Funded EDI Projects

EDI Projects 2020/21

WiSTEM Summer internships

This project will provide undergraduate members of the society (1st – 4th years) with work experience/internships to support them during their academic and professional careers. Some disciplines provide internships as part of the degree programme structure but many disciplines in the College of Science and Engineering do not.

Funded: €1500

Organisers: WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) society

Travellers in Education: Building a sense of belonging (Mincéirs Access to University)

This event took place on Traveller Ethnicity Day, March 1st, 2021, to welcome and encourage Irish Travellers at NUI Galway. This event built on the very successful ‘Travellers in Education: Building a Sense of Belonging’ in February 2020, aiming to develop a stronger relationship between staff and students at NUI Galway with Irish Travellers across the West of Ireland.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Owen Ward, Access Centre, with Imelda Byrne, Access Centre

Culture through Comedy for International Students

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international students lack the opportunity to interact with Irish people and experience the culture. This project provides resources, contact and opportunity for international students to gain a greater understanding of Irish culture, and to share aspects of their own culture, aiding the inclusion of NUI Galway’s diverse population. This project will enhance the experience of NUI Galway’s diverse Irish and international student population, facilitating cross-cultural understanding to enrich the global perspective of all students.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Louise Kelly, International Office and Steve Bennett, comedian

Fostering Diversity and Opportunity in Mathematics

This project will produces a series of short, professional videos to reach
out to people of all backgrounds who are interested in pursuing further study in mathematics and to invite them to join the NUI Galway family. Content is aimed at younger audiences and emphasis is placed on the diverse and inclusive environment found within the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, on the multitude of pathways leading to a degree in mathematics, the extensive support available, and on the achievements of undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics students from under-represented groups.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Communications and Outreach Committee, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics

Activating the Gender Archive (UCG Women's Studies Centre: Celebrating three decades of scholarship and creativity)

This project will documentary, oral and visual materials associated with the establishment and development of Women’s Studies in NUI Galway and the broader community, and provides a valuable record of contexts, ideas and perspectives of historical, social and feminist significance. The digitising of the archive offers social and disciplinary visibility with potential for future evolutions, creating potential links to national archiving projects.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Activating the Gender Archive Team, Global Women’s Studies

The promotion of racial diversity in the workplace

A two-hour event seminar with students, graduates, employers and CDC career advisers focusing on the promotion of racial diversity in the workplace, specifically first-generation Irish students of African heritage. The aim of the event is to discuss the challenges students from this demographic face in securing employment and identify possible options for students to improve their employability while at the same time opening this discussion with employers who promote diversity in the workplace.

Funded: €500

Organisers: Marie Laffey and Claire Murphy, Career Development Centre

'All in this Together' Photo Competition

Celebrated International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) on December 3rd with a photography competition to mark the day. People were asked to submit photos under this theme and to place a caption on a photo inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals in particular Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and Goal 10: Reducing Inequalities.

Funded: €454

Organisers: Lorraine Tansey, ALIVE Community Volunteering, with Lorraine Lally, NUI Galway student, and Aisling Harrington, Health Promotion Student Services

Finding Home: An artistic exploration of how students form various cultures make NUI Galway their home

Explores how students from different parts of the world, and from different cultures, find a sense of home in NUI Galway by finding ways to stay connected to who they are and their cultural identity. It is an artistic quest
to understand what gives them a feeling of safety and familiarity while living in a new space during a tumultuous time defined by fear and isolation. Through narrating the stories of students, the project examines how NUI Galway is a nurturing and supportive community that embraces the individuality of its students and helps them grow and evolve while treasuring their uniqueness.

Funded: €424

Organisers: Ananya Rajoo, Drama and Theatre Studies

Diversity in Publishing Webinar

A webinar on the topic of ‘Diversity in Publishing’ which seeks to raise awareness, both amongst current publishing students and also in the broader NUI Galway community, about the very pressing need to better diversify the publishing industry so that it is more inclusive of underrepresented voices and viewpoints, including those of ethnic or religious minorities, those with disabilities, and those from all socio- economic backgrounds.

