August 2016

As part of the ‘It’s OK to Ask’ campaign, the Health Research Board Clinical Research Facility Galway will open its doors and welcome the public this Thursday, 1 September from 4-7pm. Over 100 clinical trials are underway at the facility involving people with cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The event will include three short talks, a self-guided tour and ten thematic exhibitions highlighting areas of research and ongoing clinical studies. Consultants and staff will be on hand to answer questions and describe their work. Short expert talks will be also be delivered by: Dr Andrew Murphy, Professor of General Practice and Director of HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland; Professor of Cellular Therapy Frank Barry, Coordinator of the ADIPOA-2 project; and Professor of Medicine John J Carey, Consultant Physician in Medicine and Rheumatology. These talks will take place in the Clinical Sciences Institute Large Lecture Theatre, room 227. Launched in May 2016, ‘It’s OK to Ask’ is an on-going public awareness initiative that aims to encourage patients, carers, and the public to ask healthcare professionals if there is a clinical trial study they might be suitable for, and to learn more about what exactly is involved in clinical research. Through the campaign, periodic exhibitions in the University Hospital Galway foyer, themed social media blitzes, and public events are planned. The HRB-CRFG is a joint venture between NUI Galway, Galway University Hospitals, and Saolta, and has been in operation since March 2008, with a purpose-built building adjacent to University Hospital Galway. The HRB-CRFG provides the infrastructure, physical space, facilities, expertise and culture needed to optimally support biomedical research. The team focus on studies aimed at understanding a wide range of diseases and speedily translating the knowledge obtained through this research work into reimbursed, regulatory approved advances in patient care. For more information visit https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/open-house-hrb-clinical-research-facility-galway-tickets-26969365097, or contact event organiser Danielle M. Nicholson at danielle.nicholson@nuigalway.ie or 091 49 4282. -Ends-

The science video competition, ReelLIFE SCIENCE, is open to all primary and secondary schools in Ireland NUI Galway is challenging all primary and secondary school students across Ireland to produce an entertaining and educational short science video for this year’s ReelLIFE SCIENCE competition. Supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover programme and the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, ReelLIFE SCIENCE will award €3,000 directly to the winning schools for science promotion. Since launching in 2013, more than 5,000 students in almost 200 schools around Ireland have taken part in ReelLIFE SCIENCE, while the videos produced have been viewed 70,000 times in over 100 countries worldwide. Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson said of the competition: “We are delighted to support this initiative, which cleverly combines science literacy and creativity, provides a great opportunity for students and teachers to engage with science in a novel way. ReelLIFE SCIENCE encourages young people to connect with the science and technology in their everyday lives, and to bring that knowledge to a wider audience, while promoting current Irish research and development.” Secondary school students can choose ‘Irish Science Heroes’, ‘Myths Busted!’ and ‘How Things Work’ as their competition topic, while primary school topics include ‘Science and Me’, ‘Life in Space’ and ‘The Science of Farming’. Winning videos will be selected by a panel of special guest judges including: RTÉ broadcaster and science enthusiast, Rick O’Shea; University College London neuroscientist and Royal Society Fellow, Professor Eleanor Maguire; and BT Young Scientist & Technologists of the Year 2016, Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura from Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin; Rick O’Shea said: “The competition is just such a brilliant, creative and fun idea, I was delighted to be asked to judge after I saw last year's entries! This isn't going to be an easy task.” Closing date for submissions is Friday, 14 October and winning schools will be announced on Monday, 14 November during Science Week 2016, when they will be invited to attend a public screening and awards ceremony during the Galway Science and Technology Festival on 27 November. ReelLIFE SCIENCE is organised by Dr Enda O’Connell and a team of science communication enthusiasts from NUI Galway, in collaboration with the Cell EXPLORERS outreach programme from the University’s School of Natural Sciences. The 2015 secondary school prizewinners were Solas O’Halloran and Matt Tyrkiel from Causeway Comprehensive School in Co. Kerry, with a video entitled ‘The Mystery of Light’, while the winning primary school video from Scoil Aonghusa Senior, Tallaght, Co. Dublin garnered praise from 2015 special guest judge Cmdr. Chris Hadfield, and his fellow astronaut Major Tim Peake. Previous year’s videos and more information about the 2016 competition can be found at www.reellifescience.com. -Ends-

Leading experts will gather at the Irish Pain Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Dublin on Saturday, 3 September, to present and discuss the latest research findings on the management of joint pain. In keeping with the International Association for the Study of Pain’s ‘Global Year Against Pain in the Joints’, the meeting will focus on advancing our understanding and treatment of joint pain. The day will appeal to a broad, multidisciplinary audience of scientists and healthcare professionals as the speakers will cover various topics ranging from advances in our understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors contributing to joint pain to new innovations in psychological and medical treatments for joint pain and how these research findings can be used to improve clinical practice The national and international keynote speakers and topics covered at the Meeting will include: Dr David Cabañero, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain – Basic Science of Joint Pain Professor Candy McCabe, Bristol and Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK – Nursing and Joint Pain Professor Geert