News Archive

NUI Galway mathematical science student wins prestigious Hamilton Prize   Wednesday, 27 October 2021: A fourth year international Mathematical Science student at NUI Galway is one of nine students awarded the prestigious 2021 Hamilton Prize. The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) gives the prize to the top mathematical students in their penultimate year of study as nominated by their university. The ceremony took place to mark Hamilton Day, the anniversary of renowned Irish scientist William Rowan Hamilton’s discovery of quaternion algebra on 16 October 1843. Originally from the Hubei Province in China, fourth year BSc Mathematical Science student Lijun Zou, said: "I am very honoured to receive the Hamilton Prize. As an international student, I faced many challenges such as the language barrier. But the faculty members of the School of Maths are all very friendly and helped me a lot. I really appreciate them.'' Describing Lijun as remarkably hard working and extremely dedicated to her studies, Aisling McCluskey, Professor in Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, NUI Galway, said: “The award of the prestigious Hamilton Prize is a tremendous honour and we are delighted to acknowledge and celebrate Lijun’s achievement. “This special prize underscores the importance of valuing and encouraging our undergraduate mathematicians as they progress into final year and into future STEM careers.” In recognition of her mathematical excellence, Lijun Zou received a cash prize of €250, a certificate of achievement and was invited to attend an exclusive masterclass with the 2021 Hamilton Lecture speaker Caroline Series, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, and met with Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin in conversation with Professor Series. Hamilton Day commemorates a ground-breaking discovery by one of Ireland’s most famous scientist. On 16 October 1843, William Rowan Hamilton discovered quaternion algebra, while walking along the Royal Canal from Dunsink Observatory to the Royal Irish Academy. This was one of those very rare Eureka moments in the history of science. So excited was he by his discovery that he scratched his equation on the wall of Broome Bridge, Cabra. Hamilton’s discovery of quaternions was important in the development of modern abstract algebra and the quaternions remain useful in calculating rotations of solid bodies and are thus important in satellite navigation and video game programming. Ends

NUI Galway awards Posthumous PhD to Karzan Sabah D Ahmed University streams ceremony to family in Kurdistan, honouring highly regarded researcher, his wife Shahen and baby daughter Lina NUI Galway has awarded a posthumous PhD in Environmental Science to researcher Karzan Sabah D Ahmed. The conferring took place on the University campus along with a memorial service to remember Karzan, his wife Shahen and baby daughter Lina who tragically died in a road accident on 19 August 2021. The formal ceremony was streamed live and a recording of the event was made available to family and friends overseas, including those in Kurdistan. Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, paid tribute to Karzan, Shahen and baby Lina at the ceremony. “We hosted the conferring ceremony and memorial in honour of Karzan’s academic achievements and the fondness for which he and his family were held by the community of NUI Galway and the wider community,” Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said. “We hope there is some comfort in memory. Karzan’s memory is here in NUI Galway and in the wider community, among his colleagues, the students and all those who worked with him and who knew Karzan, Shahen and Lina.” Karzan Ahmed’s PhD research in Environmental Science focused on evaluating insect ecosystem function in farm habitats for inclusion in novel agri-environmental schemes. The memorial heard contributions in English and in Kurdish from people who knew the family and those who worked with Karzan. A floral wreath was laid at the memorial, prayers were offered by Imam Khalid Sallabi, Galway Islamic Cultural Centre and Fr Ben Hughes, Chaplain of NUI Galway. Dr Collette Mulkeen paid tribute, remembering Karzan, Shahen and baby Lina, while Professor Michael Gormally, who supervised Karzan during his PhD, spoke on the contribution of his research work. A memorial plaque was presented to Ahmed Mahmud, representing Karzan’s family and to Mrs Kszeal Mahmood, representing Shahen’s family. A copy of Karzan’s thesis was presented to Azhwan Barazenda, representing Karzan’s family and also to Mrs Shadi Faramarzi, representing Shahen’s family. Ends

Fógraíonn OÉ Gaillimh dhá cheapachán shinsearacha nua  Tá Helen Maher ag teacht chun na hOllscoile mar Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais, Éagsúlachta agus Cuimsithe agus Paul Dodd mar Leas-Uachtarán don Rannpháirtíocht   D’fhógair OÉ Gaillimh go bhfuil beirt Leas-Uachtarán nua ceaptha. Glacann Helen Maher le ról an Leas-Uachtaráin Comhionannais, Éagsúlachta agus Cuimsithe tar éis di dhá bhliain a chaitheamh mar Leas-Uachtarán ar Choláiste Cheatharlach.  Glacann Paul Dodd le ról an Leas-Uachtaráin don Rannpháirtíocht tar éis beagnach deich mbliana a chaitheamh in Ollscoil California, áit a raibh sé ina Leas-Seansailéir Comhlach do Thaighde ar champas Davis. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Cuirfidh ceapacháin Helen Maher agus Paul Dodd ar ár bhfoireann ceannaireachta in OÉ Gaillimh go mór lenár bpobal Ollscoile, lenár dtiomantas dár luachanna agus lenár rannpháirtíocht ar mhaithe le leas an phobail. Is léiriú iad a gceapacháin ar an sprioc atá againn barr feabhais a bhaint amach agus ar an uaillmhian atá lárnach inár gcuid oibre. “Tagann Helen Maher go OÉ Gaillimh agus í thar a bheith díograiseach i leith an chomhionannais, na héagsúlachta agus an chuimsithe. Is fianaise í a gairm ar thiomantas ar feadh a saoil do leas an phobail, do chomhpháirtíocht agus don oideachas mar chatalaíoch criticiúil don chomhionannas, don éagsúlacht agus don chuimsiú. “Ina ról nua, bainfidh Paul Dodd leas as an ardchumas agus taithí a shealbhaigh sé le linn a chuid oibre le Fondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann (SFI), GFT Éireann agus earnáil an ardoideachais sna Stáit Aontaithe. Tá cuid mhór le foghlaim ag OÉ Gaillimh agus ag an bpobal níos leithne ón meas ollmhór atá ag Paul ar an tábhacht agus an ról a bhaineann le comhpháirtíochtaí a fhorbairt sa bhaile agus thar lear." Beathaisnéisí Cuirfidh an Helen Maher tús lena ról mar Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais, Éagsúlachta agus Cuimsithe go luath i mí Eanáir 2022. Chuaigh sí i ngleic le deacrachtaí comhionannais agus ceartais shóisialta san ardoideachas, in eagraíochtaí na sochaí poiblí agus in obair chomhairleoireachta lena n-áirítear An Cosán, Tamhlacht; Ionad na mBan, Port Láirge; Líonra Eagraíochtaí Lár na Cathrach i mBaile Átha Cliath. Ceapadh í ina Leas-Uachtarán i gColáiste Cheatharlach sa bhliain 2019, an chéad bhean a ceapadh sa ról sin. Bhí Helen ina Breathnóir Idirnáisiúnta ar Chearta Daonna i Meicsiceo sna 1990idí chomh maith; bhí sí mar phríomhthaighdeoir ar thionscadal faoi Chlár an AE do Shíocháin agus Athmhuintearas maidir le dea-chleachtas i gcur chuige pobalbhunaithe i leith na síochána i réigiún na teorann in Éirinn. Ina ról mar Leas-Uachtarán i gColáiste Cheatharlach, bhí Helen freagrach as próisis athraithe institiúideacha ardleibhéil, straitéis, comhpháirtíochtaí comhoibríocha, rannpháirtíocht na bpáirtithe leasmhara agus EDI a fhorbairt agus a threorú. Bhí sí mar ionadaí an Choláiste ar Choiste Náisiúnta an Chomhionannais Inscne de chuid an HEA, Coiste Náisiúnta Athena Swan. Tá céim BA ag Helen ó UCD, MA i Staidéar Síochána ó Ollscoil Bradford agus tá sí i mbun tráchtas PhD a chríochnú i Scoil an Dlí agus an Rialtais, DCU. Ina cuid taighde go dtí seo scrúdaíodh an teannas idir feimineachas agus náisiúnachas; inscne, daonlathú agus atógáil iarchoimhlinte; ardoideachas, rannpháirtíocht phoiblí agus comhpháirtíochtaí comhoibríocha agus freagraí an phobail i leith síocháin a dhéanamh. Díríonn a cuid taighde reatha ar chomhionannas inscne agus ar an aistriú go daonlathas san Afraic Theas.Cuirfidh an Dr Paul Dodd tús lena ról mar Leas-Uachtarán don Rannpháirtíocht go luath i mí Eanáir 2022. Is as Bré, Co. Chill Mhantáin do Paul ó dhúchas agus beidh sé ag filleadh ar Éirinn as Ollscoil California, Davis. Bhí lámh aige sa mhéadú suntasach a tháinig ar ioncam taighde UC Davis le naoi mbliana anuas, áit ar baineadh amach dámhachtainí taighde nua ar fiú US$965m iad in aon bhliain amháin. Bhí sé i gceannas freisin ar bhunú agus ar chur chun cinn go leor comhpháirtíochtaí institiúideacha sa bhaile agus go hidirnáisiúnta do UC Davis, scil a bhfuil súil aige leas a bhaint aisti ina ról nua i nGaillimh. Críoch 

NUI Galway announces two new senior appointments Helen Maher joins University as Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Paul Dodd joins as Vice President for Engagement NUI Galway has announced the appointment of two new Vice Presidents. Helen Maher takes up the role of VP for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion having worked as Vice President of Carlow College, St Patrick’s for more than two years.  Paul Dodd takes up the role of VP for Engagement having spent almost a decade at University of California, where he was Associate Vice Chancellor for Research on the Davis campus. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “The addition of Helen Maher and Paul Dodd to our leadership team at NUI Galway will further enhance our University community, our commitment to our values and our engagement for the public good. Their appointments reflect the sense of excellence and the ambition which are central to our work. “Helen Maher comes to NUI Galway with a huge passion for equality, diversity and inclusion. Her career is testament to a life-long commitment to the public good, to partnership and to education as a critical catalyst for equality, diversity and inclusion. “Paul Dodd brings a wealth of talent and experience to bear on his new role, not least from his work in Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), IDA Ireland and higher education in the US. NUI Galway and our wider community has much to gain from Paul’s deep appreciation for the importance and role of building partnerships at home and overseas.”Further information on the new Vice Presidents:  Helen Maher will take up the role of VP Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in January 2022. She has worked on equality and social justice issues in higher education, civil society organisations and consultancy including with An Cosán, Tallaght; Waterford Women’s Centre; the Inner City Organisations Network in Dublin. She was appointed Vice President at Carlow College, St Patrick’s in 2019, the first woman to hold the post. Helen has also served as an International Human Rights Observer in Mexico in the 1990s; is a founder member of Rohingya Action Ireland; and she was lead researcher for a project under the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation on good practice in community based approaches to peacebuilding in the border region of Ireland. As Vice President at Carlow College, Helen was responsible for developing and leading high level institutional change processes, strategy, collaborative partnerships, stakeholder engagement and EDI. She was the College’s representative on the HEA’s National Committee for Gender Equality, the Athena Swan National Committee. Helen holds a BA degree from UCD, an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford and is completing her PhD thesis at the School of Law and Government, DCU. Her research to date has examined the tension between feminism and nationalism; gender, democratisation and post-conflict reconstruction; higher education, civic engagement and collaborative partnerships and community responses to peacebuilding. Her current research focuses on gender equality and the transition to democracy in South Africa. Dr Paul Dodd will take up the role of VP Engagement in early January 2022. Originally from Bray, Co Wicklow, Paul moves back to Ireland from University of California Davis. He contributed to the significant growth of UC Davis research revenue over the past nine years, most recently seeing an all-time campus record of US$965m in new research awards in one year. He has also been leading the establishment and advancement of many institutional partnerships domestically and internationally for UC Davis, a skill set he hopes to put to good use in his new role in Galway.