Funded: €730

Organisers: Dr Lindsay Reid in cooperation with the MA in Literature and Publishing postgraduate student cohort 2020/21

AIDENTITI TOKS - A series of talks on Identity

Involves a series of talks between intercultural artists Romi Cruañas and Juan Urbina in conversation with guest artists and scholars on topics of identity, intersectionality and its relationship to the arts. The talks will focus on discussing, questioning and deepening notions that make our diverse identities, with an informal and comedic approach. This approach strives to entertain yet reflect societal issues by talking about taboo topics in a realistic and honest way. Each talk will introduce a new guest that embodies expertise on the session’s topic.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Romi Cruañas, Drama and Theatre Studies

Webinar: Gender and Wistleblowing: A Hidden Aspect of Speaking Up

Promotes debate and discussion around gender and whistleblowing by hosting a webinar linked with International Women’s Day 2021, exploring issues around gender and whistleblowing, at NUI Galway and with Whitaker Institute, and publishing an article in RTE Brainstorm.

Funded: €424

Organisers: Prof Kate Kenny & Dr Meghan Van Portfliet/Work Organization Society research cluster, at Whitaker institute and Management Discipline

 

EDI Projects 2019/20

Cultural Immersion Programme

This project seeks to implement phase 2 of a cultural immersion programme to address the immersion and integration needs of all Year 1 students in Shannon College in terms of their transition from secondary school to third-level education, and also their transition to studying and socialising in a multicultural environment. This follows a pilot programme which facilitated the successful immersion of Year 1 international students into the Irish culture and the culture of Shannon College. 

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Dr María Palma-Fahey, Shannon College of Hotel Management

Queer Arts Collective

The Queer Arts Collective project proposes to establish a semi-academic platform which creates space for the discussion of a rich variety of issues related to queer subjectivities and the socio-political significance of queer arts in academia and beyond. The project aims to foster the discussion between artists, non-academics and scholars at a wide range of events including practical workshops, performed readings and semi-academic talks.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Zsuzsanna Balázs, PhD Student, O’Donoghue Centre for Drama

Promotion of Community Disability Awareness among Undergraduate Students

This project will support undergraduate SLT students in NUI Galway to co-deliver Hear Me! training alongside adults with communication disabilities to hospitality students based in Shannon College. Hear Me! is a face to face training solution. It is expected that the hospitality students will gain confidence and learn ways to support their interactions with people who have communication disabilities and in turn break down barriers when they go into the workplace in the future.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Clare Carroll, Speech and Language Therapy

Engineering our Future: Family Fun Day

This project seeks to increase the number of hands on activities for families at Engineering Our Future: Family Fun Day (www.nuigalway.ie/engineersweek). The event is targeted at families and is part of Engineers Week 2020, which celebrates engineering across Ireland. Between 1500 and 2000 people are expected to attend the Family Fun Day in 2020. In particular, the project is looking to purchase sensory equipment for small children and children with disabilities. 

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Engineering

Ag Samhlú an Oibrí: Imagining the Worker

This project aims to highlight the hidden or invisible labour that supports the working of the university. It will expand notions of inclusivity, equality and diversity by recognising the essential effort of this workforce, especially those engaged in cleaning, security and maintenance. In so doing, it aims to extend knowledge about the multicultural shape of the university’s total workforce.