Crombez, Ghent Univeristy, Belgium – Psychology and Joint Pain Professor Krysia Dziedzic, Keele University, UK – Physiotherapy and Joint Pain Professor Gerry Wilson, University College Dublin – Rheumatology and Pharmacology and Joint Pain Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark – Joint Pain Medicine The day will also feature a poster presentation session and the Irish Pain Research Network Symposium, both of which provide an opportunity to showcase current pain research in Ireland. Poster presenters will compete for the Pain Research Medals in clinical and non-clinical pain research. Professor David Finn from the Centre for Pain Research at NUI Galway and President of the Irish Pain Society, said: “I am really excited to be hosting this year’s Irish Pain Society meeting and anticipate a day filled with informative and thought-provoking talks covering the cutting edge of research on joint pain, as well as fruitful discussions and interactions with colleagues.” The meeting will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin and further details can be found at www.irishpainsociety.com. -Ends-

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. in collaboration with CÚRAM, Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices and the Clinical Research Facility at NUI Galway have successfully met the objectives of a recently completed single-center, randomized, single-blind prospective clinical study of the AC5 Topical Hemostatic DeviceTM in skin lesion patients with bleeding wounds. This was the first study assessing the safety and performance of AC5 in humans and was conducted at University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the safety and performance of AC5 in patients scheduled to undergo excision of skin lesions on their trunk or upper limbs. The primary endpoint was safety throughout the surgical procedure and until the end of a 30-day follow-up period post procedure. Safety of the clinical investigation device was determined by monitoring for treatment related adverse events. The primary objective was met, as the safety outcomes of both the AC5 treatment group and the control group were similar. No serious adverse events were reported. A secondary endpoint was performance as assessed by time to hemostasis. The median time to hemostasis of wounds in the AC5 treatment group was 41% faster than for those in the control group. This result was statistically significant (p<0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). An additional secondary endpoint of healing of treated wounds was assessed as measured by the ASEPSIS wound score at Days 7 and 30. There was no evidence, at either follow-up day, of an adverse effect of AC5 treatment on the wound ASEPSIS score. The ASEPSIS score did not appear to be compromised, as the majority of patients had an ASEPSIS score of 0 in both wounds at Days 7 and 30. All AC5-treated wounds healed satisfactorily as per wound healing scoring criteria. Terrence W. Norchi, MD, President and CEO of Arch Therapeutics, said, "These top-line data support that AC5 was safe and performed as expected in the patients enrolled in this study. These successful results mark a significant milestone in the development of AC5 and we are grateful to the support we have received from our colleagues at CÚRAM and CRFG, as well as others involved in the process. We look forward to further advancing our self-assembling peptide technology platform for this and other applications." The clinical study enrolled 46 patients, including 10 who were taking antiplatelet monotherapy. Each patient had bleeding wounds created as a result of the excision of at least two skin lesions under local anesthetic in the same setting. On a randomized basis, one lesion received AC5 and the other(s) received a control treatment consisting of standard therapy plus a sham. Each subject was followed-up for safety assessment both on Day 7 and again on Day 30, which marked the end of the subject's participation in the clinical study. "These results demonstrate significant improvement in efficacy without compromising patient safety. We believe that AC5 represents a unique technology that will provide both rapid and sustained hemostasis and important differentiable clinical benefits," concluded Norchi. Arch's clinical advisory committee has deemed the study results to be clinically significant and have recommended submitting a manuscript to a peer-reviewed medical journal for publication. The Company expects to submit further study details and data, including subgroup analysis, to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. The Company also plans to include data from this trial in a CE mark application for AC5, which is currently anticipated to be filed at the earliest by the end of this year. Arch is currently planning its next clinical-regulatory steps for both the EU and the US. Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of CÚRAM, said: “Clinical trials are an essential component in creating medical devices that realise their full potential and ensuring the safety value of each new development. Without these trials, research cannot be translated into economic, health or societal benefits. Our collaboration with Arch Therapeutics is very exciting. Leaders within CÚRAM have a successful history working with Arch, and we are delighted to support their drive to commercialization for what should be very important products for the healthcare industry.” -Ends-