Astronomers detect gas released in a giant planetary collision Gas discovery in space is first observational evidence of an atmosphere stripped away by a planetary impact  An astronomer at NUI Galway is part of an international team which detected evidence of a giant impact that occurred in a nearby star system, just 95 light years from Earth. It is the first discovery of a planetary atmosphere being vaporised by a giant impact. Based on the amount of gas present, the impact was likely massive and took place about 200,000 years ago involving two young planets, likely to have been similar in size to Earth. The findings, based on the research by NUI Galway, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Cambridge University have been published today in the leading international journal Nature. The rare glimpse into planetary formation comes from the young star HD172555, relatively near our solar system and visible with the naked eye from dark sites in the Southern Hemisphere. This star has been an object of intrigue among astronomers because of the large amount of dust orbiting within its terrestrial planet region. The unusual composition of dust indicated that it most likely represents post-impact debris from the aftermath of a planetary impact – similar to the one that led to the formation of the moon. Dr Luca Matrà, advisor for the study and Lecturer in the Centre for Astronomy, School of Physics, NUI Galway, said: “Our ALMA observations unexpectedly detected a ring of carbon monoxide gas co-located with the dust in this system, which for the first time indicates that impacts can release large amounts of gas as well as dust, and that this gas can survive long enough to be detected. “This has the potential to revolutionise our understanding and observability of giant impacts.” The HD172555 planetary system is about 23 million years old, compared to our solar system at about 4.6 billion years. The astronomers made the observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observatory in Chile, known as ALMA, which is made up of 66 radio telescopes working together, and which Ireland gained access to after joining the international European Southern Observatory in 2018. The observations found carbon monoxide orbiting in large amounts in a region analogous to the outer terrestrial planet region of the solar system. Dr Matrà added: “The amount of gas discovered is 10-20% of the mass of Venus’ atmosphere, which goes to show the incredible sensitivity of the observations. This puts forward gas observations as a viable detection method of terrestrial planet-forming collisions, and as a window to the composition of young planets.” Lead author, Tajana Schneiderman, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, said: “This is the first time we’ve detected this phenomenon, of a stripped protoplanetary atmosphere in a giant impact. Everyone is interested in observing a giant impact because we expect them to be common, but we don’t have evidence in a lot of systems for it. Now we have additional insight into these dynamics.” The formation of terrestrial planets like Earth takes place over the first tens of millions of years of a star’s lifetime. Scientists have theorised that in the latest formation stages, planets grow by colliding with each other in giant impacts. The massive collisions produce planets, satellites like the moon and debris, where the latter can be observed by telescopes on Earth. The observations by the team from NUI Galway, MIT and Cambridge University confirm the predictions of planet formation models, as the HD172555 planetary system is precisely in the age range where terrestrial planet formation through giant impacts is expected to happen. The data favours a scenario where carbon monoxide is produced through the stripping of the atmosphere of the colliding planets. The presence of the gas tells us that the same planetary impact that produced the dust most likely released the observed gas as well. Dr Christine Chen, Associate Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, USA, and expert in the field external to this study, said: “The modelling convincingly demonstrates that two protoplanets slammed into one another at high velocity at least 200,000 years ago, launching their planetary atmospheres into space. Over time, the debris from the collision spread out into the planet’s orbit creating a ring of gas and dust we can now observe.” Read the full study in Nature here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03872-x. Ends

Seolann OÉ Gaillimh Straitéis Taighde agus Nuálaíochta 2021-26 Infheistíocht €5 mhilliún na hOllscoile faoin gClár Dúshláin Dhomhanda Tá sé curtha in iúl ag OÉ Gaillimh go bhfuil infheistíocht €5 mhilliún curtha ar fáil aici faoi Chlár Dhúshláin Dhomhanda na hOllscoile – tionscnamh taighde spriocdhírithe chun dul i ngleic le sé cinn de na fadhbanna is práinní ar domhan. Fógraíodh an gealltanas inné (Dé Máirt, 19 Deireadh Fómhair 2021) nuair a seoladh Straitéis Taighde agus Nuálaíochta OÉ Gaillimh, 2021-2026. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an straitéis fhoriomlán an tionchar taighde a uasmhéadú, pobal taighde rathúil a chothú agus comhpháirtíochtaí láidre taighde a bhunú go háitiúil agus go domhanda. Cuirfidh an Clár maidir le Dúshláin Dhomhanda – toradh luath den straitéis – tacaíocht ar fáil d’fhoirne ildisciplíneacha agus iad i mbun taighde agus nuálaíocht atá úrnua a shaothrú. Tá an tionscnamh deartha freisin chun a chur ar chumas phobal taighde na hOllscoile caidreamh a chothú le comhghleacaithe in institiúidí eile in Éirinn agus ar fud an domhain maidir le cuid de na fadhbanna is suntasaí atá ag cur isteach ar an gcine daonna. Is iad seo a leanas na sé réimse atá sa Chlár maidir le Dúshláin Dhomhanda: Frithsheasmhacht in aghaidh ábhar frithmhiocróbach – ag dul i ngleic leis an bpaindéim chiúin Dícharbónú – bealaí chun athrú cóir a chur i bhfeidhm Daonlathas – domhan faoi chaibidil Slándáil an tsoláthair bia – athruithe i dtreo pobail atá cóir, cuimsitheach agus a léiríonn teacht aniar Sonraí atá dírithe ar an duine – claochluithe digiteacha agus an réimse poiblí Sláinte an aigéin agus an chósta – teacht aniar na mara Sheol Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, an Straitéis Taighde agus Nuálaíochta, 2021-2026 ag ócáid speisialta ar líne a d’eagraigh an Ollscoil, i gcuideachta an aoi speisialta, an tOllamh Helga Nowotny, iar-Uachtarán na Comhairle Eorpaí um Thaighde agus duine dá lucht bunaithe. “Tá ár Straitéis Taighde agus Nuálaíochta, 2021-26 bunaithe ar luachanna ár nOllscoile – ár dtiomantas don mheas, inbhuanaitheacht, barr feabhais agus oscailteacht,” a dúirt an tOllamh Ó hÓgartaigh. “Tacaíonn an straitéis le huaillmhian. “Tugann sí dúshlán agus tá sí fadbhreathnaitheach, ach thar aon ní eile, tá fealsúnacht agus cultúr OÉ Gaillimh, is é sin go bhfuilimid anseo ar mhaithe leis an bpobal, fite fuaite go láidir sa straitéis.” Dúirt an tOllamh Jim Livesey, Leas-Uachtarán don Taighde agus Nuálaíocht in OÉ Gaillimh: “Mar ollscoil phoiblí, tá freagracht speisialta orainn ár gcuid taighde a dhíriú i dtreo na gceisteanna is práinní agus is deacra. “Agus muid ag breathnú chun cinn, tá éiginnteacht ann maidir le líon agus cineál na ndúshlán a bheidh romhainn, ach is eol dúinn go mbeimid ag brath ar ár gcumas taighde agus muid ag obair le chéile chun na dúshláin sin a shárú. Glacann an ollscoil leis an bhfreagracht seo agus tá sí ag dréim le cáil a bhaint amach tríd an misean taighde poiblí seo a léiriú.” Cuimsíonn Straitéis Taighde agus Nuálaíochta OÉ Gaillimh, 2021-26 16 ghníomh faoi cheithre luach na hOllscoile – Barr feabhais; Inbhuanaitheacht; Oscailteacht; agus Meas. Díríonn an plean ar na dálaí a chruthú chun caighdeán, scála agus scóip an taighde san Ollscoil a threisiú i gcúig réimse – réimsí a bhfuil fíor-acmhainn chlaochlaitheach acu a aithint chun aitheantas fíor-idirnáisiúnta a bhaint amach; timpeallacht thacúil chun barr feabhais a chumasú; éagsúlacht mhéadaithe inár bpobal taighde; sainspriocanna maidir le tionchar taighde; agus pleanáil agus buiséadú comhtháite. Léigh Straitéis iomlán Taighde agus Nuálaíochta OÉ Gaillimh, 2021-2026 anseo: https://stories.nuigalway.ie/research-and-innovation-strategy/index.html. Críoch   

NUI Galway launches Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-26 University investing €5million under its Global Challenges Programme NUI Galway has unveiled a €5 million investment under the University’s Global Challenges Programme - a targeted research initiative to tackle six of the world’s most pressing issues. The commitment was announced today (Tuesday 19 October 2021) as part of the launch of the NUI Galway Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026. The overall strategy sets out to maximise research impact, nurture a thriving research community and put in place robust research partnerships locally and globally. The Global Challenges Programme - an early output of the strategy - will offer support to multi-disciplinary teams as they begin to pursue genuinely novel research and innovation. The initiative is also designed to enable the University’s research community to engage with colleagues in other institutions in Ireland and around the world on some of the most significant issues affecting humanity. The six areas in the Global Challenges Programme are: Antimicrobial resistance - tackling the silent pandemic Decarbonisation - pathways for a just transition Democracy - a world in question Food security - Transitions toward just, inclusive and resilient societies Human centred data - digital transformations and the public realm Ocean and coastal health - marine resilience President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, launched the Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026 at a special online event hosted by the University, with special guest Professor Helga Nowotny, former President of the European Research Council and one of its founding members. “Our Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-26 is grounded in the values of our University - our commitment to respect, sustainability, excellence, and openness,” Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said. "The strategy supports ambition. It is challenging and forward thinking, but most of all, the philosophy and culture of NUI Galway, that we are here for the public good, is embedded throughout.” Professor Jim Livesey, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at NUI Galway, said: “As a public university, we have a special responsibility to direct our research toward the most pressing questions and the most difficult issues. “As we look into the future, we face uncertainty about the number and nature of challenges we will face, but we know that we will rely on our research capacity as we work together to overcome them. Our University embraces this responsibility and aspires to build distinction for itself by exemplifying this public research mission.” NUI Galway’s Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-26 includes 16 actions under the four pillars of the University’s values - Excellence; Sustainability; Openness; and Respect. The plan focuses on creating the conditions to intensify the quality, scale, and scope of research in the University in five areas - identify areas with genuine transformative potential to achieve truly international recognition; a supportive environment to enable excellence; increased diversity in our research community; specific targets for research impact; and integrated planning and budgeting. Read the full NUI Galway Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026, here: https://stories.nuigalway.ie/research-and-innovation-strategy/index.html. Ends