Funded: €425

Organisers: Mary Clancy, Centre for Global Women's Studies

Mapping LGBT+ Life at NUI Galway

Many of us are not aware of the key role NUI Galway played in the development of LGBT+ rights and activism in Galway, for example, a telephone support line and a safe space for LGBT+ people and their family members in the early years of LGBT+ activism in Galway and beyond and the flourishing of LGBT+ creativity in Galway. This project aims to develop an initial mapping project to identify, raise awareness about and to celebrate the people and places on campus that contributed to the development of LGBT+ rights, services and culture in Galway and further afield.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Declan Coogan, Political Science & Sociology, LGBT+ Staff Network

Integration through Gaelic Games

The goal of this project is to promote diversity and inclusion in the NUI Galway international student community through the development of a Gaelic Football team. The main idea behind the project is to provide students with an outlet to meet others from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds as international students have a high tendency to remain within their own national and cultural bubbles and can find it difficult to mix with other student groupings.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Nigel Collins, International Affairs Office, NUI Galway International Gaelic Football Team

Celebration of EDI Concert & Music Video

The concert and music video aim to celebrate diversity, equality & inclusion through the medium of music and will bring together a diverse range of students, staff and the wider community. The project aims to highlight the diversity within the student and staff body at NUI Galway and emphasize the openness of the University through the creation and implementation of both the concert and music video.  It is envisaged that the music video will be released into the public domain.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Owen Ward, with the Access Centre

Mincéirs Access to University

An event entitled ‘Minceirs Access to University’ will take place on campus to welcome and encourage Irish Travellers into higher education at NUI Galway. The main objective of this event is to build a stronger relationship between staff and students at NUI Galway with Irish Travelers across the West of Ireland.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Owen Ward, with the Access Centre

Celebrating Herstory through the 'Ordinary' and 'Extraordinary' Women in 20th century Ireland

This project proposes to run an event during International Women’s Week in NUI Galway which engages local school children and continues to develop the relationship with Herstory. There will be two key elements to the project: A creative educational project to be piloted in three local schools aimed at 5^th/6^th class pupils, and a Children’s Party in the Aula Maxima on one morning during International Women’s Week.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Sarah-Anne Buckley, University Women's Network

EDI Projects 2018/19

Prof Elizabeth “Nellie” Lee Award for Outreach Engagement

The School of Chemistry would like to mark Professor Lee’s passing by inaugurating an award in her name to be awarded to a postgraduate student who has shown exceptional dedication to the School’s outreach program where we try to instill interest in the wider community in STEM subjects in general and chemistry in particular.  The award will be for €200 to be presented to the winner and the additional funding will be used for hospitality around an event where we would hope to have members of Professor Lee’s wider family in attendance.

Funded: €400

Organisers: Patrick O’Leary on behalf of the School of Chemistry

LGBTI in Undergraduate Medical Curriculum

The purpose of this project is to develop a 12-week special studies module on LGBTI health that can be inserted into the undergraduate medical curriculum to allow final cycle medical students to achieve competencies required for dealing with minority groups. This module will be informed by engagement with members of the Irish LGBTI community about their health and healthcare experiences, and the European Health4LGBTI project (Zeeman et al., 2017) which investigated LGBTI health inequality and laid out essential components of any educational programme focused on LGBTI health. The module developed will provide these students with the competencies necessary to deliver appropriate, high quality care for LGBTI persons in Ireland and abroad as they progress within their career.

Funded: €625

Organisers: Sinead Lydon, Chris Noone, Dara Byrne, School of Medicine & School of Psychology

The “T” Fund

The fund aims to build on the previous work of GIGSOC, NUI Galway’s Students’ Union and the EDICC, as well as other groups, in promoting and vindicating the rights and well-being of transgender students. GIGSOC hopes that by providing some of the material resources that transgender students often need for transition, that these students in NUI Galway are more empowered to participate fully in college life and that their mental and physical wellbeing improves. Transgender and non-binary students often do not have the money to access the gender-affirming clothing or materials that they need. This will be a fund set up to address the extra financial hardships trans and non-binary students face in university by providing essential materials such as clothing and binders.

Funded: €600

Organisers: GiGSoc

Supporting Diversity in Academic Writing

Tutors from the University of Hawaii will do a series of interactive presentations via video link. Participants will engage in activities meant to highlight current inclusivity related challenges in approaches and articulate practices in the teaching and producing of writing. Staff of the Academic Writing Centre will help facilitate the workshop and take part in the discussion.

