI fits into the health technology assessment processes in Ireland, and the challenges. Kristina Staley, Director, TwoCan Associates will talk about patient involvement in research that benefits the researchers, by informing their thinking and plans, leading to better research and meets the needs of patients and carers. Andy Gibson, Associate Professor in PPI, University of West Leeds will talk about involving the public in health research to ensure that research questions and outcomes reflect the issues that matter to patients and the public, and to incorporate the ‘real world’ experiences of patients into how research is designed and carried out. Liz Goodwin, Research Fellow in Health Economics, University of Exeter will talk about a particular example of involving people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in health economics research, using a task-based approach to work together on a specific aspect of research design, and will share some of the lessons learned from this experience. Dr Rebecca Kandiyali, Research Fellow in Economic Evaluation, Health Economics Bristol will talk about lessons learnt from her own experience of PPI in trial-based economic evaluation and future directions for research and practice. Dr Michelle Queally, Health Economist, NUI Galway will talk about PPI in health economics research and lessons learned from two case studies. Dr John Cullinan, Health Economist, NUI Galway will talk about the impact and burden of Myalgic Encephalomyelitys (ME) in Ireland: developing a collaborative patient-driven research agenda and approach. James Larkin, Health Economist, NUI Galway will talk about integrating PPI into a Mutimorbidity (multiple health conditions) and health economics PhD programme. Dr Michelle Queally, Lecturer in Economics, J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics NUI Galway, said: “We are very much looking forward to this seminar where we will open discussions around Public and Patient Involvement in health research, particularly health economics. We will be discussing how to build partnerships that allow the public and patients to influence the health economics research we conduct and also how we might evaluate this involvement. Our overarching aim in this seminar is to show how health economics research might be informed by PPI. We will hear from health economists’ experiences of PPI through case studies, reflect on our learnings, and make suggestions for future research practice, and frameworks that we can apply in order to evaluate what contribution PPI has made to a specific project.” It will take place in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS), North Campus, NUI Galway from 10:30am-3:15pm on Friday, 30 August. For full seminar details and registration visit: www.eventbrite.ie and type in ‘Public and Patient Involvement’. -Ends-

Tá beagnach a dhá oiread cúrsaí anois in OÉ Gaillimh a bhfuil os cionn 500 pointe CAO luaite leo i gcomparáid le 2018 Nochtadh réimsí spéise rang na Ardteistiméireachta, 2019 inniu le heisiúint tairiscintí an CAO, agus tá méadú tagtha i mbliana ar an éileamh ar ábhair STEM (Eolaíocht, Teicneolaíocht, Innealtóireacht agus Matamaitic).  Ar chláir OÉ Gaillimh a bhfuil ardú mór tagtha ar líon na bpointí arís i mbliana, tá Innealtóireacht Shibhialta, Innealtóireacht Leictreonach agus Ríomhaireachta, Ceimic Bhithchógaisíochta agus Innealtóireacht Córas Fuinnimh, rud a léiríonn an tsuim mhór atá in ábhair STEM, idir réimsí thraidisiúnta agus úrnua. Bhí éileamh ard arís i mbliana ar Eolaíocht Bhithleighis (533 pointe) agus ar Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis (519 pointe). Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Bainisteoir Earcaíochta Mac Léinn agus For-rochtana OÉ Gaillimh, Sarah Geraghty: “Léiriú ar an tóir leanúnach atá ag mic léinn ar OÉ Gaillimh iad na harduithe suntasacha atá tagtha ar líon na bpointí CAO do chúrsaí san Ollscoil. Tá beagnach a dhá oiread cúrsaí anois in OÉ Gaillimh a bhfuil os cionn 500 pointe CAO luaite leo i gcomparáid le 2018. Léiríonn roghanna na bliana seo go bhfuil níos mó mac léinn tarraingthe i dtreo gairmeacha beatha in earnáil na teicneolaíochta agus na nuálaíochta, agus feictear go bhfuil an-tóir ar chúrsaí Teicneolaíochta-Leighis (MedTech) go mór mór.  “Tugann an t-éileamh ar chláir nua OÉ Gaillimh, Dlí agus Cearta an Duine agus Rialtas (Polaitíocht, Eacnamaíocht agus Dlí) le fios go roghnóidh mic léinn cúrsaí a thabharfaidh deis dóibh gairmeacha beatha a bheith acu a ligfidh dóibh tionchar dearfach agus cumhachtach a bheith acu ar an saol mórthimpeall orthu.”   Ar chuid de na pointí spéise eile bhí: Ardú suntasach ar na cláir Dlí uile in OÉ Gaillimh, an chéim nua do 2019 Dlí agus Cearta an Duine ar 510 pointe CAO san áireamh. Ar na cláir nua eile a tharraing spéis bhí Rialtas (Polaitíocht, Eacnamaíocht agus Dlí) ar 402 pointe CAO agus Oideachas (Eolaíocht Ríomhaireachta agus Staidéir Mhatamaitice) ar 401 pointe CAO. Tá an-tóir i gcónaí ar an gcéim ghnó suaitheanta, an BComm (Eispéireas Domhanda), ar 509 pointe CAO. Tháinig ardú ar na pointí do na cláir innealtóireachta ar fad in OÉ Gaillimh. Bhí trí cinn de na harduithe is mó i mbliana in Innealtóireacht Shibhialta (509 pointe CAO), Innealtóireacht Leictreonach agus Ríomhaireachta (509 pointe CAO)agus Innealtóireacht Córas Fuinnimh (532 pointe CAO). Léiríonn sé sin an spéis láidir i réimsí na hinnealtóireachta traidisiúnta mar aon leis na réimsí innealtóireachta sin atá ag teacht chun cinn. Beidh deis ag mic léinn a bhain na pointí CAO cuí amach chun cúrsa céime san innealtóireacht a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh ach nach bhfuil an marc riachtanach acu sa mhatamaitic tabhairt faoi scrúdú cáilíochta Matamaitice ar an 20 Lúnasa.  Tá éileamh ard i gcónaí ar chéimeanna sna Dána in OÉ Gaillimh, agus tóir faoi leith ar chláir sa tSíceolaíocht, Ceol, Iriseoireacht, Béarla agus Staidéar na Meán, Scríbhneoireacht Chruthaitheach agus Drámaíocht, Amharclannaíocht agus Taibhléiriú. Is léiriú ar láidreacht agus ar cháil OÉ Gaillimh sna hEolaíochtaí Bitheacha é an tóir a bhíonn ar an Eolaíocht Bhithleighis (533 pointe) agus an Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis (519 pointe). Ar na cláir san Eolaíocht ina bhfeictear arduithe móra i bpointí CAO tá Biteicneolaíocht (473 pointe CAO) agus Ceimic Bhithchógaisíochta (510 pointe CAO). Tháinig ardú 43 pointe ar líon na bpointí don Leigheas Cosliachta, ar céim ar leith í de chuid OÉ Gaillimh sna heolaíochtaí sláinte, agus éileamh mór ar an gclár i mbliana. Lean an tUasal Geraghty ag rá: “Tuigimid go mbíonn cinntí móra le déanamh ag mic léinn agus iad ag dul ar aghaidh go dtí an tríú leibhéal, agus tá beolíne ar leith do mhic léinn na chéad bhliana ar fáil anois chun cúnamh a thabhairt do mhic léinn le ceisteanna faoi shaol an choláiste in OÉ Gaillimh.” Beidh Beolíne OÉ Gaillimh do Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar oscailt ón 12 Lúnasa go dtí an 30 Meán Fómhair 2019. Is féidir glaoch ar an mbeolíne ag +353 (0) 91 493999 agus tá sé ar oscailt Luan go hAoine ón 9am-5pm. -Críoch-