NUI Galway awards Gold Medals for civic engagement A junior doctor and a speech and language therapist have been awarded gold medals by NUI Galway for civic engagement. Dr Rosemary James, a graduate of Medicine in 2021, was honoured by the School of Medicine for her outstanding community outreach and volunteering, as well as research in global health. Lisa O’Neill, a graduate of Speech and Language Therapy in 2021, was honoured by the School of Health Sciences for raising awareness around mental health, volunteering, fundraising and providing peer support to first year students during the pandemic. NUI Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences has been honouring student excellence with the award of gold medals for more than 100 years. In partnership with the Community Knowledge Initiative specific gold medals are also awarded for contributions to civic engagement. Dr James, a junior doctor and global health academic with the World Health Organisation, said she was honoured to have been given the award. “I believe that it is important as medical graduates that we are aware of the vulnerabilities certain populations are subject to and act to advocate for, study, and improve their health and wellbeing wherever possible,” Dr James said. “I look forward to continuing to engage with vulnerable communities as I progress onto my postgraduate training - taking with me the knowledge and skills I owe to NUI Galway and the inspiring people I have met along the way.” Ms O’Neill, a Speech and Language Therapy graduate, said: “One of my main aims as a volunteer is to contribute to raising awareness about and funds for mental health. “The volunteering opportunities I have been involved in so far have allowed me to work as part of a group to achieve the common goal of creating communities that support people when they are most in need. I envisage a world that is more just and accepting, and where people’s differences are celebrated. Volunteering is one way in which I actively contribute to making this vision a reality.”  The CKI Gold Medal can be awarded to graduates and students for activities including volunteering, service learning, collaborative research and actions for the public good which benefit both the wider community and the University. Dr Maureen Kelly, Senior Lecturer in General Practice and Vice Dean for Civic Engagement, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, said: "Within healthcare, civic engagement is fundamentally aligned with working with the public, patients and communities to promote and improve community health status. “Rosemary and Lisa are very deserving of their award. It is testament to their longstanding partnership with community, reflecting the principles and values of civic engagement that we espouse in NUI Galway.” Dr Lorraine McIlrath, director of the Community Knowledge Initiative at NUI Galway, said: “The CKI was established to promote student commitment to positive social change within community and Dr Rosemary James and Lisa O’Neill are wonderful ambassadors for civic engagement and inspire others to take action. I congratulate them.” Ends

Clinical Research Facility Galway secures €3 million funding Health Research Board announces investment in world class research at NUI Galway-Saolta University Health Care Group Some €3million funding has been announced for the Clinical Research Facility Galway - a Health Research Board (HRB) centre supporting clinical trials to improve health and care.The investment is part of a €22million fund from the HRB for clinical research facilities located at hospital sites and supported by universities.The Clinical Research Facility Galway is a joint initiative of NUI Galway and Saolta University Health Care Group for the promotion of clinical research and conduct of clinical trials, bringing together clinicians, researchers and academics to focus on studies aimed at understanding diseases and translating the knowledge gained into advances in patient care. Professor Andrew Smyth, Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway and Consultant Nephrologist at Galway University Hospitals, said: “The HRB-CFRG aims to improve patient care and population health through the delivery of clinical trials by providing the necessary infrastructure, physical space, facilities, expertise, specialist training and culture. “This infrastructure funding support from the HRB puts us on the map globally in terms of the ability to manage and execute all stages of clinical trials from conception to conclusion.  “At the HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway we have the end-to-end services to guide breakthrough research including first-in-human trials, medical technology/devices, pharmaceuticals, cancer trials and much more. Our portfolio is one of the most diverse nationally, and we have both the clinical expertise and clinical trial experience to grow our own trials from the ground up. “The HRB infrastructure funding makes this possible and is essential for growth and expansion of our clinical trials.” The overall HRB funding package will keep Ireland at the forefront of clinical research and trials internationally while also increasing opportunities for patient participation and benefit. The Clinical Research Facility Galway currently supports 107 clinical trials and investigations. It is one of few facilities of its kind in Ireland, providing the full suite of services essential for the conduct of clinical trials of all phases (from early, first-in-human trials to final stages of approval) and the new investment will allow for the expansion and growth of this work.Professor Tim O’Brien, Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science at NUI Galway and Consultant at Saolta University Health Care Group, said “This funding provides world class facilities for clinical trials and it means that Galway is a leading entity within the Irish clinical trial Infrastructure. It maximises access to clinical trials for patients in the west of Ireland by ensuring the local availability of all necessary services, right on our doorstep. We greatly appreciate the support of the HRB from the initial construction of the facility all the way through to the current award.“Furthermore, the ecosystem in Galway means that clinicians, industry leaders and clinical research experts nationally and internationally come together to formulate cutting-edge research.”Professor Fidelma Dunne, Associate Director of the HRB-CRFG and Consultant Endocrinologist with Saolta University Health Care Group, said: “With the support of the HRB we have been able to take trials from seed stage, through discovery and design through to all stages of trial execution. In the case of my research on gestational diabetes, this support allowed me to conceptualise and trial innovative therapies for women with this condition, as all of the necessary supports were available in Galway.” Ends

Maoiniú feidhmíochta milliún euro faighte ag OÉ Gaillimh chun an comhionannas a chur chun cinn Bronnadh ciste speisialta milliún euro ar OÉ Gaillimh chun straitéis agus bearta feabhsaithe na hOllscoile maidir le Comhionannas, Éagsúlacht agus Cuimsiú a chur chun cinn.  D’fhógair an tAire Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta, Simon Harris TD, an Maoiniú Feidhmíochta mar chuid d’infheistíocht ar leith atá á déanamh ag an Rialtas in institiúidí ardoideachais mar aitheantas as cláir nuálacha a chabhraíonn le sochaí níos fearr a chruthú. Tá OÉ Gaillimh ar cheann de chúig institiúid ar tugadh maoiniú dóibh. Fuarthas an ciste tar éis cás-staidéar a chur isteach ina raibh sonraí na ngníomhartha a bhí déanta le tamall chun comhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn san Ollscoil. Cuirfidh sé leis an obair atá ar siúl i réimse an chomhionannais inscne agus leis an gclár oibre Comhionannais, Éagsúlachta agus Cuimsithe trí chéile. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Is fianaise é an maoiniú milliún euro ón Rialtas chun cabhrú leis an gcomhionannas a chur chun cinn, ar sciar an-mhór é den mhaoiniú a bhí ar fáil, ar an obair atá déanta ag pobal OÉ Gaillimh le blianta beaga anuas agus ar a ndúthracht. Is léiriú é freisin ar thiomantas OÉ Gaillimh maidir le comhionannas a chur chun cinn i measc na foirne agus na mac léinn uilig, ag teacht le luachanna oscailteachta agus measa na hOllscoile. Áirítear buanna de gach cineál san éagsúlacht agus, ar an gcaoi sin, cuireann sí bonn níos fearr agus níos láidre faoin ollscoil. Tá an obair seo ar siúl i gcónaí agus tá sé de fhreagracht orainn uilig tacú léi trí scoth na hoibre a dhéanamh ar mhaithe le leas an phobail." Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Aoife Cooke, Ceannasaí Comhdheiseanna in OÉ Gaillimh: “Tá na daoine go léir a bhíonn ag cur an chomhionannais chun cinn san Ollscoil seo an-sásta leis an maoiniú seo ón Rialtas agus is mór an spreagadh é do gach duine agus muid ag iarraidh comhionannas, éagsúlacht agus cuimsiú a leabú inár gcultúr agus aghaidh a thabhairt ar dhúshláin an chomhionannais." Trí bhunú Tascfhórsa Comhionannais Inscne in OÉ Gaillimh, tá feabhas mór tagtha ar dheiseanna dul chun cinn do mhná san Ollscoil le ceithre bliana anuas. Mar a léirigh Gradam Cré-umha Athena SWAN a ghnóthaigh an Ollscoil le déanaí, tugadh faoi réimse tionscnamh comhionannais san Ollscoil ó 2016/17 i leith, lena n-áirítear róil shinsearacha acadúla a bheith ag níos mó ban. Tá ardú ó 33% in 2016/17 go 47% in 2020/21 tagtha ar chéatadán na gcomhaltaí foirne mná in OÉ Gaillimh a bhfuil ról Léachtóra Shinsearaigh acu. Tá ardú ó 16% go 28% tagtha ar chéatadán na gcomhaltaí foirne mná san Ollscoil a bhfuil ról Ollaimh Phearsanta acu i gcaitheamh na tréimhse céanna. Críoch

Bridging the Gender Divide: Johnson & Johnson Expand their WiSTEM2D Programme to NUI Galway Johnson and Johnson (J&J) today are proud to announce the expansion of its 2021/2022 WiSTEM2D programme in partnership with NUI Galway. WiSTEM2D stands for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing and Design. Through the initiative J&J support and inspire girls and women in their pursuit of STEM2D studies and careers globally. The aim of the WiSTEM2D Undergraduate programme is to inspire and support more women to pursue a career in STEM after university and increase female representation in the STEM2D workforce. Currently, there are approximately 117,800 people across Ireland who are working in jobs that require STEM skills. However, the CSO reports that just 25% of these roles are performed by women with just 5% in leadership roles. While there has been a general upswing in the number of students choosing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects on their CAO applications, uptake among females remains low. Figures from a 2019 UCD Study reveals that over 40% of males list a STEM course versus just 19% of females. The J&J WiSTEM2D programme fuels the development of the female STEM2D talent pipeline by awarding and sponsoring girls and women at critical points in their educational experience and their careers, in STEM disciplines. The programme was first introduced in UL in 2016 and UCC in 2018 and has been instrumental in supporting over 290 female students through a range of initiatives including leadership training, mentoring, internships, site tours and CV/recruitment workshops. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “NUI Galway is delighted to embed the WiSTEM2D programme for women students in the College of Science and Engineering. It will support and empower women pursuing their goal of safeguarding and making the world a better place through STEM to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In embracing all the talents in our society, it is a time of opportunity aligned with values of openness, sustainability and inclusivity guiding our students to realise their aspirations and impact positively for the public good on our society, our people and our planet.” “We’re delighted to be expanding our successful WiSTEM2D programme to NUI Galway this year, which will continue to fuel life sciences in the area, including J&J’s Cerenovus site in Galway,” said Anna Rafferty, Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D University Lead and Director of Strategy, Johnson & Johnson Campus Ireland. “At Johnson & Johnson, we recognise that women are greatly under-represented in the STEM workforce in Ireland.  As part of our effort to ignite the power of women, create healthier societies and improve human health, Johnson & Johnson is committed to building a diverse WiSTEM2D science community and develop the talent pipeline by nurturing and mentoring our future female STEM leaders.” Jessica Dino is an aspiring astronaut, who participated in the WiSTEM2D programme in UL in 2018. “Being accepted into the WiSTEM2D programme at UL was a pivotal step in my STEM career. I was very interested in hands-on work in a very technical and fast-paced environment and with the support of a Johnson & Johnson mentor, I received guidance on what careers I could go into that aligned with my goals and grow as an engineer. “Upon completing my Electronic and Computer Engineering graduate degree, I was given the opportunity to interview for a graduate role and joined the company as an Automation Engineer at Johnson & Johnson Vision. During my free time, I am working on Citizen-Science projects backed by NASA, participate in analogue astronaut missions and one day, would love to fulfil my ambition to become an astronaut.” Applications for the J&J WiSTEM2D university programmes open today for female students of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing and Design subjects entering their second, third or fourth year of studies 2021/2022 within NUI Galway, UL and UCC. Eligible students are asked to submit their application forms through the NUI Galway, UL and UCC websites by Monday, 18 October 2021. To learn more about Johnson & Johnson’s WiSTEM2D programme, click here. ENDS