Funded: €350

Organisers: Irina Ruppo, Academic Writing Centre

NUI Galway Access to Nursing Workshop

To mark Traveller ethnicity day, 1^st March 2019, a workshop entitled ‘NUI Galway Access to Nursing’ will take place on campus. The foremost objectives of the workshop is to introduce the main concepts of nursing in an Irish context, outline the need for diversity in the nursing profession, highlight the pathways into nursing that are available to prospective students, and outline in detail supports such as academic, financial and wellbeing supports that are currently available to the student body at NUI Galway. It is hopeful this will increase the intake of students from the Traveller community.

Funded: €700

Organisers: Owen Ward, Master of Education student, in collaboration with the Access Office

Making NUI Galway a Communication Friendly Campus: Supporting Hear Me! Certification

This project aims to deliver a Hear Me! Communication Awareness Training module for staff at the restaurants and cafes on campus who have already engaged with the initiative in order to increase the number of trained staff. By increasing the number of trained staff the restaurant/café can then engage in the Hear Me! Certification process. Supporting and awarding certification will create communication access for all at NUIG restaurants and cafes. Delivery of one 1.5 hr training module on campus for staff who have not completed the training previously and complete Hear Me! Certification.

Funded: €990

Organisers: Clare Carroll, Libby Kinneen, Ita Cunningham, Kate Healy, Eadaoin Dolan, Speech & Language Therapy

Celebrating Herstory at NUI Galway

The core aim of this project is to celebrate and raise awareness of the brilliant women who have graduated from NUI Galway over the course of its history. In doing so, it will underscore the importance of principles like equality and inclusiveness in a way that is accessible, engaging and informative. In 2017, the Herstory project began celebrating Nollaig na mBan across Ireland by illuminating key landmarks with images of remarkable women. Since then, the celebration has gone global and is now known as the International Herstory Light Festival. This year, for the first time, we want to bring Herstory illuminations to NUI Galway for one week, planned around Nollaig na mBan in early January.

Funded: €950

Organisers: Mary McGill, PhD student, in collaboration with the UWN and FemSoc

Social inclusion & Public engagement in Science

We propose to bring an expert science communicator to deliver specific training to the NUI Galway STEM outreach community. This expert will give training on how to plan, run and deliver socially-inclusive public engagement activities in science targeted at children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds (including children from either migrant/refugee backgrounds or from the traveller community).

Funded: €990

Organisers: Muriel Grenon, Cell Explorers, in collaboration with NUI Galway University of Sanctuary and Cúram

Campus visit for potential students from the Traveller community

Working with local Traveller groups, we intend to invite members of the Traveller community who are interested in studying in NUI Galway (either directly after secondary school or as mature students) or who have children who may be interested in studying here to visit the campus, meet with lecturing staff, hear about the different entry paths to NUI Galway, the supports available for non-traditional students and get a flavour of what life on campus is like. 

Funded: €600

Organisers: Mary Cosgrove on behalf of Cairnes School of Business & Economics Equality & Diversity Committee

Universal Design in Teaching & Learning pilot

We are currently leading an inclusive education pilot project within the CBPPL. Feedback from that event indicated that 78% of respondents were interested in undertaking further online training and gaining a digital badge in Universal Design in Teaching and Learning in the University Context. The key activity would be to engage (for two weeks) a member of CELT to facilitate the registration, accreditation, assessment and correction of assessments of those staff who undertake this training.  This would allow significant numbers of academic staff to undergo this training and to receive accreditation for that training. The project will aim to build the capacity of academic staff to provide an inclusive learning environment for their diverse student body, and to induce participation in the scheme by providing accreditation.

