Four NUI Galway based programmes will engage 100,000 members of the Irish public with science in 2019 Four NUI Galway public engagement and education initiatives have been awarded funding of more than €400,000 through Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme, to fund projects dedicated to educating and engaging with 100,000 members of the public in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in 2019. The funding awards were announced by Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan TD, as part of a national investment of €3.6 million. NUI Galway Funded Projects Cell EXPLORERS (€298,778 funding award) Cell EXPLORERS is a successful science education and public engagement programme delivering STEM activities regionally and nationally, led by Dr Muriel Grenon. Originally developed in NUI Galway, it uses a unique model for sustainable science public engagement in 13 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Ireland, including both universities and institutes of technology. The programme uses hands-on activities facilitated by local scientist volunteers to engage the public in the importance of science in society through a diverse set of activities, including school visits and science festival workshops. Since its creation, 1,200 enthusiastic scientists have directly reached 32,000 members of the public. This award will fund the activities delivered by the national network made of 10 existing and three novel HEI partner teams located in Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster. These Cell EXPLORERS teams will run primary and secondary school visits in their geographical areas, reaching 15 counties nationally, including seven of the nine counties with low levels of SFI-funded STEM interventions. This award will allow more children to work as real scientists in Irish classrooms under the mentorship of local, approachable and inspirational science role models. More information about this programme can be found at www.cellexplorers.com. CÚRAM ‘Strength in Science’ Project (€47,650 funding award) CÚRAM researchers are teaming up with science teachers, PE teachers and fitness instructors to develop cross-curricular resources to increase secondary students’ interest in both learning science and participating in exercise. CÚRAM is the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices. Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for poor health and is now identified by the World Health Organization as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. In Ireland, physical inactivity is thought to be responsible for 8.8% of the burden of disease from coronary artery disease, and 10.9% of type 2 diabetes. Only 8% of female and 12% of male secondary students in Ireland receive the Department of Education and Skills recommended 60 minutes of Physical Education (PE) per week. Time pressure due to school work was the most common reason cited for the allocation of too little PE during school hours. By strongly linking PE lessons to the science curriculum, educators will hopefully not feel as if the time dedicated to PE was taking away from preparing for exams. Four lesson plan kits will be developed that are linked to the biology, physics and PE curricula. The kits will integrate CÚRAM research with the scientific effects of exercise on different areas of the body to prevent diseases such as vascular disease, stroke, neurodegenerative disorders and osteoporosis. Each kit will include a lesson plan for teachers, an 8 to 10-minute video and a flyer covering the topic for students to share with family members. The kits are planned to be launched in the autumn of 2019. Secondary schools in the Galway or Dublin area interested in getting involved in the project should contact sarah.gundy@nuigalway.ie and more information is available at www.curam.ie. Bright Club (€49,797 funding award) Bright Club is a variety show with a twist. Academic researchers become comedians for one night, using comedy to talk about their research. The researchers from science, engineering, mathematics, social science, and the humanities get training in humour as communication, before joining actual comedians on stage in front of the public to talk about their research in an informal pub setting. Bright Club has been running across Ireland for four years with 50 live events and 150 academics trained, spearheaded by Dr Jessamyn Fairfield in the School of Physics at NUI Galway. More information at www.brightclub.ie. ReelLIFE SCIENCE (€12,000 funding award) ReelLIFE SCIENCE is a science video competition which, since being launched in 2013 by Dr Enda O’Connell, has engaged thousands of science enthusiasts in more than 350 primary schools, secondary schools and community groups around Ireland. Participants are challenged to produce a short, entertaining and educational STEM video for the public, while developing their communication and digital skills. The best videos win €1,000 for their school or group and are screened at the Galway Science and Technology Festival in NUI Galway every year. Closing date for 2019 entries is Friday, 18 October and more information can be found at www.reellifescience.com. Speaking about the funded projects, Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice President for Research at NUI Galway, said: “NUI Galway is committed to delivering extensive public outreach and education programmes in STEM activities. For several years now, our researchers from CÚRAM, ReelLIFE SCIENCE, Cell EXPLORERS and Bright Club have provided these programmes to students, teachers and the wider public throughout Ireland to encourage interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in a fun and engaging way, while highlighting the importance of STEM in addressing societal challenges. These funding awards from Science Foundation Ireland is testament to the level of excellence in NUI Galway’s public engagement initiatives to inspire the next generation of STEM scientists.” Speaking about the Programme, Interim Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland, Margie McCarthy, said: “The SFI Discover Programme encourages people from all walks of life to become informed about, and engaged with, STEM. Through SFI Discover we harness the creativity of diverse engagement initiatives to motivate more people to explore STEM in meaningful ways, and we aspire to create a brighter future for Ireland together. The projects being announced are very exciting and I look forward to working with them to inspire our future scientists, engineers and innovators.” Science Foundation Ireland has invested in over 240 public engagement projects through the Discover Programme since 2013. This year’s funded initiatives are estimated to reach over two million people. 41 diverse initiatives will be supported by this year’s programme, with successful awardees being carefully selected through international peer-review. -Ends-