NUI Galway study solves long-standing enigma of oceanic squids Research identifying and naming families may give evolutionary clues about the marine creatures Scientists at NUI Galway have identified family relationships among lineages of oceanic squids which have been puzzling researchers for more than a century. The breakthrough was achieved by a team at the University’s Ryan Institute which comprehensively named the different groups, providing important clues as to how squid evolved. The findings have been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Dr Fernando Angel Fernández-Álvarez, lead author of the study, Irish Research Council Fellow and researcher at NUI Galway’s School of Natural Sciences, spent five years collecting tissue from squid while on oceanic cruises and sampling from commercial trawlers. “The aim was to solve the relationships among this amazing group of animals. I believe this study is an important milestone for the field and a good starting point for performing in-depth studies on the evolutionary trends that shape the huge diversity of oceanic squids,” Dr Álvarez said. “Our research could also be useful as we try to understand how our oceans will respond to ever increasing pressures from human activities.” The research team used a method known as genome skimming to reveal the full sequence of DNA and identify relationships among squid. Each of the discovered groups was named based on the rules dictated by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, and in the future scientists will have a way to accurately identify and describe the biodiversity of these marine creatures. Oceanic squids are a hugely important part of the marine food web. They are voracious predators and the main meal of toothed whales and other endangered megafauna. They include the largest group of commercially fished cephalopods, the flying squids. The researchers also discovered unexpected and as yet, unexplained, relationships. For instance, delicate deep-sea glass squids are more closely related to powerful muscular Humboldt squids and to the unusual monogamous diamondback squid, than to other oceanic squids. Professor Louise Allcock, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway, said: “How these remarkable changes in form came about is not yet understood. “Oceanic squids are an amazingly diverse group of cephalopods – molluscs with arms and tentacles like squid, octopus and cuttlefish - with fascinating adaptations to their watery environment. For example, glass squids use their body cavity as a fluid filled buoyancy chamber, while chiroteuthids develop fishing lures at the end of their tentacles. “This study also highlights the importance of public scientific collections in addressing long-standing scientific issues. We supplemented the material we collected ourselves with samples from various museums including the Smithsonian Institution in the USA, the Biological Reference Collection of the Marine Science Institute in Spain and the Australian Museum, allowing us to have a truly comprehensive oversight of oceanic squids globally.“ The study was funded by the Irish Research Council through the program Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards. Read the full study in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society here: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab069. Ends

Aitheantas domhanda do 200 téarma cartlainne Gaeilge faighte ag tionscadal faoi stiúir cartlannaí in OÉ Gaillimh  Cinntítear leis an bhfaomhadh ó Chomhairle Idirnáisiúnta na gCartlann go mbeidh bailiúcháin agus cartlanna níos inrochtana agus níos cuimsithí ann do lucht labhartha na Gaeilge Tá aitheantas tugtha ag an gComhairle Idirnáisiúnta um Chartlanna do níos mó ná 200 téarma cartlainne a cuireadh go hoifigiúil le téarmaíocht na Gaeilge níos luaithe i mbliana.  Is í Cartlannaí an Tionscadail, Niamh Ní Charra, a chuir tús leis an obair thaighde tar éis di a thabhairt faoi deara go raibh neamhréireanna téarmaíochta ann agus í i mbun cartlann chlúiteach Chonradh na Gaeilge a chatalógú in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá aitheantas foirmiúil tugtha ag Comhairle Idirnáisiúnta na gCartlann don 200 téarma cartlainne Gaeilge, rud a fhágann gurb í an Ghaeilge ceann de 25 teanga a bhfuil an faomhadh seo faighte aici. Mhínigh Ní Charra, Cartlannaí an Tionscadail i Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin in OÉ Gaillimh, a thábhachtaí is atá sé go bhfuil an Ghaeilge aitheanta anois mar theanga i measc an phobail cartlainne idirnáisiúnta. “Ceann de na gnéithe is tábhachtaí de cheird an chartlannaí agus í i mbun bailiúchán a chatalógú ná úsáid na teanga a bheith de réir a chéile,” a dúirt Ní Charra. “Baineann saibhreas agus áilleacht leis an nGaeilge mar theanga agus bíonn i gcónaí níos mó ná bealach amháin chun focal a thiontú, ach tá sé tábhachtach cloí le téarma amháin nuair atáthar ag déanamh cur síos ar rud éigin. Bhí an chomhsheasmhacht sin dodhéanta gan fáil a bheith ar théarmaí cartlainne i nGaeilge.” Sheol Ní Charra an tionscadal téarmaíochta cartlainne in éineacht le Niamh McDonnell ó Chartlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann, i gcomhairliúchán le Coiste Téarmaíochta Fhoras na Gaeilge – coiste náisiúnta téarmaíochta na Gaeilge. Cuireadh bailchríoch ar an liosta tosaigh téarmaí níos luaithe i mbliana, agus chuir cartlannaithe na hÉireann fáilte roimhe. Chuaigh Ní Charra céim eile leis an tionscadal, agus chomhoibrigh sí leis an Dr Luciana Duranti, University of British Columbia, Ceanada, ar duine de thionscnóirí Bhunachar Sonraí Téarmaíochta de chuid Chomhairle Idirnáisiúnta na gCartlann í. Ceann de thorthaí an tionscadail gur faomhadh 200 téarma cartlainne Gaeilge do bhunachar sonraí Théarmaíocht Ilteangach Cartlainne de chuid Chomhairle Idirnáisiúnta na gCartlann, agus is í Ní Charra atá ceaptha ina riarthóir Gaeilge air. Áirítear i measc na dtéarmaí buanchoimeád (preservation), nach ionann é agus caomhnú (conservation); Cuntas Ionchódaithe Cartlainne (Encoded Archival Description /EAD) agus creat buanchoimeádta (preservation framework). Táthar ag súil go n-úsáidfear na hacmhainní seo go mbeidh fáil níos fearr ar bhailiúcháin Ghaeilge agus go n-áireofaí cainteoirí dúchais, agus go spreagfaí pobail teanga eile ar fud an domhain déanamh amhlaidh. Áirítear le cartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge in OÉ Gaillimh lear mór ábhair faoi chearta teanga agus feachtais bailithe airgid, chomh maith leis an ngluaiseacht cearta sibhialta sa tuaisceart agus cearta príosúnach, lena n-áirítear tréimhse na Stailceanna Ocrais in 1980-81. Tá obair Ní Charra molta ag an Dr John Walsh, Léachtóir Sinsearach le Gaeilge: “Tá cruthú agus scaipeadh na téarmaíochta ina dhlúthchuid den obair a dtugtar pleanáil chorpais uirthi. I gcás na Gaeilge, bhí téarmaíocht á forbairt ag daoine aonair agus ag eagraíochtaí ón tréimhse roimh bhunú an stáit ach bhí easpa comhsheasmhachta ann le blianta fada,” a dúirt an tUasal Walsh. “Ó bunaíodh an Coiste Téarmaíochta sna 1960í tugadh faoin obair ar bhealach níos comhordaithe agus níos comhsheasmhaí agus is mór an t-éacht iad na hacmhainní téarmaíochta ar líne a cruthaíodh don Ghaeilge le fiche bliain anuas. Cuireann an téarmaíocht chartlainne seo tuilleadh le pleanáil chorpais maidir le gramadach, litriú agus téarmaíocht na Gaeilge.” Chuir Ní Charra leis an méid sin: "Táim an-bhródúil gur mé a chuir tús leis an tionscadal seo, agus a stiúir go ceann scríbe é. Is mór an onóir agus an phribhléid dom an obair uathúil seo a bheith curtha i gcrích agam ar mhaithe le pobail na gcartlann agus na Gaeilge araon.” Críoch

Project led by NUI Galway archivist secures global recognition for 200 Irish language archival terms  Approval by International Council on Archives ensures more accessible and inclusive collections and archives for Irish speakers A project which saw over 200 archival terms entered into the Irish language lexicon earlier this year, has now led to those terms being officially recognized by the International Council on Archives. The research work was instigated by Project Archivist Niamh Ní Charra after she noticed issues with translated terminology when cataloguing the iconic Conradh na Gaeilge archive in NUI Galway. The 200 Irish language archival terms have been formally recognised by the International Council on Archives (ICA) - ensuring Irish is one of just 25 languages with such a seal of approval. Ms Ní Charra, Project Archivist in the James Hardiman Library in NUI Galway, explained the significance of the Irish language taking its place in the international archival community. “One of the important aspects of the archival profession when cataloguing a collection is the consistency in language used,” Ms Ní Charra said. “Irish is a beautifully rich language and there’s always more than one way to translate something, but if a term is being used, it is important to stick to that one term, and without the existence of archival terms in Irish, this wasn’t possible.” Ms Ní Charra launched the archival terminology project with Niamh McDonnell, of the National Archives of Ireland, in consultation with An Coiste Téarmaíochta of Foras na Gaeilge - the national Irish language terminology committee. The initial list of terms was completed earlier this year, and welcomed by the community of archivists in Ireland. Ms Ní Charra took the project a step further and worked closely with Dr Luciana Duranti, University of British Columbia, Canada, one of the leaders behind the ICA’s Terminology Database. The project led to 200 terms being approved for the ICA’s Multilingual Archival Terminology (MAT) database, for which Ms Ní Charra has been appointed Irish language administrator. Among the terms are buanchoimeád (preservation) as distinct from caomhnú (conservation); Cuntas Ionchódaithe Cartlainne (Encoded Archival Description /EAD) and creat buanchoimeádta (preservation framework). It is hoped that these resources will be used to make Irish language collections more accessible to all and more inclusive of Irish speakers, while also encouraging other language communities around the world to consider doing the same. The Conradh na Gaeilge archive at NUI Galway includes a significant amount of material on language rights and fundraising campaigns, as well as the civil rights movement in the north and prisoners’ rights, including during the Hunger Strikes of 1980-81. Dr John Walsh, Senior Lecturer in Irish, praised Ms Ní Charra's work: “Terminology creation and dissemination is a key part of what is known as corpus language planning. In the Irish case, terminology has been developed by various individuals and agencies since before the foundation of the state but inconsistency was a problem for decades,” Mr Walsh said. “The work of the Terminological Committee since the 1960s has brought greater purpose and consistency to the work and the development of online terminology resources for Irish in the past two decades has been particularly impressive. The addition of this archival terminology is an important contribution to corpus planning for grammar, spelling and terminology in the Irish language.” Ms Ní Charra added: “I’m very proud to have instigated and led this project, and to see it to completion. I am also honoured, and feel very privileged to have contributed something special to both the archival and the Irish language communities.” Ends

Thirty-three NUI Galway research projects receive Government funding Thirty-three NUI Galway research projects have been awarded funding by the Irish Research Council as part of the Government’s flagship Postgraduate and Postdoctoral 2021 programme. The successful projects were announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D., as part of a €28 million investment in research and academia. The NUI Galway projects will conduct research on a wide range of topics, including: Determining the ecology of the declining and understudied longhorn beetle family with reference to ecosystem functioning, habitat requirements and conservation status. The relevance of the apartheid framework for Palestine and other ongoing contexts of institutionalised racial oppression and domination. Why thousands of children still die every year from scorpion stings? Investigating if we are on the cusp of the first mass extinction of plants in Earth history and looking at leaf traits, which hold the answer by connecting past secret plant extinctions with modern extinctions. Evaluating the impact of protein content, taste levels and texture modification to manage malnutrition in cancer patients using novel sensory nutrition techniques. Homelessness in modernist literature examining how contemporary conceptions of homelessness were formed. The Irish perspective on International law of neutrality during peacetime. The ecology, epidemiology, risk assessment, and awareness of Lyme disease. Feminist lawyering as an alternative approach to address gender based violence against women in the Ugandan refugee context. Welcoming the announcement, Professor Jim Livesey, Vice President for Research and Innovation, NUI Galway, said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to our talented group of postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers for their innovative projects. As a research-led University, the IRC’s Government of Ireland programmes animate NUI Galway’s values of respect, openness, sustainability and excellence. “All 33 projects demonstrate how important public research and innovation is to the fabric of our lives when confronting national and global challenges. I would also like to thank the Irish Research Council and the Government for supporting these important research projects.” In total, the IRC Government of Ireland Postgraduate and Postdoctoral 2021 programme will fund 330 awards, made up of 254 postgraduate scholarships and 76 postdoctoral fellowships. To deliver on shared national objectives, each year the Government of Ireland programmes collaborate with strategic funding partners, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Met Éireann. Ends