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Shivaun Quinlivan, Lucy-Ann Buckley, Sharon Flynn

InnovateHER - Medtech

The InnovateHER programme is an initiative of LaunchPad that started in 2017, Natalie Walsh was awarded the WMB Boots Empowering Women award based on some of the work done on InnovateHER. This proposal will expand the programme with one pillar focusing on women in MedTech. The project will encompass a suite of events (4) that showcase female entrepreneurs and create a new network of female innovators in Galway.

Funded: €750

Organisers: Ena Brophy on behalf of InnovateHER programme 2018/19

Disability Awareness Day

The project will consist of three parts: 1) an exhibition of posters of celebrities with disabilities and medical conditions; 2) a show put together by students of NUI Galway that have a disability and or medical condition; 3) Refreshments for attendees. The second part of the project, the show, will include: dance, motivational poetry, motivational songs (collaboration with the med students choral society), and motivational speeches from some of the students about their experiences in education, also an address from the Disability Support Services (DSS).

Funded: €1000

Organisers: Eliona Gjecaj, IMPACTE Soc

Let’s Celebrate Multiculturalism!

The DSI will implement a month-long programme of events around a ‘Lets Celebrate Multi-Culturalism!’ festival in March that would include: Weekly lunchtime talks, weekly board games evenings, open research day, in-house coding workshop, social outing for DSI members, wall map of the world for DSI, multi-cultural fair finale, and production of series of videos promoting cultural diversity.

Funded: €990

Organisers: Brendan Smith on behalf of the Multi-Cultural Steering Committee, Data Science Institute

 

EDI Projects 2017/18

A Research Project into Support Needs of Students with a Mental Health Disability

The Student Counselling Service and Disability Support Service will commission a piece of research by a post-doctoral researcher to investigate the support needs of students with a mental health disability in order to facilitate their progress through University by identifying  targeted and effective responses which can be developed by service providers and new  approaches which could be utilised.

The key aim of this research will be to procure objective information of the ongoing support needs for students with mental health disabilities, in order to inform effective planning to ensure the retention and progression of these students through the University system. The key objective will be to ensure equality of opportunity for students with mental health diagnoses and to increase equality of outcome within the system.

Outcome: Dr Padraig MacNeela completed a research report based on a qualitative online survey of students registered with DSS as having a mental health condition.

Funded: €1,000

Organisers: Student Counselling Service and Disability Support Service: Geraldine Connolly and Bernie McGee

 Celebrating Sheila Tinney

This project will celebrate the achievements of Sheila Tinney (née Power), one of Galway’s most accomplished mathematicians. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Tinney

The centenary of her birth falls in January 2018 and we will mark this occasion by unveiling a print of a portrait of Tinney, along with a citation detailing her many achievements: as researcher at the very cutting edge of 20^th century mathematical physics, and an outstanding and modernising teacher. This event will be reflective and inclusive. After the event, the portrait will remain on the walls of Aras de Brún as a permanent testament to Tinney’s contributions and achievements.  In promoting Tinney as a role model, we would like our students to see themselves in her: their potential is as unlimited as hers. We also will use this opportunity to encourage our colleagues to reflect on the current selection of art on display in Aras de Brún, and question what message it communicates, and what we would like it to communicate.

Outcome: The School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics held an event to unveil a portrait of Tinney which now hangs in Aras de Brún. See event pictures here.

Funded: €250

Organisers: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics: Niall Madden

 Christmas Party for those in Direct Provision

The idea behind this project is to extend an invite out to those in the Direct Provision centres to become a part of the community, to host a Christmas party here in the University. The idea is to give small gifts to children and adults, have a festive atmosphere and some festive treats. The project is simple enough in nature; a once off event with Santa for the kids, some presents for the adults, food and festive treats, holiday music and decorations.  It is hoped this could become an annual event.

This is a simple idea that could achieve a lot in a once off event. It can promote awareness and understanding of cultural diversity in our community and show that the University recognises and embraces students from non-traditional backgrounds and the unique challenges they face. In a system that places so many barriers and restrictions to access, we would like to offer a space for coming together and celebration. We can use this party to talk to people in Direct Provision; hear their experiences and brainstorm how we can create more awareness of the system.