NUI Galway will host the 41st Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium, the largest Surgical Conference in Ireland, from 2-3 September. The annual event provides a platform for healthcare professionals to present their research and clinical work, and allows for the merging of both scientific and clinical information. It is named in memory of the Galway-born surgeon, Sir Peter Freyer, who performed the first successful surgical operation to remove an enlarged prostate in 1900. It comprises multiple research and education sessions across the various surgical subspecialties, two keynote addresses and discussion around the future of Irish Surgery. Professor Michael Solomon, Consultant Surgeon and Director of Colorectal Research at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, will deliver the Memorial Lecture entitled ‘20 Years of Evolving Pelvic Exenteration’ on Friday, 2 September. Professor Solomon is a past President of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSSANZ), and previously the Chairman of the Post-FRACS Training Board in Colorectal Surgery of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and CSSANZ of which he remained a member for 16 years. He has received an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland as well as an honorary membership of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.  In 2014 Professor Solomon was recently awarded the prestigious RPA Foundation Research Medal, becoming the first Surgeon to be given this honour. Professor Martin Corbally will deliver the State of the Art Lecture entitled ‘The Surgeon in the Modern World’ on Saturday, 3 September. A graduate of NUI Galway, Professor Corbally is Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI) - Medical University of Bahrain, Chief of Staff at King Hamad University Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain, where he is also a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon.  Having trained in Dublin and London, Professor Corbally has previously worked as Associate Professor and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon in our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin. He is Founder and Program Director of Operation Childlife, a registered Irish charity that brings paediatric surgical, cardiac, anaesthetic and nursing skills to Vietnam and Tanzania, with the support of the RCSI, the Christina Noble Foundation, Children in Crossfire and Atlantic Philanthropy. Professor of Surgery at NUI Galway, Michael Kerin, who is hosting the event along with his colleague Professor Oliver McAnena, said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Solomon and Professor Corbally to our University. They are focused on advancing the most effective techniques in precision surgery, aimed at improving survival and quality of life of the patient.  Their lectures are the pivotal points of a large programme containing some of the best surgical research from this country. In addition, the Conference provides a great opportunity for mentoring and development of trainees, networking and cultivating the future of Irish Surgery.” For more information visit www.freyer.ie/. -Ends-

Thirteen young Irish people were honoured for their work in creating digital games and stories on the theme of the health of the oceans at the inaugural European Sea Change Coderdojo Challenge which was held in NUI Galway during the summer. Ciara Heanue from Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, won the Irish Junior Award category for designing a game entitled ‘Wildlife Awareness’. Ciara received a prize of €300 and her game will be included in an iBook about cold-water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools. Conor Salmon and Liam Forde for ‘Gully’s Clean-up’, and Adam Gallagher, Evan Thornton and Daniel Bradley Coyne for ‘Flappy Fish’ were joint winners in the Irish Senior Award category and shared a prize of €500. Due to the high standard at Junior level, three other Irish Junior Merit Awards were awarded to: Sean Connolly, Ruan O’Dowd and Diarmuid O’Donoghue for their ‘Save My Sea game; Paul Schuler, Michael Salmon and Liam Ferrie for ‘SOS - Save Our Seas!’; and Sean Kerr for ‘Animal Saver’. Attending the challenge were Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Councillor John Walsh; Chairman of Coderdojo Galway City, Dr Karl Sweeney; and Co-founder of Galway Coderdojo Brendan Smith, who commend the young Galway game designers for using their coding skills to highlight an issue that is of such global concern. The Sea Change Game Design Challenge was launched in February this year and invited entries from CoderDojo members aged 7-18yrs entrants from Galway. The initiative was also piloted in Lund, Sweden with the possibility of rolling it out across Europe over the next two years. Single and team entrants were encouraged to use their CoderDojos and mentors to develop their games over the three months The challenge is organised by NUI Galway as part of their contribution to a European project called “Sea Change” which aims to establish a fundamental change in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea.  Dr Anthony Grehan, Earth and Ocean Sciences, NUI Galway and co-organiser of the event, said: “The challenge is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing tech games to raise awareness of marine issues like the need to protect cold-water coral reefs, how we can begin to address the scourge of micro-plastics, and how we can maintain healthy oceans and seas, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.” “There was a surge of interest with 32 entrants from Galway alone, revealing a strong and enthusiastic coding community, which is particularly relevant from an informal learning perspective, considering the recent Digital Strategy for Schools, 2015-2020 and its promotion of coding and programming at both primary and secondary level”, said Dr Veronica McCauley from NUI Galway’s School of Education and co-organiser of the event. The game design was reviewed by a panel of experts including Alan Duggan of Tribalcity.com, Gavin Duffy, RealSim Ltd., and Triona Mac Giolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategy, and judged on ‘best concept’ and ‘ease of use’.  Brendan Smith, Education Outreach Officer at INSIGHT, NUI Galway and Co-Founder of Coderdojo Galway, said: “The aesthetic and technical merit of the project submissions has been highly commended by the judges. And as such, we are delighted to hear that one of the winning games will be included within a soon to be published iBook about cold water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools.” Irish Finalist games are available online at https://scratch.mit.edu/search/projects?q=seachange. Other marine related resources are available on the project website at www.seachangeproject.eu. -Ends-