An chéad Oifigeach Gaeilge ceaptha ag OÉ Gaillimh Tá sé fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh go bhfuil an chéad Oifigeach Gaeilge riamh le ceapadh san Ollscoil. Tosóidh Caroline Ní Fhlatharta, cainteoir dúchais as Conamara, sa ról ag deireadh na míosa. Thosaigh sí ag obair in OÉ Gaillimh níos mó ná 16 bliana ó shin agus d’oibrigh sí i róil éagsúla, lena n-áirítear in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. Is cuid lárnach de chéad Straitéis na Gaeilge 2021-25 de chuid OÉ Gaillimh an chéad Oifigeach Gaeilge a cheapadh in OÉ Gaillimh. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Daingníonn an ceapachán seo an teachtaireacht gur campas eiseamláireach dátheangach atá á cothú agus á forbairt againn agus go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh tiomanta don Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn i measc phobal na hOllscoile. “Is gníomh aitheantais é ceapachán Oifigeach na Gaeilge a léiríonn an fhís shoiléir atá ag OÉ Gaillimh don ollscolaíocht Ghaeilge agus tagann sé leis na luachanna atá leagtha amach i Straitéis na Gaeilge, is é sin pobal Gaeilge na hOllscoile a mhéadú agus stádas na Gaeilge san Ollscoil a neartú.” Deir an tOllamh Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Uachtarán Ionaid agus Meabhránaí OÉ Gaillimh: “In OÉ Gaillimh is straitéis uaillmhianach í ár straitéis don Ghaeilge. Tacóidh ceapachán Charoline Ní Fhlatharta mar Oifigeach Gaeilge leis sin, mar aon lenár bhfís timpeallacht inbhuanaithe dhátheangach a fhorbairt agus a chothú agus ár dteanga a chur chun cinn trí shaol na hollscoile agus trí phobal OÉ Gaillimh, chomh maith leis an nGaeltacht agus pobail na Gaeilge.”  Faoi stiúir Oifig an Uachtaráin Ionaid agus Meabhránaí, beidh an tOifigeach Gaeilge freagrach as fís na hOllscoile don Ghaeilge a stiúradh. Beidh an ról seo dírithe ar obair ar Scéim Teanga reatha na hOllscoile agus an chéad cheann eile a phleanáil, chomh maith lena chinntiú go gcomhlíonann OÉ Gaillimh oibleagáidí i leith na Gaeilge. Dúirt Caroline Ní Fhlatharta: “Is mór an onóir an deis agus an ról ceannródaíoch seo a bheith agam mar chéad Oifigeach Gaeilge OÉ Gaillimh agus tús a chur le Straitéis Gaeilge na hOllscoile a chur i bhfeidhm. “Táim ag súil go mór le mo dhícheall a dhéanamh chun stádas agus próifíl na Gaeilge a fheabhsú agus feasacht agus inniúlacht teanga a fhorbairt agus a spreagadh ar fud phobal uile OÉ Gaillimh.” Déanfaidh an tOifigeach Gaeilge maoirseacht freisin ar chur i bhfeidhm an pholasaí nua a éilíonn ar gach aonad seirbhísí a sholáthar do chustaiméirí trí Ghaeilge; scéim a chur i bhfeidhm trína n-aithnítear an Ghaeilge mar thacar sainscileanna go hoifigiúil i bpróisis earcaíochta; agus go mbeidh sé de chumas ag 20% den fhoireann ghairmiúil gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge. Ina ról roimhe seo san Ollscoil, bhunaigh Caroline Ní Fhlatharta agus d’fhorbair sí comhpháirtíochtaí láidre le heagraíochtaí gairmiúla, le hinstitiúidí oideachais agus le cuideachtaí ar fud na hÉireann agus í i gceannas ar an gClár Socrúcháin Oibre do mhic léinn Ghaeilge OÉ Gaillimh ó bunaíodh an clár in 2018. Rinne sí áisitheoireacht chomh maith ar an gcéad Chlár Ceannaireachta LIFT trí Ghaeilge le comhaltaí foirne OÉ Gaillimh. Críoch

NUI Galway appoints first Irish Language Officer NUI Galway has announced the appointment of the University’s first ever Irish Language Officer. Caroline Ní Fhlatharta, a native speaker from Connemara, takes up the role at the end of the month. She joined NUI Galway more than 16 years ago and has worked in various roles, including in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. The appointment of NUI Galway’s first Irish Language Officer is a key part of the University’s inaugural Irish Language Strategy. A Strategy for the Irish Language 2021-25. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: "This appointment reinforces the message that NUI Galway are fostering and developing an exemplary bilingual campus and that we are committed to promoting the Irish language among the University community. The appointment of an Irish Language Officer is a key first step in our Straitéis don Ghaeilge and an act of recognition that reflects NUI Galway’s clear vision for the Irish language within university education. She has the full support of colleagues in the University in promoting the values set out in the Irish Language Strategy, increasing and strengthening the University’s Irish language community." Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh. Deputy President and Registrar of NUI Galway, said: “At NUI Galway our strategy for the Irish language is an ambitious one. The appointment of Caroline Ní Fhlatharta as Irish Language Officer will support that, and our vision to develop and foster a sustainable bilingual environment and promote our language across University life and the NUI Galway community, as well as in the Gaeltacht and Irish language communities.”  The Irish Language Officer, under the direction of the Office of the Deputy President and Registrar, will have overall responsibility for driving the University’s vision for the Irish language. The role involves working on the University’s current Scéim Teanga and planning the next, as well as ensuring NUI Galway lives up to obligations for the Irish language. Caroline Ní Fhlatharta said: “It is an honour to be given this opportunity and pioneering role as NUI Galway’s first Irish Language Officer and to start implementing the University’s Irish Language Strategy. “I am looking forward to pouring my energy into improving the status and profile of the Irish language and on developing and encouraging language awareness and competency across the entire NUI Galway community.” The Irish Language Officer will also oversee implementation of the new policy which requires all units to provide customer services through the medium of Irish; implement a scheme whereby the Irish language as a skillset is officially recognised in recruitment processes; and that 20% of professional staff will have the ability to conduct business through Irish. In her previous role in the University, Caroline Ní Fhlatharta established and developed strong partnerships with pofessional organisations, educational institutions and companies across Ireland while overseeing the Work Placement Programme for NUI Galway’s Irish language students following its introduction in 2018. She also facilitated the first ever LIFT Leadership Programme through Irish with NUI Galway staff members. Ends

NUI Galway has secured approval and funding for a new Professor role under the Government's plan to improve gender balance in higher education. The new Professor of Chemistry post is one of 10 positions announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D. under Cycle 2 of the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI). NUI Galway was approved for two posts in the first round in January 2020.  The goal of the SALI initiative is to accelerate progress in achieving gender balance at the senior academic level in higher education institutions. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “Our own work on gender equality in NUI Galway is unfinished but through dedication and excellent work we are building in the right way. “I would like to congratulate all those involved in securing posts for NUI Galway as part of the SALI initiative. “Along with our success on receiving Athena SWAN Bronze awards earlier this year and also the €1million from Government in Performance Funding to drive the University’s strategy and improvements in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we recognise the huge endeavour and commitment to advancing equality to all our staff and students in line with our values of openness and respect.” First launched in 2019, the Government’s SALI plan forms part of a suite of initiatives to progress gender equality in higher education, as set out in the Gender Equality Taskforce Action Plan 2018-2020. Ends

Pupils invited to follow footsteps of 18th century Royal Navy surgeon as part of START 2022 competition National school pupils and their teachers are being urged to enter a competition to create their own randomised trial in the classroom. The call is being made as part of the Schools Teaching Awareness of Randomised Trials (START) competition for 2022. Now in its fifth year, the competition is open to children in from 4th, 5th and 6th class and urges them to follow the example of the Royal Navy surgeon James Lind who is credited with running comparative trial of the most promising cure for scurvy in the 18th century.  The initiative is run by the Health Research Board - Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN) based at NUI Galway, collaborating with their university partners: University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and University of Limerick. It helps students become aware of the clinical trial process and create their own fun randomised trial in the classroom. Dr Sandra Galvin, HRB-TMRN Programme Manager at NUI Galway, said: “This is an exciting initiative and the first of its kind to bring awareness of clinical trials to the younger community. Schoolchildren and their teachers are so creative and we’re really looking forward to seeing what innovative ways teachers and pupils go about designing and reporting their trial. Previous years have really set such a high standard, and young students are pushing the boundaries of what we think they can understand, in fact, they are teaching us.” Randomised trials are a type of research study often used to find out if a new medicine or treatment works. START invites pupils and their teachers to plan, carry out and report their own randomised trial and encourages children to learn more about healthcare decisions and how we can improve healthcare and wellbeing by learning about randomised clinical trials. Professor Declan Devane, Scientific Director of the HRB-TMRN at NUI Galway, said: “We started this competition for two reasons - first, we wanted to raise awareness of the importance of randomised trials with children and secondly, we wanted to harness the creativity and imagination of children in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of trials. “The high standard and variety of applications we receive each year demonstrates that the START competition has indeed raised the awareness of randomised trials and capitalised on children’s innate ability to explain difficult concepts clearly and in a fun way. We are very proud of all our applications and wish everyone the very best on the 20th May in Galway.” The competition is open until 22 April 2022. The top three shortlisted schools will be invited to NUI Galway on Friday, 20 May 2022 where they will be presented with the START Trophy 2022. Pupils are asked to choose a simple, easy to answer question. Resources and information is available on www.startcompetition.com. Questions can be practical and fun - Can using coloured paper for written spelling tests improve results? Does 10 minutes of dancing every morning before classes improve attention? The findings from each trial can be reported in any format such as a podcast, video, website, report format, collage or poster. Registration is open at https://startcompetition.com/trial-registration-form, or by email hrb-tmrn@nuigalway.ie, or by post to: Room 235, 1st Floor, Áras Moyola, School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway. Ends