Outcome: The SU and Student Society volunteers held a Christmas party in Dec 2017 for families currently in Direct Provision.

Funded: €1,000

Organisers: Students’ Union, Impacte Society, Philosophy society, Fáilte Refugees society: Megan Reilly and Patricia O’Mahony

 ‘Comediversity at NUIG’

‘Comediversity’ is a new comedy movement that aims to welcome and celebrate difference, because, as their slogan reads, “difference is beautiful”. They also aim to provide more equality-driven event nights throughout Ireland, beginning earlier this month with their launch event occurring on Saturday November 11^th at the home of Galway comedy, the Róisín Dubh. This event showcased the comedic talents of acts from various diverse backgrounds. The key action of this project, or more accurately, event, is to hold a night of diverse stand-up comedy in NUIG Galway via the Comedy Soc with the goal of raising funds and awareness for selected charity organisations, whilst celebrating the role the NUI Galway community of students and staff can play in the effort for equality and diversity through the arts.  Our stage on the night will act as a platform for voices that may not otherwise be heard on the comedy scene and will prove to our audience that laughs can come from acts from all backgrounds.

Outcome: The Comediversity night was a success for Comedy Soc and was mentioned by the Galway Advertiser.

Funded: €600

Organizers: Comedy Soc: Niall Horisk and Martin Warde

 Cross Cultural Communication and Intercultural Awareness Training for Academic Staff

The J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics MSc Taught Programme numbers have increased significantly from 2016 to 2017.  The number of Non-EU students has itself increased by 205%. Following on from the success of the Cross-Cultural Communication Skills training for our students, our academic colleagues have expressed that there is a need for similar training to be made available to them, given the growing diversity of the School’s student body.

We are proposing to offer the same Cross-Cultural Communication training, tailored for Academic staff’s needs. This training will enable staff to have a greater understanding of the diversity within the classroom and be better prepared to manage situations that may arise in relation to cultural differences. Our objective is to foster cross cultural awareness among students and staff alike by creating a greater understanding of one’s own values as well as those of other cultures.

Outcome: The School of Business & Economics held three 2-hour sessions; one for Administrative staff and 2 sessions focusing on the needs of Academic staff. A total of 10 administrative and 18 Academic staff were in attendance, with hopes to use this project as a pilot.

Funded: €600

Organisers: J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics: Orla Naughton

 Disability Open Day

The aim of a Disability Open Day will be to capture activities that relate to the protected ground of 'disability' in equality legislation, and 'promoting non-traditional student access to 3rd level education'. The project will consist of three parts: 1) an exhibition of posters of celebrities with disabilities and medical conditions; 2) a show put together by students of NUI Galway that have a disability and or medical condition; 3) refreshments for attendees. This event will help to facilitate social interaction for our overall student community and staff in order to show the diversity and the need for proper inclusion of people of varying abilities, disabilities and medical conditions.

Among our project's key objectives are to demonstrate that NUI Galway is inclusive and respects diversity on campus; supports and empowers students with disabilities to speak up for themselves; to illustrate the network and peer support of current students with disabilities and medical conditions to potential students; to have a significant impact on the community of Galway in terms of showing that NUI Galway is open to and disability friendly; to inform and educate the general student community of NUI Galway to be more understanding, inclusive and respectful towards students with disabilities; to reduce the negative attitudes towards people with disabilities (indirect bullying); to show who we are to prove that students with disabilities and health issues can also fully participate in campus activities and events, as well as academically succeed in their studies; to minimise stereotypes (ideally remove them completely); to strengthen interactions and potential friendships on campus with the wider university community; and to encourage potential students by showing the success of current students with disabilities undertaking undergraduate degrees, and others who are currently at post-graduate level.