Thirteen young Irish people were honoured for their work in creating digital games and stories on the theme of the health of the oceans at the inaugural European Sea Change Coderdojo Challenge which was held in NUI Galway during the summer. Ciara Heanue from Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, won the Irish Junior Award category for designing a game entitled ‘Wildlife Awareness’. Ciara received a prize of €300 and her game will be included in an iBook about cold-water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools. Conor Salmon and Liam Forde for ‘Gully’s Clean-up’, and Adam Gallagher, Evan Thornton and Daniel Bradley Coyne for ‘Flappy Fish’ were joint winners in the Irish Senior Award category and shared a prize of €500. Due to the high standard at Junior level, three other Irish Junior Merit Awards were awarded to: Sean Connolly, Ruan O’Dowd and Diarmuid O’Donoghue for their ‘Save My Sea game; Paul Schuler, Michael Salmon and Liam Ferrie for ‘SOS - Save Our Seas!’; and Sean Kerr for ‘Animal Saver’. Attending the challenge were Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Councillor John Walsh; Chairman of Coderdojo Galway City, Dr Karl Sweeney; and Co-founder of Galway Coderdojo Brendan Smith, who commend the young Galway game designers for using their coding skills to highlight an issue that is of such global concern. The Sea Change Game Design Challenge was launched in February this year and invited entries from CoderDojo members aged 7-18yrs entrants from Galway. The initiative was also piloted in Lund, Sweden with the possibility of rolling it out across Europe over the next two years. Single and team entrants were encouraged to use their CoderDojos and mentors to develop their games over the three months The challenge is organised by NUI Galway as part of their contribution to a European project called “Sea Change” which aims to establish a fundamental change in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea.  Dr Anthony Grehan, Earth and Ocean Sciences, NUI Galway and co-organiser of the event, said: “The challenge is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing tech games to raise awareness of marine issues like the need to protect cold-water coral reefs, how we can begin to address the scourge of micro-plastics, and how we can maintain healthy oceans and seas, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.” “There was a surge of interest with 32 entrants from Galway alone, revealing a strong and enthusiastic coding community, which is particularly relevant from an informal learning perspective, considering the recent Digital Strategy for Schools, 2015-2020 and its promotion of coding and programming at both primary and secondary level”, said Dr Veronica McCauley from NUI Galway’s School of Education and co-organiser of the event. The game design was reviewed by a panel of experts including Alan Duggan of Tribalcity.com, Gavin Duffy, RealSim Ltd., and Triona Mac Giolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategy, and judged on ‘best concept’ and ‘ease of use’.  Brendan Smith, Education Outreach Officer at INSIGHT, NUI Galway and Co-Founder of Coderdojo Galway, said: “The aesthetic and technical merit of the project submissions has been highly commended by the judges. And as such, we are delighted to hear that one of the winning games will be included within a soon to be published iBook about cold water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools.” Irish Finalist games are available online at https://scratch.mit.edu/search/projects?q=seachange. Other marine related resources are available on the project website at www.seachangeproject.eu. -Ends-

CAO Points Increase Significantly for Commerce, Science and Health Sciences at NUI Galway The continuing popularity of NUI Galway was reflected by CAO offers issued today, with the vast majority of courses maintaining or increasing points from 2015. Across all five colleges, points have risen. Commerce (Global Experience), Biomedical Science, Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy, all require 500 points or more for entry. Arts (Psychology), Commerce (International) with French, with German and with Spanish, Commerce (Accounting), Financial Mathematics and Economics, and Mathematical Science, all finish in the high 400s. NUI Galway’s Admissions Officer, Stephen O’Dea, said: “For the fourth year running, NUI Galway’s courses in Commerce have seen a steady increase in their points indicating a continued growth in interest in these areas. International Commerce programmes continue to be a popular choice for students with a global outlook and the strong performance of the new Commerce (Global Experience) confirms this. NUI Galway’s strength and reputation in Biosciences is also reflected with Biomedical Science continuing to perform well (530 points) and Biopharmaceutical Chemistry maintaining its 500 points entry requirement. There has been a steady interest in the Financial Mathematics and Economics programme at 485 points. This is reflective of a growing confidence in the national and international economies and financial markets, and growth in employment opportunities therein, both at home and abroad.” This year to assist high-achieving, school leavers from Ireland’s newest communities, such as refugees, to achieve their third-level goals with NUI Galway a new national pilot scheme have been put in place. Four students will be offered places as part of NUI Galway’s new merit-based Inclusive Centenaries Scholarship Scheme. Students have until Friday, 2 September to apply and can visit www.nuigalway.ie/scholarships for details. Stephen concluded: “Incoming students will be well placed to benefit from NUI Galway’s significant and ongoing capital investment programme and its fostering of innovation, entrepreneurship and research. NUI Galway is a diverse community and this year we are delighted to provide scholarship support to benefit members of Ireland’s newest communities to help to realise their full potential.”   