NUI Galway will host a free one-day webinar conference, Archives and Human Rights: Memory, Truth-Telling and Institutional Records, on Thursday, 18 November from 9.30am to 6pm. The conference will examine current issues regarding the ethical, legal and professional management of records and archives relating to institutionalisation and family separation in Ireland. It has particular relevance in light of the Government’s announcement yesterday that it will establish a National Memorial and Records Centre: an initiative that will be progressed by a Group chaired by the Secretary General to the Government. The conference aims to facilitate greater public awareness of: The relevance of records access and preservation to truth-telling and transitional justice. The existing gaps in legislation, policy and practice. Human rights-based approaches to records management and archiving that might be drawn upon by civil society, records holders and policy-makers. Organised by Dr Maeve O’Rourke from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway and Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist, NUI Galway Library Archives, the conference brings together an international field of leading scholars, academics, archivists, survivors, activists, artists, and human rights experts. The conference will consider the management of institutional 'care' and family separation records and archives from international, human rights-based and lived perspectives. Keynote speakers include: Dagmar Hovestädt, head of the department for communication and research of the Stasi Records Archive in the Federal Archives, Germany. The Stasi Records Archive has become a best practice example of how a country and society have opened up sensitive records in the process of transitional justice where people can request and access files relating to them and what information was covertly collected about them by the Stasi and others. Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian, University of Oxford, will talk about his research and his recent multi award-winning book, Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack, and will discuss how societies suffer when records and archives have been altered and destroyed by Governments, or by war and conflict. Dr Maeve O’Rourke, of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, said: “Recent events have continued to highlight the need for sustained and critical evaluation of how “truth-telling” investigations operate in Ireland. Save to a very limited extent the archives of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, McAleese Committee, and Mother and Baby Homes Commission remain inaccessible to survivors and to the public. “Access to information is the first thing that any reparative process should provide; yet secrecy is still the default mode in Ireland. This conference offers an important opportunity to learn from international and human rights-based best practice, and to listen to the views of people still searching for the basic truth about their experiences of abuse.” Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist at NUI Galway, said: "This conference will bring together a range of Irish and international perspectives, from survivors to academics and archivists, on shared matters relating to archives and records of institutions, state care, and family separation. “The discussions will help share international experience and practice and inform future needed work, policy, and legislation here in Ireland so that Survivors and those directly affected may be listened to, acknowledged, and be able to access their own records and identity within a process of open and transparent truth-telling." A number of survivors and activists will also participate and provide perspectives on their own personal experiences. They will comment on the current status of access to personal records and archives and the issues around current and proposed legislation governing access to records. They include; Rosemary Adaser, founder of Mixed Race Ireland; Mary Harney, an Activist and PhD student at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway; activist and writer, Noelle Brown; and Elizabeth Coppin, a survivor of three Magdalene Laundries whose case against Ireland is currently proceeding before the UN Committee Against Torture. The conference also draws together an international body of experts from around the world, including Catriona Crowe, former Head of Special Projects, National Archives of Ireland; Professor James Smith, Boston College; Raymond Frogner, Head of Archives, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, University of Manitoba, Canada; and Dr Cate O’Neill and Kirsten Wright of the Find and Connect project, an Australian government funded project providing online access to information on Australian orphanges, residential schools and institutions. Register for the conference at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/archives-and-human-rights-truth-telling-memory-and-institutional-records-tickets-195122194737?keep_tld=1 -Ends-

ReelLIFE SCIENCE video competition prizes awarded to Galway, Dublin, Mayo, Limerick, Clare and Roscommon schools and youth groups Tuesday, 16 November, 2021: Short science videos made by young Irish filmmakers were honoured at the ReelLIFE SCIENCE Video Competition Awards on Friday as part of Science Week 2021 and the Galway Science and Technology Festival. The videos ranged from debunking the Five Second Rule to exploring The Digestive System, and from measuring The Weight of the World to finding a Home for Bees. Almost 500 short science films were entered into the competition by over 3,000 science enthusiasts from 135 schools and youth groups in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Winning videos were selected by a panel of guest judges including NASA astronaut Colonel Greg Johnson, UCD Professor of Zoology Emma Teeling and the 2021 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition winner, Greg Tarr from Bandon Grammar School in Cork. A group of 18 fifth class students from Gaelscoil Riabhach in Loughrea, Co. Galway, along with their teacher Brian Ó Meacháin, won the €1000 first prize at Primary School level for their Irish language video ’An Córas Díleá (The Digestive System)’. Primary school runners-up were Scoil Phádraig from Westport, Co. Mayo, while Scoil na nAingeal Naofa from Boyle, Co. Roscommon finished third. Transition year students from Le Chéile Secondary School in Tyrellstown, Dublin 15, led by teacher Sean Creedon, claimed the Secondary School €1000 award, for their distinctive animated short ‘The Science of Colour Vision’. Secondary school runners-up were Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ from Limerick, while Coláiste Ghobnait from Inis Oirr, Co. Galway were awarded third place. ‘Are Aliens Real?’ by Coláiste Muire, Ennis transition year students won best Science Song as voted by the public. The Foróige Hub Castlebar, with support from youth worker Ruairi Kelly, won the €1000 Youth Organisation first prize for their video ‘A Home for Bees’. The Finglas Youth Resource Centre came second, while third place went to Adanna Okoye of the Eastside Youth Service Foróige, Galway. Addressing the young filmmakers at the awards ceremony, Professor Emma Teeling, said: “It has been such a fantastic pleasure to view all of your videos – they’re wonderful! It really gives me hope for our future if the youth of Ireland are studying science and understanding science and producing these videos that can communicate science to the world.” Speaking about ReelLIFE SCIENCE, Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the young people, teachers and youth workers from all over the country who submitted videos to ReelLIFE Science. “SFI are delighted to support this initiative, which encourages young people to be creative and connect with science and technology. I hope you enjoyed the experience and will continue to take other opportunities to explore STEM.” The ReelLIFE SCIENCE programme challenges young people in schools and youth groups around Ireland to engage with science and technology by producing short educational videos, while developing their communication and digital skills. Since being launched in 2013 by Dr Enda O’Connell from the College of Science and Engineering in NUI Galway, and a team of volunteer scientists, this challenge has been met by more than 20,000 participants in over 600 schools and youth groups around Ireland. The winning videos can be viewed at www.reellifescience.com and https://youtu.be/JUV5TTLiXPg. -Ends-

NUI Galway is proud to announce that three academic researchers have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2021 list from Clarivate. Professor Henry Curran, Professor Donal O’Regan and Professor Patrick W. Serruys, have once again joined the prestigious list of 6,600 researchers from across the globe who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.   The highly anticipated annual list identifies researchers whose names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science citation index. About the three Highly Cited Researchers: Professor Henry Curran, listed in the Engineering category, is Director of the Combustion Chemistry Centre at NUI Galway’s School of Chemistry and of the Energy Research Centre in the Ryan Institute. His research looks at the study of the chemistry of how fuels burn in combustors in order to increase efficiency and reduce emissions for a cleaner world. This is his eight successive year being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Professor Donal O'Regan, listed in the Mathematics category, is an Established Professor of Mathematics in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. He is an internationally recognised expert in the field of Nonlinear Analysis, Differential Equations, and Fixed Point Theory. He has written over 1,500 peer-reviewed mathematical articles, making him one of the most prolific authors in the history of mathematics in the world. This is his eight successive year being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Professor Patrick W. Serruys, listed in the Clinical Medicine category, is Established Professor of Interventional Medicine and Innovation, Director of the CORRIB Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Laboratory at the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. He is a world-renowned expert in interventional cardiology and imaging with more than four decades experience in clinical trials and innovation in medicine. He has pioneered several interventional procedures and devices as well as imaging techniques. Professor Serruys has over 4,000 publications and almost 200,000 citations. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “I would like to congratulate our three Highly Cited Researchers on being included once again this year on such a prestigious global list. Excellence for the public good in our research and teaching is a strategic focus for NUI Galway. “Our strategy is grounded in the values of our University - our commitment to respect, sustainability, excellence, and openness. Our academics on this year’s Clarivate list are pioneering leaders and innovators in their respected fields and I wish them sustained success in their endeavours to address the world’s most challenging needs.” Professor Jim Livesey, Vice President for Research and Innovation, NUI Galway, said: “I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to Henry, Donal and Patrick on being included in the Clarivate top 1% of Highly Cited Researchers list in the world. I commend them for their ongoing contribution to innovative and sustainable research that has been recognised in this way by their global peers. “Our capacity to address complex issues is based on the rigor and insight of our fundamental research. This recognition underlines the importance of sustaining ambition across all domains, and our capacity to turn insight into impact.” David Pendlebury, Senior Citation Analyst at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate, said: “It is increasingly important for nations and institutions to recognise and support the exceptional researchers who are driving the expansion of the world’s knowledge. “This list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at NUI Galway who are having a significant impact on the research community as evidenced by the rate at which their work is being cited by their peers. The research they have contributed is fueling the innovation, sustainability, health and security that is key for our society’s future.” The full 2021 Highly Cited Researchers list and executive summary can be found online here. Follow online: on Twitter @ClarivateAG #HighlyCited2021. -Ends-

 University’s marks legacy of Dr Anna O’Coinne with dedication of facility in Lambe Institute An Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D. has unveiled a commemorative plaque at NUI Galway in honour of Dr Anna O’Coinne, former chairperson and honorary president of National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI). Dr O’Coinne passed away on October 6 2020 after a lifetime of outstanding contribution to supporting breast cancer research through the NBCRI and its commitment and financial support for the Lambe Institute for Translational Research at NUI Galway. The plaque marks the dedication of a special seminar and meeting room in the Lambe Institute in honour of Dr O’Coinne’s legacy and memory. Among those who attended the event were Dr O’Coinne’s daughters Gillian and Susan, President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Caroline Loughnane, Secretary for Governance & Academic Affairs at NUI Galway and Chairperson of the NBCRI, Miriam Hand, Director National Breast Cancer Research Institute, Professor Michael Kerin, Research Director of NBCRI and Director of the Saolta University Healthcare Group, Cancer Managed Cancer Academic Network, Professor Pat Nash, Chief Clinical Director of the Saolta University Healthcare Group and Tony Canavan, Chief Executive of Saolta University Healthcare Group. The plaque commemorates Dr Anna O’Coinne for her leadership and contribution to breast cancer research through the NBCRI and the outstanding legacy of support for breast cancer research at the Lambe Institute, NUI Galway, where it hangs. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “It is a privilege to be in NUI Galway to commemorate Dr Anna O’Coinne and her life’s work and efforts that she made in the arena of breast cancer awareness, treatment and research for the benefit of women and their families across the west of Ireland.” President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “Dr Anna O’Coinne’s endeavours and legacy epitomises the values of respect and excellence that we hold so dearly in NUI Galway. The impact of her stewardship of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute and its commitment to research at the Lambe Institute is immeasurable and as a research-led University we are indebted.” Caroline Loughnane, Chairperson of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, said: “Anna was the heart of the NBCRI and her great kindness, energy and commitment inspired so many; today we celebrate her tremendous legacy of support for breast cancer research at the Lambe Institute.  Dr O’Coinne’s dedication and leadership over many years is a symbol of what can achieved in the field of cancer research but also acts as an inspiration to those who follow as we strive to secure better outcomes for patients and their families today.” Professor Michael Kerin said: “The ambition, energy and enthusiasm that Anna dedicated to the vision for cancer research is embodied in the Lambe Institute. Her success in advancing the National Breast Cancer Research Institute continues to underpin our cancer programme which recently achieved membership to the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.” Ends