Outcome: The IMPACTE Society members held the disability open day in March 2018 and attracted over 50 attendees including current students, parents, future students, and Hildegarde Naughton, TD.

Funded: €1,000

Organisers: Eliona Gjecaj, Eamon Gibbons, Colman O'Connell, Emer Coyne

 Diversity After University

Last year GiGSoc held Diversity After University for the first time. The event saw numerous companies such as Arthur Cox, Accenture, EA Games, Fidelity investments and Teach Solais, come together to talk about inclusion and diversity in the workplace. This year we are hosting it in The Cube in Aras Na Mac Leinn and we will be inviting 10 speakers from different companies. Last year the event was aimed at LGBT+ people, this year we would like to expand that and also aim it at women, people with disabilities and people of colour.

Our key objectives are to spread awareness about diversity. After university people are often unsure of what their next steps should be, they’ve spent the past few years working hard to achieve their goal of getting a degree, and now they have to go into the world and find a job, look for opportunities, etc. That can be really overwhelming and often LGBT+ people can hide who they are in order to secure a job. Women, people with disabilities and people of colour can suffer inequality in the workplace as well. Diversity in a work environment is so important, it leads to a more profitable company and happy staff. It is also important to show that there are unconventional job opportunities out there that might be more suited to them, as job satisfaction is very important.

Outcome: GiGSoc had a wonderful panel of speakers including, Steven Muir, EA Games and Siona Cahill, Vice President for Equality and Citizenship USI, at the event in Feb 2018 and provided students with a taste of how important diversity is in the workplace.

Funded: €500

Organisers: GiGSoc: Sinead Ruane

 Occupational Therapy Sensory and Exercise Program

As part of the Disability Support Office, we are a newly formed team of Occupational Therapists.  We receive referrals from the Disability Office to provide evaluation and intervention for students who have difficulties participating in college life, both academically and socially.  To date, the majority of students we receive referrals for are those diagnosed with ADD/Autism/Anxiety/Depression and may come from outside Ireland or within Ireland.

As Occupational Therapists we understand the beneficial effects of physical activity for students and especially those students with a disability.  Unfortunately, due to various effects of their disability many of the students we meet are unable to enter the gym building never mind ask somebody to show them how to use a machine. We, as Occupational Therapists would run a group in the gym two days a week during semester two (12 weeks) to bridge the gap for students with a disability who wish to become more active on the college campus and to enhance quality of life on the campus for students with a disability.

Outcome: The group portion of the program ran for 10 weeks in early 2018 and included 8 1:1 session for students who were referred to the Occupational Therapists.

Funded: €996

Organisers: Disability Support Office: Emma Frawley – Senior Occupational Therapist, Treasa Farragher – Occupational Therapist

 Peer mentoring program for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

There are increasing numbers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) participating in postsecondary education; yet the drop-out rates remain high due to increasing academic and social demands. This pilot project seeks to gain information about the needs of students with ASD while offering a fair, supportive, and encouraging environment in the form of a Mentorship Program on campus that goes beyond the standard academic and psychological services already established.

The objectives of the peer mentoring program are to: 1) build a social network within the university community for university students with an ASD; 2) provide a supportive environment for university students with an ASD; and 3) facilitate and promote inclusion among students with and without ASD on campus. Secondary objectives include offering mentoring and supervision experiences to undergraduate and graduate students in relevant fields (e.g., clinical psychology, applied behaviour analysis). The project will include running focus groups with NUIG students with ASD, senior mentors, and trainees to identify the needs of students; as well as with academics, researchers, and clinicians in the School of Psychology in order to develop the mentoring program.  Collaboration with the Access Centre and Disability Support Services is also necessary.

Outcome: Withdrawn

Funded: €1,000

Organisers: Keeley White and Geraldine Leader

 School of Natural Science Postgraduate Student Survey

The newly established School of Natural Sciences Equality and Diversity Committee has a postgraduate representative and deputy. In order to adequately represent those students it would be very useful to know as much about the students we represent as they wish to share. The survey will help us to get a better picture of those we represent, and those students who wish to attend will be invited to a lunch.  This will be an opportunity to introduce ourselves briefly to those we represent.