With NUI Galway anticipating an intake of over 3,000 new students in September, a hotline is in place for students, parents and teachers. The First Year Student Hotline number is 091 493999 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ . The hotline will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and on Saturday, 27 August from 9am to 1pm. Courses on the rise: Prospective students have shown particular interest in Commerce programmes, especially those with an international focus, reflecting awareness of the need for language mobility in the global jobs market. NUI Galway’s three International Commerce programmes (French German, and Spanish) all reached 480 points and NUI Galway’s new programme Commerce (Global Experience) is particularly popular, opening with a points requirement of 500. For the first year, Shannon College of Hotel Management’s course offerings fall within NUI Galway’s programme portfolio, with both Business Studies in International Hotel Management and Commerce in International Hotel Management showing points increases. Biomedical Engineering reached 500 points for the first time. Computer Science and Information Technology remains popular, maintaining its 2015 points requirement of 425, as do Business Information Systems (430 points) and Commerce (Accounting) (460 points). The popularity of NUI Galway’s two Law programmes continues with Corporate Law ending on 385 points and Civil Law on 435 points. Demand for Science courses has increased, with entry to Bachelor of Science Programme up 10 points to 400. Recognising NUI Galway’s national and international leadership in Biosciences, Biomedical Science remains at 530 point, the University’s second highest points programme. Biopharmaceutical Chemistry remains at 500 points, while Biotechnology finished at 440. Entry onto the medical programme requires 723 points (including HPAT), the same as 2015, and General Nursing finished at 445, Psychiatric Nursing at 415 and Midwifery at 440. Both of NUI Galway’s Therapy programmes, Occupational and Speech and Language finished at 530 points. In Arts, NUI Galway’s popular Creative Writing degree continues to attract a great deal of interest with the points increasing by 20 to 445. Arts (Mathematics and Education) has increased in demand with a 25 point rise to 435 and NUI Galway’s new Arts Degree (Children’s Studies) opens at 350 points. -Ends- An-éileamh ar OÉ Gaillimh arís agus tairiscintí an CAO ag teacht amach  Ardú mór ar Phointí an do chúrsaí Tráchtála, Eolaíochta agus Eolaíochtaí Sláinte OÉ Gaillimh Ba léir ó na tairiscintí a rinne an CAO inniu go bhfuil an-éileamh ar OÉ Gaillimh arís i mbliana. Tá líon na bpointí atá de dhíth ar fhormhór mór na gcúrsaí gan athrú nó ardaithe ó 2015. D'ardaigh líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil chun cúrsaí a dhéanamh i gcúig choláiste na hOllscoile. Tá 500 pointe nó níos mó ag teastáil chun áit a fháil sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta), an Eolaíocht Bhithleighis, an Cheimic Bhithchógaisíochta, an Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis, an Teiripe Shaothair agus an Teiripe Urlabhra agus Teanga. Tá níos mó ná 400 pointe ag teastáil i gcás cúrsaí sna Dána (an tSíceolaíocht), an Tráchtáil (Idirnáisiúnta) le Fraincis, Gearmáinis nó Spáinnis, an Tráchtáil (Cuntasaíocht), Matamaitic an Airgeadais agus Eacnamaíocht agus Eolaíochtaí Matamaiticiúla. Tabharfaidh OÉ Gaillimh áit do cheathrar mac léinn mar chuid den Scéim nua Scoláireachtaí Uileghabhálacha Comórtha Céad Bliain a bhronnfar ar bhonn fiúntais i mbliana. Cabhróidh an scéim phíolótach náisiúnta seo le daoine sárchumasacha atá ag fágáil na meánscoile agus arb as nua-phobail na hÉireann iad (teifigh, mar shampla) oideachas tríú leibhéal a bhaint amach in OÉ Gaillimh. Beidh go dtí Dé hAoine, an 2 Meán Fómhair ag mic léinn chun iarratas a dhéanamh agus tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ag www.nuigalway.ie/scholarships. Dúirt Oifigeach Iontrála OÉ Gaillimh, Stephen O’Dea: “Siod é an ceathrú bliain as a chéile a tháinig ardú ar líon na bpointí atá de dhíth chun cúrsaí Tráchtála a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil an tsuim sna cúrsaí seo ag méadú léi. Is iomaí mac léinn a bhfuil spéis acu ina bhfuil ag tarlú sa domhan mór a roghnaíonn an cúrsa Tráchtála Idirnáisiúnta agus léiríonn an chaoi ar éirigh leis an gcúrsa nua sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta) sin. Léiríonn an t-ardú ar na pointí don chlár Innealtóireachta Neamhainmnithe i mbliana go dtuigeann mic léinn an fiúntas atá le céim Innealtóireachta a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh, go háirithe i bhfianaise mhargadh iomaíoch fostaíochta an lae inniu. Is léiriú ar láidreacht agus ar cháil OÉ Gaillimh san eolaíocht bhitheach an tóir atá i gcónaí ar an Eolaíocht Bhithleighis (530 pointe) agus ar an gCeimic Bhithchógaisíochta (500 pointe). Tá suim á cur sa chúrsa Matamaitic an Airgeadais agus Eacnamaíocht go leanúnach agus tá 485 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an gcúrsa. Léiríonn sé seo go bhfuil an muinín atá ag daoine sa gheilleagar náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta agus as na margaí airgeadais ag fás agus go bhfuiltear ag súil go mbeidh deiseanna fostaíochta sna réimsí sin in Éirinn agus thar sáile." Mar fhocal scoir, bhí an méid seo le rá aige: Bainfidh mic léinn tairbhe as an gclár suntasach leanúnach infheistíochta caipitil in OÉ Gaillimh a chuireann ar chumas na foirne agus na mac léinn aghaidh a thabhairt ar nuálaíocht, ar fhiontraíocht agus ar thaighde. Is pobal ilghnéitheach in OÉ Gaillimh agus tá áthas orainn scoláireachtaí a chur ar fáil i mbliana chun cabhrú le baill phobail nua na hÉireann chun barr a gcumais a bhaint amach."  Tá OÉ Gaillimh ag súil go mbeidh 3,000 mac léinn nua ag teacht chuici i Mí Mheán Fómhair agus tá beolíne ar fáil do mhic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí. Is í uimhir Bheolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana 091 493999 nó téigh chuig http://www.nuigalway.ie/new-students/. Beidh an bheolíne ar fáil ó Luan go hAoine, ó 9am go dtí 6pm agus ar an Satharn, an 27 Lúnasa, ó 9am go dtí 1pm. Cúrsaí a bhfuil borradh ag teacht fúthu: Léirigh mic léinn nua suim ar leith sna cláir Tráchtála, go háirithe na cláir a bhfuil gné idirnáisiúnta ag baint leo, rud a thaispeánann go dtuigeann an pobal mór an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an ilteangachas sa mhargadh domhanda fostaíochta. Bhain na Cláir Tráchtála Idirnáisiúnta (Fraincis, Gearmáinis agus Spáinnis) a chuireann OÉ Gaillimh ar fáil 480 pointe amach agus bhí an-tóir ar an gclár nua sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta) agus tá 500 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil air. Tá cúrsaí Choláiste Ósta na Sionna i measc na gcúrsaí atá luaite le OÉ Gaillimh den chéad uair i mbliana agus tháinig ardú ar líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil don Staidéar Gnó sa Bhainistíocht Óstáin Idirnáisiúnta agus don Tráchtáil sa Bhainistíocht Óstáin Idirnáisiúnta. D'ardaigh líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil chun áit a fháil ar an gcúrsa Innealtóireachta Neamhainmnithe go 445 i mbliana, rud a léiríonn an tsuim atá ag daoine ar fud na tíre sa réimse seo agus bhain an Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis 500 pointe amach den chéad uair riamh. Tá éileamh ar an Eolaíocht Ríomhaireachta agus  Teicneolaíocht na Faisnéise go fóill agus tá 425 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar na cúrsaí sin agus is amhlaidh atá sé do Chórais Faisnéise Gnó (430 pointe) agus don Tráchtáil (Cuntasaíocht) (460 pointe). Tá an-tóir ar chláir Dlí OÉ Gaillimh agus tá 385 pointe de dhíth chun an Dlí Corparáideach a dhéanamh agus 435 i gcás an Dlí Shibhialta. Mhéadaigh an t-éileamh ar chúrsaí Eolaíochta agus tá 400 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil orthu, méadú 10 bpointe. Ní haon ionadh gurb é an cúrsa Eolaíochta Bithleighis an dara cúrsa is mó a bhfuil pointí ag dul leis (530 pointe) toisc go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh go mór chun cinn i réimse na nEolaíochtaí Bitheacha go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Tá 500 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil sa Cheimic Bhithchógaisíochta agus 440 i gcás na Biteicneolaíochta. Tá 723 pointe (HPAT san áireamh) ag teastáil chun áit a fháil ar an gclár Leighis, mar a bhí in 2015, agus 445 de dhíth chun an tAltranas Ginearálta a dhéanamh, 415 don Altranas Síciatrach agus 440 don Chnáimhseachas. Tá 530 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an dá chlár teiripe a chuireann OÉ Gaillimh ar fáil, an Teiripe Shaothair agus an Teiripe Urlabhra agus Teanga. Maidir leis na Dána, cuireadh an-suim sa chéim sa Scríbhneoireacht Cruthaitheach. Tháinig ardú 20 pointe air agus 445 de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an gclár.  Tháinig ardú 25 pointe ar an gcúrsa sna Dána (Matamaitic agus Oideachas) agus tá 435 ag teastáil chun áit a fháil air agus tá 350 pointe de dhíth i gcás na céime nua sna Dána (Staidéar Leanaí). -Críoch-

NUI Galway recently hosted the second International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector (LivestockWaste2016). The conference provided a forum for researchers and industry representatives to present, discuss and develop their innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and recovering resources. Sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, Engineers Ireland, Teagasc, NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute and Fáilte Ireland, the conference also facilitated the introduction of many innovative international solutions to representatives of the Irish livestock sector and engineering industry with the aim of improving practices in Ireland. Professor Xinmin Zhan, Chair of LivestockWaste2016 and Professor with NUI Galway’s Civil Engineering, said: “In recent years, economic development, population growth and demand for a better quality of living have resulted in the growth of the livestock sector. As a by-product of the sectors activities, a large volume of waste is generated making the livestock sector one of the largest agricultural pollution sources in most developing and developed countries. In addition to the waste generated, the livestock sector is a major contributor to climate change as a result of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rumen animals, on-farm activities and animal waste management. In order to alleviate the pollution from the sector, innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and emissions are being developed worldwide.” Over the three days international renowned experts delivered keynote speeches on a number of critical topics relating to waste management within the Livestock sector including: Professor Kornelia Smalla, The Julius Kühn Institute, Germany; Dr Karl Richards, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle; Professor Han-Qing Yu, University of Science and Technology of China; Dr Jerry Murphy, University College Cork; Professor Xia Huang, Tsinghua University, China; and Professor Dave Chadwick, Bangor University in Wales. In addition, the international conference delegates delivered, both, oral and poster presentations, over the three days. These presentation were grouped under a number of thematic areas, including but limited to: pollution policies and regulations for the livestock sector; emerging contaminants in livestock waste streams; technologies for waste prevention; anaerobic digestion and composting; pollution control technologies; Greenhouse Gas emissions; technologies for nutrient recovery; and other relative technologies. The Environmental Engineering Research Group in Civil Engineering has been very active in carrying out research and practice in environmentally sustainable agricultural waste management. Professor Xinmin Zhan, who chaired the LivestockWaste2016 conference, is leading the GreenFarm project funded by SFI. The project explores the technical and financial feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion plants on Irish pig farms, and the DairyWater project investigating measures to increase the environmental sustainability of the Irish dairy processing industry. -Ends-

Highlighting the important partnership between NUI Galway and Tsinghua University, a concert took place on campus this week, with Dr Yue Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, as special guest. The lunchtime event, attended by over 200 guests, featured the Tsinghua University Symphony Orchestra and visiting students from the University. Fresh from a performance in the Black Box over the weekend, the students danced and performed in traditional dress. One of Asia’s leading universities, Tsinghua University has a longstanding tradition of co-operation in teaching and research with NUI Galway. This was formalised in December 2014 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding witnessed by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and President of China, Xi Jinping, both alumni of NUI Galway and Tsinghua respectively. The concert coincided with the visit by Tsinghua Vice-Chancellor SHI Zongkai, Vice Chairperson of University Council, who was on campus for a series of strategic meetings with NUI Galway administrators and academics, including University President, Dr Jim Browne. This annual meeting, known as Tsinghua-NUI Galway Day is now a feature of the collaboration and sees senior academics from both institutions briefing each other on research developments and planning their programme of collaboration. Dr Browne commented: “It was a great honour to welcome our colleagues from Tsinghua University