First University to bring Dress for Success to campus Sonya Lennon to Address 200 students Public roundtable discussion on Equality in the workplace   NUI Galway is teaming up with charity Dress for Success Dublin to promote gender equality ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday, 8 March. Through the partnership, Dress for Success will provide advice on CV preparation and interview skills, in addition to advice and tips on professional clothing and styling, to Galway women preparing to enter or return to the workforce. NUI Galway will also work with the charity to provide policy guidance.    The two organisations will also hold a number of events in Galway focusing on community outreach: A roundtable discussion and media event on Equality in the Work Place, including issues around gender pay gap, to coincide with Dress for Success Dublin’s 2019 International Women’s Day campaign. The event will take place on Thursday, 7 March at 12pm and will feature Sonya Lennon, Founder and Director of Dress for Success Dublin; Dr Michelle Millar, Head of School of Political Science and Sociology and Senior Research Fellow at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway; and Merit Medical’s Vice-President of European Operations, Mark Butler. To register for this free event, visit: bit.ly/equalityintheworkplace   On Thursday, 7 March, Sonya Lennon will address up to 200 students on First Steps to Success - Owning your Worth and Planning the Game Strategy. Students will learn how to develop their personal brand, understand their worth and optimise their career from the very beginning. The student focused event will be held in NUI Galway’s Human Biology Building from 4–5.30pm. In May, NUI Galway will host a community-focused outreach event to support women returning to the workforce. The Dress for Success Dublin Outreach Event will give women living outside Dublin the opportunity to access the services of Dress for Success Dublin. The service provides advice and interview clothing and appropriate work wear for women who are trying to return to or gain entry to the workforce. A team, including two stylist volunteers will dress up to 15 women on the day.  Professor Anne Scott, Vice-President for Equality and Diversity at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted to partner with Dress for Success Dublin to support our communities as we strive for greater equality in the work place and work to address issues such as the gender pay gap. The partnership will focus on a number of events for the entire community and is among a range of NUI Galway initiatives designed to promote gender equality. Sonya is a great ambassador for female empowerment and Dress for Success supports women from all social, economic, and cultural backgrounds with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to unlock their potential.” Sonya Lennon, founder of Dress for Success Dublin, said today: “As a charity campaigning across all sectors to champion and advocate for workplace equality, we’re delighted, to have NUI Galway partner with us for the IWD2019 campaign, the first university to do so. It is great to see the work that NUI Galway have been doing, in moving towards full gender equality and we’re delighted to play our role, joining with them in this effort. We are also excited to have the opportunity, through this partnership, to work with women in the area seeking to enter or renter the workforce, empowering them economically and giving them the tools they need to succeed. “Through this series of events with NUI Galway, we’ll reach a diverse group of people including media, local businesses, the University students and local women in unemployment to tackle gender inequality in a multifaceted and holistic way.” Dress for Success Dublin is a charity that promotes the economic independence of women by providing career development tools and a support network, and campaigns for equality in the workplace throughout industries, and across the country. Since 2011, they have supported over 2,000 women with the professional clothing, skills and development opportunities they needed to secure employment and achieve success. 57% of the women who work with Dress for Success Dublin go on to secure employment, and 75% are where they want to be, whether that’s working or in further training and education.

Legal history will be made in March, as the Supreme Court will sit outside a courthouse for the first time since it returned to the Four Courts in 1932. This will also be the first time it sits in Galway and only the third time the court will sit outside of Dublin.  To mark this landmark occasion of the Supreme Court sittings at NUI Galway, the School of Law is organising a number of celebratory events: A public event, entitled ‘Women on Supreme Courts’, will take place on Tuesday, 5 March, as part of the University’s programme of events for International Women’s Day. The event will hear from current, former and international Supreme Court judges focusing on the contribution of women to adjudication in the superior courts. Speakers include: Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, former Supreme Court Judge and Chair of NUI Galway’s Governing Authority, Mrs Justice Matilda Twomey, Chief Justice of Seychelles and a graduate of NUI Galway’s School of Law, Mr Justice John MacMenamin and Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne. This event is free of charge and members of the public can register at www.conference.ie. The School will a deliver a series of (closed) student seminars in conjunction with members of the Supreme Court where students will have a unique opportunity to interact with the judiciary and academic law staff to address current issues such as consent in relation to sexual offences and other offences against the person, workplace bullying, the role of a Judge, tribunals of inquiry, disability in the courts, separations of powers, restriction and disqualification of company directors. On Monday, 4 March, the Chief Justice will deliver a speech on ‘The Common Law Post-Brexit’ to the legal community at an event jointly with the Galway Solicitors’ Bar Association Dr Charles O’Mahony, Head of the School of Law, NUI Galway, said: “The School of Law greatly looks forward to welcoming the Supreme Court for its first ever sittings in the West of Ireland. The School of Law has developed with the local legal community an exciting programme of events for our law students and the public to mark this historic occasion.  This visit is an exceptional learning opportunity for our law students and the Chief Justice Frank Clarke is to be commended for initiatives such as this, which promote greater understanding of the role of the Supreme Court and the important work it does.” To find out more and to keep up to date with the events taking place visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/supremecourt/.