Outcome: Withdrawn

Funded: €595

Organisers: Postgrad Reps on SNS Diversity and Equality Committee: Aileen Gill and Ana Marquesmendes

 University of Sanctuary Campaign

Our proposal is to initiate a campus-wide campaign that promotes inclusion and equity. Specifically, for those residing in Direct Provision or whom otherwise are barred access to education at NUI Galway due to their citizenship status. Our primary demographic includes persons within the Direct Provision system; individuals living in DP Centres or who have recently come through the DP system, as well as members of the Travelling community. This campaign follows the University of Sanctuary model, which can be reviewed at https://universities.cityofsanctuary.org/. We aim to use our accolade as being in the top 1% of Universities worldwide to create, nurture, and sustain a campus environment of equity and inclusion where any student, regardless of individual circumstance or barrier, can feel safe and welcome to pursue their right to education. We aim to become a national leader like UL, DCU and more recently AIT in securing University of Sanctuary status.

Outcome: Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, joined the University of Sanctuary committee at the launch day of the campaign on 22 Feb 2018.  Work is ongoing to gain University of Sanctuary status for NUI Galway.

Funded: €1,000

Organisers: University of Sanctuary Steering Committee: Aidan Harte

 ‘Waving not Drowning’ production at NUI Galway by Bread and Roses theatre group

“Waving not Drowning” is a theatre production by the company Bread and Roses, born of the need to create awareness and encourage social inclusion and de-stigmatisation of all groups. Their production is a collection of 10 short sketches about living with mental health illness and each help to shed light on and increase awareness of the difficulties for patients, their families and their carers. This project will seek to bring this play to NUI Galway’s campus as part of a Mindfulness Special Study Module (4th year module) for medical students and for all who wish to attend. The aim of the project will be to increase awareness of mental health issues and the need to take care of self and society and to destigmatise and normalise mental health conditions.

Outcome: Withdrawn

 Funded: €550

Organisers: Sarah Brennan

 Women in Irish Geoscience Showcase 2018

The AWG (www.awg.org) is an international organisation at the forefront of equality and education in geoscience.  The Irish AWG Chapter (IAWG) is a national initiative which aims to encourage women to enter into the field of geoscience and help the retention of women along the career ladder by providing practical skills workshops, career days, discussion forums, mentoring programmes, field trips and networking events.  The long term aim for the chapter is to become a national resource hub for women who require support, information and new skills. The chapter is gender inclusive and open to anyone that supports the goals of the chapter at any stage of their career (from undergraduate to professional).

This project will be the hosting of a nationwide annual showcase including guest speakers, an open question panel forum, and networking sessions with refreshments. The event will provide a rare opportunity for early career geoscientists to ask questions, gain a greater understanding of potential career opportunities, and get practical advice on career pathways.

We hope to inspire women to continue in geoscience by showing them that they have what it takes to pursue a career in the sector and to showcase all the opportunities available to them in this field. The event will also act as a platform for the implementation of a nationwide mentoring programme. In doing so, this event is taking a critical step towards to fixing the “leaky pipeline”, which threatens the long-term wealth and viability of not only the geoscience economy both here in Ireland and internationally, but also our social community and its outlook on women in society. The event will highlight the importance of such events and be a pre-cursor to a larger career event day to include ambassadors from all relevant companies, government bodies and academic departments.

Outcome: An evening symposium was held in June 2018 focusing on the Past, Present, and Future of Irish Women in Geoscience. Three guest speakers, Associate Professor Patrick Wyse Jackson (TCD), Taly Hunter Williams (Geological Survey of Ireland), Fani Papageorgiou (UCD) spoke and formed a panel for a session of engaged student and staff collaboration.

Funded: €500

Organisers: Aoife Blowick