in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Yue. Our strong ties with a range of Chinese universities greatly benefit and support research collaborations, as well as student and academic exchanges. NUI Galway also has a growing network of graduates in China and this plays an important role in reinforcing our research links with some of China’s leading universities, including Tsinghua, Beijing Institute of Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology.” NUI Galway has academic exchange and collaborations with 30 institutions throughout China and Hong Kong. “I look forward to visiting the China Education Expo as part of a national delegation with Richard Bruton, TD Minister for Education and Skills in October of this year”, added Dr Browne. The China Education Expo has become one of them most prominent education fairs in China, attracting a substantial number of top international education providers, as well as a significant volume of student visitors. This year Ireland will be awarded the prestigious role of ‘Country of Honour’ for the event. Meanwhile, hundreds of Chinese delegates from some of the most well-known research institutions and universities were at NUI Galway for a joint international conference on environment, health and geographical information science. ISEH 2016, ISEG 2016 and GeoInformatics 2016 run until the 20 August, more information is available at www.conference.ie -ends-

From Shakespeare to Harry Potter NUI Galway will host the 13th conference of the European Society for the Study of English (ESSE) from 22-26 August. This event will bring over 800 scholars to Galway, from almost every country in Europe, as well as north and south America, the Middle East, China, Australia, and elsewhere. ESSE is a scholarly organisation dedicated to the study of English language, literature and cultural studies. This is the first time that it has been held in Ireland and is one of the largest conferences in the humanities in Europe. The event includes over 80 seminars on a huge range of topics. Great literary figures such as Shakespeare and Charles Dickens feature, but there are also seminars on more recent literary creations such as Harry Potter. Seminars also cover a wide range of subjects, including religious writing, young adult fiction, crime writing, romantic poetry, and much more. Papers in the area of linguistics focus on such topics as special education, the influence of English on European languages, and business terminology. There are also papers on contemporary film and television, ranging from such movies as The Piano to the TV show Penny Dreadful. The three keynote speakers are Emma Smith from Oxford, who will speak about Shakespeare’s first folio; Paul Baker from Lancaster, who will speak about the differences between British and American English; and the Irish writer Colm Tóibín, who will speak on the topic of violence in the works of Yeats and Joyce. Other special events include an exhibition on Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh, hosted by NUI Galway’s James Hardiman Library; an evening of Sean-Nós Song and Dance; a reading by Mike McCormack and Mary O’Malley; and a Druid Academy public interview with Irish draamatists Stacey Gregg, Sonya Kelly, Amy Conroy and Meadhbh McHugh. The conference is organised by Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway, Patrick Lonergan: “Bringing ESSE to Galway is a huge privilege. It allows us to make connections all across Europe and the wider world – something that our students and staff can only benefit from. With the news that Galway will be European Capital of Culture in 2020, this event gives us a great opportunity to present ourselves to a European audience and to showcase Galway’s excellence in the areas of education, culture and hospitality.” As a subject English is one of NUI Galway’s highest ranked, being placed in the Top 200 QS World University Rankings. The ESSE event also showcases the University’s excellence in other areas: its major theatre archive holdings, as well as its programmes in such areas as Creative Writing, Literature and Publishing, Theatre Practice and Production, Irish Studies, and more. Further details on the conference website: www.esse2016.org/. -Ends- 

Scientists at NUI Galway have put a call out to people from every county in Ireland to keep an eye out for native Irish bees this summer. Beekeepers and bee-enthusiasts in particular are being asked to report any feral or unmanaged hives in their area. The team of scientists, with help from watchful members of the public, have already found more than twenty feral Irish Honey Bee hives, inlcuding one in the statue of a lion on the estate of Mote Park, Roscommon. Reports have also been received from reliable sources pointing to long-term presence of ‘wild’ hives in seven additional counties. Of particular interest at this stage are old abandoned houses and castles, outbuildings, residential houses, and woodlands. The overall aim of the project is to settle the debate as to whether there truly remain any indigenous Irish Honey Bees - Apis Mellifera Mellifera - persisting in the wild. If they do exist, then their gene pool may well prove important in the fight against the varroa mite which is destroying hives all over the world. This mite seriously affects honey bee health to such an extent that most beekeepers have to chemically treat bees multiple times per year. Professor Grace McCormack, of NUI Galway’s Zoology Department, is leading the project which has been funded by The Eva Crane Trust: “When disease wiped out swathes of native Irish Honey Bee colonies in the past, foreign subspecies of honeybees were knowingly imported as a proposed solution to bolster numbers. Due to generations of interaction with escapees of domesticated colonies, fears are that the Irish Honey Bee populations currently found in the wild are introgressed (mixed) with non-native subspecies and hybrid strains of French, Dutch, Italian and Russian extraction.” By locating and monitoring active colonies in isolated and unmanaged hives, the scientists hope to test two assumptions held by many. Firstly, that honeybees cannot persist in the wild, so those that are supposedly found are new colonies that have swarmed from nearby beekeepers each year. Secondly, that colonies found in the wild are hybrids and not native bees. “To test these assumptions, ideally we would like to identify hives that people know have been continually active for periods of more than two-three years”, added Professor McCormack. When wild hives are found, the morphology, genotype, and health of the bees are recorded. The genotype will be used to identify if bees are native Irish honeybees and if the same genotype persists over multiple years. Of particular interest are pure Apis mellifera mellifera with unique Irish genotypes that remain healthy despite no chemical intervention. Members of the public who think they know of a ‘wild’ hive or would like to know more about the project can email nuigbeeresearch@gmail.com,  call 091 494490 or visit the Bee Genes Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Bee-Genes-761379923978769/?fref=ts  -ends-