Ainmníodh OÉ Gaillimh mar Ollscoil na Bliana 2022 san eagrán nua den Good University Guide de chuid The Sunday Times. Dúradh gurb é OÉ Gaillimh an t-iarrthóir ba mhó a sheas amach agus an gradam mór le rá seo á bhronnadh. Mhol The Sunday Times an Ollscoil as an eiteas pobalbhunaithe atá againn, as an tacaíocht a thugaimid do na healaíona agus don chultúr agus as an bhfreagra taighde a thugamar i leith Covid-19 lena n-áirítear an cur chuige daonnúil agus atruach in iarracht cuid de na tionchair mhothúchánacha agus fhisiciúla ba mheasa den phaindéim a mhaolú. Mhol an nuachtán muid chomh maith as an ról ceannasach a ghlacamar sa phleanáil straitéiseach agus san ullmhúchán do phaindéimí na todhchaí. Is é seo an ceathrú geábh ag OÉ Gaillimh an teideal seo a thabhairt leis le 20 bliain. Agus é ag cur fáilte roimh ghradam Ollscoil na Bliana 2022, dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Táimid ag fáil aitheantais mar Ollscoil na Bliana tar éis bliain a bhí thar a bheith dúshlánach do chách a chur dínn. Is iad an daonnacht agus an cineáltas atá léirithe ag ár bpobal na tréithe ba mhó a chur OÉ Gaillimh chun cinn. “Is toradh rathúil an gradam seo ar ár straitéis, a seoladh díreach roimh Covid, nuair a thugamar gealltanas oibriú ar son leas an phobail. Teist atá ann ar ról OÉ Gaillimh laistigh den phobal agus ar son an phobail, agus ar a thiomanta atáimid dár n-áit féin trí bhreathnú níos faide i gcéin le fiosracht agus le huaillmhian. “Tá lúcháir orm dár gcuid mac léinn agus dár gcomhghleacaithe agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch díobh go bhfuil an gealltanas seo á chur i gcrích, agus go dtugann an gradam seo aitheantas dó.” Cuireadh béim ar thrí ghné dár bhfreagra taighde Covid-19 sa Good University Guide 2022 de chuid The Sunday Times. Ba í an léachtóir sinsearach oinigh agus comhairleoir ICU, an Dr Bairbre McNicholas a bhí i gceannas ar an tionscadal taighde domhanda maidir le hothair a bhí thar a bheith tinn le Covid san ICU a chur ina luí ar a mbolg. Ba iad an Dr Aoife Murray agus Irial Conroy a bhí i gceannas ar an tionscadal IBM-CISCO FamilyLink, a thug deis do theaghlaigh a raibh duine muinteartha leo san ICU, othair Covid ina measc, labhairt agus breathnú ar a chéile trí ghlaonna físe fad is a bhí srianta cuairteoirí i bhfeidhm. Tá an tOllamh Máire Connolly i gceannas ar an tionscadal AE Pandem II atá i mbun pleanála agus ullmhúcháin do phaindéimí na todhchaí. Thréaslaigh OÉ Gaillimh le GMIT chomh maith agus bua eile tagtha chuig an iarthar de bharr gradam Institiúid Teicneolaíochta na Bliana a bheith bronnta air ag The Sunday Times. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine in GMIT agus go háirithe leis an Dr Orla Flynn, Uachtarán GMIT. Is ardú meanman dár réigiún go bhfuil éiceachóras oideachais tríú leibhéal chomh láidir, chomh huaillmhianach agus chomh hiomaíoch againn agus is iontach an spreagadh é chomh maith agus GMIT ag cur tús lena aistear nua i dtreo stádais mar Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta.” Críoch

NUI Galway has been named University of the Year 2022 in the new edition of The Sunday Times Good University Guide. In securing the prestigious award, NUI Galway was described as the standout candidate. The Sunday Times credited the University for our community-based ethos, our support of the arts and culture and our Covid-19 research response including the humanitarian and compassionate approach to trying to alleviate some of the worst emotional and physical impacts of the pandemic and our lead role in the strategic planning and preparation for future pandemics. It is the fourth time that NUI Galway has won the title in 20 years. Welcoming the University of the Year 2022 award, NUI Galway President Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are being recognised as University of the Year after a year which was particularly challenging for us all. The elements that distinguished NUI Galway have a humanity, a kindness, our people at their core. “Our success reflects our stratgey, launched just before Covid, where we committed ourselves to the public good, reflecting the sense at NUI Galway of being in and for our community, the commitment to our place by looking beyond our place with curiosity and ambition. “I am delighted for and grateful to all our students and our colleagues that this commitment is being realised, and is recognised in this award.” The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 highlighted three elements of our Covid-19 research response. Honorary Senior lecturer and ICU consultant Dr Bairbre McNicholas spearheaded the global research project on awake prone positioning, where critically-ill Covid patients are treated in ICU while lying on their front. Dr Aoife Murray and Irial Conroy led the IBM-CISCO FamilyLink project, which allowed families of ICU patients, including Covid patients, to connect and see and hear their loved ones on video calls while visitor restrictions were in place. Professor Máire Connolly leads the EU-wide Pandem II project which is planning and preparing for future pandemic risks. NUI Galway also toasted GMIT and a second success for the west of Ireland after the Sunday Times awarded it the title of Institute of Technology of the Year. Professor Ó hÓghartaigh said: “Congratulations to everyone at GMIT and particularly to Dr Orla Flynn, President of GMIT. It is a tremendous boost for our region to see such a strong, ambitious and competitive third level education ecosystem and it is equally a great boost as GMIT embarks on its new journey to Technological University status.” Ends

A NUI Galway graduate has been named Law Student of the Year at the Irish Law Awards 2021. Cassie Roddy-Mullineaux, from Rosscahill, Co Galway, graduated with a BA and Bachelor of Laws (LLB), placing first in her year, before graduating with a first class honours LLM in International Human Rights in 2020. The Law Student of the Year award recognises and celebrates the academic legal achievements and other overall achievements of a student studying law in a third level college or university. Ms Roddy-Mullineaux was awarded the accolade in recognition of her outstanding achievements while studying at NUI Galway’s School of Law and the University’s Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR). She said: “I am over the moon to have won the award for Law Student of the Year at the Irish Law Awards 2021. Completing the LLM in International Human Rights completely changed my outlook on legal practice and how I wanted to contribute as a lawyer. I'm extremely grateful to the Irish Centre for Human Rights and NUI Galway School of Law for the generous support of the staff and community who afforded me so many opportunities during the LLM and have truly helped to shape my legal career.” Professor Martin Hogg, Head of NUI Galway’s School of Law, said: “This award is incredibly well deserved and the Law School is delighted for Cassie. Cassie was an outstanding member of our LLM in International Human Rights class, not only distinguishing herself in her studies and research but making impactful contributions in a range of projects on which she worked with her classmates, our staff, and NGOs. We hope that her achievements will inspire current and future students to aim as high as she has.” Since graduating, Ms Roddy-Mullineaux has been working as a lawyer with AWO, a new data rights agency, at the intersection of data rights and human rights. She advises clients on a wide range of data and privacy issues. In collaboration with Article Eight Advocacy, Ms Roddy-Mullineaux continued to work with the new cohort of students in the Human Rights Law Clinic at the University’s Irish Centre for Human Rights throughout 2020-2021 on the Mother and Baby data protection hub, an online resource to help survivors of the Mother and Baby Homes request their personal data from the bodies that hold it. Interim Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor Ray Murphy, said: “Cassie embodies the perfect mix of academic scholarship and human rights activism. We are delighted with the richly deserved recognition this prestigious award gives her.” Ms Roddy-Mullineaux was involved in a number of projects during her studies at NUI Galway, including: Being part of the ICHR representative team at Ireland’s United Nation's CERD (Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) review in Dec 2019. She spoke to the CERD Committee in Geneva on Ireland’s climate racism. She also contributed to and helped compile the ICHR’s shadow report. Being part of the ICHR’s Human Rights Law Clinic, directed by Dr Maeve O’Rourke, she worked on the My Data Rights project, an online resource to help survivors of historical and institutional abuses in Ireland use GDPR to access their personal data. Working with environmental group, Safety Before LNG, she co-wrote a legal opinion on the compatibility of a legal ban on fracked gas imports with EU and WTO trade laws. Completing a legal research placement with the Global Legal Action Network working on business-related human rights abuses. Assisting NUI Galway’s Dr Padraic Kenna with researching European Convention on Human Rights arguments relating to the Case of the Century (climate litigation) in France. Ends

Ground-breaking report systematically explores alternative educational provision  Report presents critical challenges, findings and a call to action for more equal and diverse future education in Ireland for all young people Social Return on Investment value generated for project beneficiaries was just over €68 million A groundbreaking report by NUI Galway has documented for the first time that the average progression rates of students in seven alternative education programmes (who complete QQI levels 3 to 6 qualification)  amounted to 80% between January 2018 to July 2020. The progression rate reached in excess of 90% for some projects. Whilst Ireland has a high post-primary school completion rate, with 92.3% of students completing the Senior Cycle in both 2018 and 2019 (DES, 2020), school completion rates in schools serving areas of acute economic disadvantage are statistically and significantly lower than in schools serving more affluent populations (Houses of Oireachtas, 2019). A significant proportion of the 8% of pupils not completing post-primary education avail of alternative or second-chance education. Apart from Youthreach, which is a state-provided programme of second-chance education, very little systematic, robust, scientific information has ever been gathered on Ireland’s alternative educational provision landscape. This is aggravated even further by at least a three-year delay in the publication by the Department of Education of a formal review of Alternative Education. To address this gap in knowledge, the report focused on seven projects awarded funding under Rethink Ireland’s €7.5 million Education Fund (2017-2020). The research investigated the extent to which practices used by these projects can serve as models of excellence in overcoming inequality in education. The Fund was open to projects focused on improving educational outcomes for those experiencing educational disadvantage, supporting students to progress from Levels 3–6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The seven projects (six in Dublin, one in Cork) involved were An Cosán VCC; iScoil, Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities; Aspire2; Citywise Fast Track Academy; Cork Life Centre; and Trinity Access 21. The average progression rates amounting to 80% over the course of the three-year study, shows that in most cases, people in these projects had significant success in progressing their education and is comparable with the completion rates of those within the mainstream system. The study also found that the total Social Return on Investment value generated for project beneficiaries was just over €68 million with a total cost of €7,790,285 for the seven awardee projects over three years. For every one euro invested in the seven projects, €9 of social value was created. Social value return and benefits include increased independence, maturity, increased self-confidence, and a more positive future outlook. Some 55% of the social value was directly created by Rethink Ireland’s Education Fund investment of €4,302,479, where every euro invested in the seven projects, €12 of social value was created. The report also presents critical challenges, findings and a call to action for a more equal and diverse future education in Ireland. The research team led by Dr Cormac Forkan from the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre in NUI Galway carried out the three-year academic evaluation of the Education Fund. Dr Forkan says: “Our work allowed us to look inside the ‘black box’ of how these projects support their learners. This model shows how the projects developed and implemented innovative approaches (called ‘actions’) to address various areas of the five strategic goals in the Action Plan 2016–2019. We found that progression is of course about participants moving along Levels 3 to 6 of the QQI framework of qualifications and achieving ‘hard outcomes. “However, our data and subsequent model shows that it is also about their personal transformation and development of their ‘soft outcomes’, like increased independence (maturity), increased self-confidence, and a more positive future outlook. Our new evidence-based model on Educational Progression and Transformation, recognises that awardee projects provide critical and enabling actions for their participants in both of these domain areas and ultimately address better wellbeing for participants.” Martina von Richter, Impact and Operations Director, Rethink Ireland, said: “Rethink Ireland is delighted with the results of this thorough and innovative academic evaluation. The work of the Education Fund awardees is outstanding and we now have proof that their alternative models of education work and have a far reaching and sustainable positive impact on their learners. “Every young person should be supported to reach their full potential and the evaluation demonstrates clearly the need for substantial change in Ireland: the alternative education sector in Ireland needs to be recognised and supported by the government, and integrated into the mainstream education sector so that all learners have the opportunity to benefit from them. “Young people don’t come in one size fits all, and neither should their education.” Recommendations for policy Develop a cross departmental strategy on tackling educational disadvantage by tackling the social and economic inequalities facing children, young people and their families, using the learning on what works from this study on alternative educational provision. The Department of Education to formally recognise Alternative Education provision as educational providers in their own right and fund them in the same way as the formal education system. Create a forum for mainstream and alternative education providers to exchange evidence-based knowledge and experiences to support all students. Organise a showcase where the learning about actions and processes used by the awardee projects to tackle education inequality can be shared with mainstream and alternative education providers and with broader society. A student from the Aspire 2 project, said: “It’s the mind-set of ‘oh you go to this particular school so that means you can’t do things’. The support and the funding that they’re giving us, it makes me feel like I’m not just someone that goes to a DEIS school. I can go to college. I can do things that I want to do because of the Aspire 2 programme.” A student from An Cosán project, said: “Some of our lives are crashed and An Cosán can support us to help us to construct our lives once again. It has been very supportive and has given us a different meaning to our lives. When you get a certificate, because not so many colleges around here would accept an application from asylum seekers but An Cosán (does).  So, it is a backbone of what we are doing, and we are grateful.” Read the full report here: https://rethinkireland.ie/reports/ -Ends-

Five NUI Galway Irish Traveller students and the University’s Traveller Education Officer Owen Ward have been honoured with National Educational Achievement Awards. The presentation was made by Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D. at a ceremony at Exchange House in Dublin. The five students, Anne Marie Ward, Jason Sherlock, Anna Keane, Rebecca Sherlock, and Ann Marie Ward are currently undertaking a Mature Student Access programme, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at NUI Galway. The Exchange House Ireland National Educational Achievement Award is presented to Irish Travellers who have completed Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, GCSE or A-level examinations or third level courses, in recognition of the hard work and commitment shown by the recipients in reaching their goals. The awards highlight role models for other Irish Travellers who may be considering formal education and are proactive in promoting the value of formal education. Speaking after the ceremony, NUI Galway student Ann Marie Ward said: “I’m currently in my second year of an undergraduate degree and work part time with the STAR project in Tuam, Co Galway. I’m very fortunate that I can apply what I learn in my degree and put it into practice while supporting Irish Traveller youth and families in the community. It was an honour to be recognised and to receive this award.” Dr Mary Surlis, Senior Manager of NUI Galway’s Access Centre, said: “We are hugely proud of our students and congratulate them on their achievements to date and on this recognition from Exchange House. Supporting Irish Travellers to access higher education is a key aspect of the Access programmes work for over two decades and NUI Galway is committed to not only enabling members of the Irish Traveller community to access third level education but to succeed when they do.” Owen Ward, NUI Galway’s Traveller Education Officer, received an award for his commitment to supporting Irish Traveller students in education, his educational achievements and for commencing a part time PhD at the University this year. Mr Ward said: “The award acknowledges the students’ commitment to education and as Traveller Education Officer, I am very proud of all their achievements and know that they will make a strong contribution to society as they complete their studies. All the awardees are currently supported by the Mincéirs Misl'd in Education project and act as inspirational role models to others.” Ends

NUI Galway earns Gold rating for sustainability  STARS programme recognises achievements and improvements since 2018  University rated among global top tier of higher education institutions NUI Galway has joined an elite group of universities around the world by being recognised with a STARS Gold rating for sustainability achievements. The standard of excellence was earned following a review by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) under its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). NUI Galway is one of just 133 universities worldwide to earn the STARS Gold rating for sustainability.The achievement comes on the back of several years hard work, from the establishment of the Community and University Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) in 2015 under the direction of the Deputy President and Registrar Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, to the appointment of the University’s inaugural Sustainability Officer in 2019, Michelle O’Dowd Lohan, to the roll-out of a wide ranging sustainability strategic framework, led by the CUSP chair Professor Jamie Goggins, to the student voice and to the inclusion of sustainability as a core value in the University strategy 2020-2025, Shared Visions, Shaped by Value.  President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “Sustainability is one of our core values at NUI Galway and we should look upon the Gold rating for our work in this area as testament to our endeavours in that regard. I often speak about our University being here for the public good - as the world meets in Glasgow, recognition of this nature, putting us at NUI Galway on a par with some of the most high-profile institutions in the world for our work which is so critical for the future of our planet, now … not tomorrow, now.” Róisín Nic Lochlainn, NUI Galway Students’ Union President, said: “Students have a long history of tackling major issues facing our society, and sustainability is something that they are hungry to pursue. I am delighted with the contribution students have made to the STARS Gold rating and I look forward to continuing our work on developing our long terms sustainability goals.”  Professor Jamie Goggins, chair of NUI Galway’s Community University Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) board, said: “The STARS Gold rating is tremendous. It is to be celebrated and it should also be used to spur us on to the next challenge and for all of us at NUI Galway to push ourselves to deepen our focus on sustainability and ensure efforts are redoubled for the young people of today and the next generation.”Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, NUI Galway Deputy President and Registrar and Chair of the University Sustainability Advisory Board, said: “The STARS Gold rating is an outstanding success. Huge credit should go to all those who put the issue of sustainability on the agenda in our University, to those who developed the strategy to embed it in our work and practice and to those who pursue the right decisions to make it a living value of NUI Galway.” More than 1,000 institutions have registered to use the STARS Reporting Tool, of which 678 have earned a STARS rating and 133 currently hold a Gold rating. STARS assesses environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability across five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. NUI Galway was recognised for initiatives including academic staff embracing sustainability as part of curriculum, research addressing sustainability challenges and using the campus as a living lab for applied student learning for sustainability. The University was also recognised for its Green Campus Ireland award; leadership in the area of sustainable energy and renewable energy technologies; protecting and enhancing biodiversity sites on campus; receiving the first Green Lab Certification in Europe; community partnership; and strong governance and whole of institution framework for progressing sustainability on the campus and beyond. Ends

Aitheantas tugtha ag clár STARS do na héachtaí agus don dul chun cinn atá déanta ó 2018   An ollscoil rangaithe i scothshraith dhomhanda na n-institiúidí ardoideachais Tá OÉ Gaillimh ar cheann de ghrúpa ollscoileanna eisceachtúla ar fud an domhain a bhfuil rangú Órga STARS déanta orthu as a bhfuil bainte amach acu ó thaobh na hinbhuanaitheachta de. Bhain an ollscoil an caighdeán feabhais amach i ndiaidh don Chumann chun Inbhuanaitheacht san Ardoideachas a Chur Chun Cinn (AASHE) athbhreithniú a dhéanamh uirthi faoina Chóras Traiceála, Measúnaithe & Rangaithe Inbhuanaitheachta (STARS).  Tá OÉ Gaillimh ar cheann de 133 ollscoil ar fud an domhain a ghnóthaigh rangú Órga inbhuanaitheachta STARS. Tá obair chrua déanta ag an Ollscoil le cúpla bliain ag iarraidh an gradam a bhaint amach, ó bunaíodh Comhpháirtíocht Inbhuanaitheachta Pobail agus Ollscoile (CUSP) in 2015 faoi stiúir an Uachtaráin Ionaid agus Meabhránaí, an tOllamh Pól Ó Dochartaigh, nó gur ceapadh an chéad Oifigeach Inbhuanaitheachta, Michelle O’Dowd Lohan, san Ollscoil in 2019 chun creat straitéiseach inbhuanaitheachta leathan a chur i bhfeidhm, faoi cheannas chathaoirleach CUSP, an tOllamh Jamie Goggins, chun guth na mac léinn agus chun an inbhuanaitheacht a áireamh mar chroíluach i straitéis na hOllscoile 2020-2025, Fís Roinnte, Múnlaithe ag Luachanna. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Tá an inbhuanaitheacht ar cheann de bhunluachanna OÉ Gaillimh agus is fianaise é an rangú Órga ar an méid atá déanta againn ar mhaithe leis an inbhuanaitheacht. Is minic a deirim gur ar mhaithe leis an bpobal atá an Ollscoil anseo. Tá ceannairí an domhain ag teacht le chéile i nGlaschú i láthair na huaire, agus is aitheantas é seo a chuireann OÉ Gaillimh ar comhchéim le cuid de na hinstitiúidí is airde próifíl ar domhan as ár gcuid oibre, a bhfuil tábhacht as cuimse léi maidir lena bhfuil i ndán don phláinéad seo, anois ... ní amach anseo, ach anois." Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Róisín Nic Lochlainn, Uachtarán Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn in OÉ Gaillimh: “Is fada na mic léinn ag tabhairt faoi mhórcheisteanna na sochaí, agus tá díocas ar leith orthu agus iad ag dul i ngleic leis an inbhuanaitheacht. Tá ríméad orm faoin méid a rinne mic léinn le rangú Órga STARS a bhaint amach agus táim ag tnúth le leanúint lenár gcuid oibre lenár gcuspóirí inbhuanaitheachta fadtéarmacha a fhorbairt." Dúirt Jamie Goggins, cathaoirleach bhord Chomhpháirtíocht Inbhuanaitheachta Pobail agus Ollscoile OÉ Gaillimh (Cusp): “Is iontach an rud é rangú Órga STARS a bhaint amach. Is údar ceiliúrtha é agus ba cheart go spreagfadh sé muid le tabhairt faoin gcéad dúshlán eile agus brú a chur orainn féin le béim níos láidre a chur ar an inbhuanaitheacht agus a chinntiú go ndéantar a dhá oiread iarrachtaí ar mhaithe le daoine óga sa lá atá inniu ann agus don chéad ghlúin eile.” Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Uachtarán Ionaid agus Meabhránaí OÉ Gaillimh agus Cathaoirleach Bhord Comhairleach Inbhuanaitheachta na hOllscoile: “Is éacht amach is amach é rangú Órga STARS a bhaint amach. Tá buíochas ar leith ag dul dóibh sin ar fad a chuir béim ar an inbhuanaitheacht san Ollscoil, dóibh sin a d’fhorbair an straitéis agus a leabaigh í inár gcuid oibre agus inár gcleachtas agus dóibh sin a chinntigh go ndearnadh na cinntí cearta chun go mbeadh luach beo leis an inbhuanaitheacht in OÉ Gaillimh.” Chláraigh níos mó ná 1,000 institiúid chun Uirlis Tuairiscithe STARS a úsáid. Thuill 678 díobh rangú STARS agus tá rangú Órga tuillte ag 133 díobh go dtí seo. Déanann STARS measúnú ar ghnéithe comhshaoil, sóisialta agus eacnamaíocha na hinbhuanaitheachta i gcúig réimse: lucht acadúil, rannpháirtíocht, oibríochtaí, pleanáil agus riarachán, agus nuálaíocht agus ceannaireacht. Tugadh aitheantas do OÉ Gaillimh as tionscnaimh lena n-áirítear gur ghlac an fhoireann acadúil an inbhuanaitheacht chucu féin mar chuid den churaclam, go ndearna siad taighde a thugann aghaidh ar dhúshláin na hinbhuanaitheachta agus gur úsáideadh an campas mar shaotharlann bheo d’fhoghlaim fheidhmeach inbhuanaitheachta na mac léinn. Tugadh aitheantas don Ollscoil chomh maith nuair a fuair sí gradam Champas Glas na hÉireann; as a ceannaireacht i réimse na dteicneolaíochtaí inbhuanaithe fuinnimh agus fuinnimh in-athnuaite; as suíomhanna bithéagsúlachta ar an gcampas a chosaint agus a fheabhsú; as an gcéad Deimhniú Saotharlainne Glaise san Eoraip a fháil; as comhpháirtíocht phobail; agus as rialachas láidir agus creat na hinstitiúide trí chéile as an inbhuanaitheacht a chur chun cinn ar an gcampas agus níos faide i gcéin. Críoch