NUI Galway will once again open its dedicated First Year Student Hotline on Wednesday, 17 August. The hotline will be open to students and their parents/guardians and will run until Friday, 30 September, 2016. With NUI Galway anticipating an intake of over 3,000 new students in September, a team of specially-trained staff and students will be on hand to answer any questions students and parents may have. The hotline will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and on Saturday 20 and 27 August from 9am to 1pm. The availability of these services coincides with the period of frantic activity and decision making that immediately follows the release of the Leaving Certificate results. The team will be on hand to deal with numerous issues that are of concern to incoming first year students, such as: points requirements for courses; first round offers; registering as a student of the University; start dates; fees and accommodation options. Tara Leydon, Academic Records and Registration Officer at NUI Galway, says: “The next few weeks is a very exciting time for all Leaving Certificate students as the culmination of years’ of hard work come to fruition. The next step for many is the transition into third-level education which is a significant milestone, not only for the students themselves, but also for their families, and we at NUI Galway understand the impact of this change, especially for those entering into university for the first time. In order to help those who are deciding to embark upon a university degree programme, we will provide support, information and guidance through our First-Year Student Hotline, to answer any questions that individuals might have about any aspect of university life. We invite all students, parents and advisors to avail of this service to make the passage to NUI Galway as smooth as possible.” Students, parents and advisers can contact the First Year Student Hotline at 091 493999 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ for up to date information. -Ends- Beolíne ar fáil do Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana in OÉ Gaillimh  Beidh Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar fáil arís i mbliana in OÉ Gaillimh ó Dé Céadaoin, an 17 Lúnasa ar aghaidh. Beidh mic léinn agus a dtuismitheoirí/a gcaomhnóirí in ann glaoch ar an mbeolíne go dtí Dé hAoine, an 30 Meán Fómhair 2016. Beidh os cionn 3,000 mac léinn nua ag tosú in OÉ Gaillimh i mí Mheán Fómhair agus beidh foireann oilte comhaltaí foirne agus mac léinn ar fáil chun ceist ar bith a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ag na mic léinn nó ag a dtuismitheoirí a fhreagairt. Beidh an bheolíne ar fáil ó Luan go hAoine, ó 9am go dtí 6pm agus dhá Shatharn, an 20 Lúnasa, agus an 27 Lúnasa, ó 9am go dtí 6pm.  Beidh na seirbhísí seo ar fáil sa tréimhse chorraitheach sin ina mbíonn ar dhaltaí cinneadh a dhéanamh i ndiaidh dóibh torthaí na hArdteistiméireachta a fháil. Beidh an fhoireann ar fáil chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar cheisteanna a bheas ag déanamh imní do mhic léinn na chéad bliana, lena n-áirítear: na pointí a bheas riachtanach do chúrsaí ar leith; an chéad bhabhta tairiscintí; clárú mar mhac léinn san Ollscoil; dátaí tosaithe; táillí agus roghanna lóistín. Seo a leanas an méid a bhí le rá ag Tara Leydon, Oifigeach na dTaifead Acadúil agus Clárúcháin, OÉ Gaillimh, faoin mbeolíne: "Tá athrú mór saoil i ndán do dhaltaí na hArdteistiméireachta agus beidh toradh a saothair acu anois i ndiaidh blianta a chaitheamh ag oibriú go crua. Is é an chéad chéim eile don chuid is mó acu an t-athrú ón dara leibhéal go dtí an tríú leibhéal. Is athrú mór é seo, ní hamháin dóibh féin ach dá dteaghlaigh chomh maith agus is maith a thuigimidne in OÉ Gaillimh an tionchar a bhíonn aige seo orthu, agus go háirithe orthu siúd atá ag tabhairt faoin ollscoil den chéad uair riamh. Chun cabhrú leo siúd a bheas ag tabhairt faoi chéim ollscoile, cuirfimid tacaíocht, eolas agus treoir ar fáil trí Bheolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bliana, agus freagróimid aon cheist a bheas acu faoi shaol na hOllscoile. Tá fáilte roimh mhic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus a lucht comhairlithe úsáid a bhaint as an tseirbhís chun cuidiú leis an aistear chuig OÉ Gaillimh.” Féadfaidh mic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus lucht comhairlithe teagmháil a dhéanamh le Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar 091 493999 nó dul go dtí http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ chun an t-eolas is deireanaí a fháil. -Críoch-

NUI Galway has successfully completed the first year of a new intern junior mentoring programme, iJuMP. The mentoring programme was introduced by the West Northwest (WNW) Intern Training Network into the University’s School of Medicine in September 2015. iJuMP aims to establish a peer teaching experience delivered by interns to final-year medical students to improve preparedness for clinical practice. The development of skills such as leadership, coaching and teaching to the interns was also an objective of the programme. Dr Dara Byrne, senior lecturer in medical education and simulation at NUI Galway and intern coordinator WNW, said: “The peer teachers are neither professional educators nor experts. Essentially, they teach their peers or juniors whilst they themselves continue to learn by designing and delivering teaching sessions to small groups, act as mentors and give ward-based tutorials to improve awareness around intern training posts and the role of the intern. iJuMP programme has been hugely successful and beneficial to both interns and students and something that the interns should be very proud of.” The iJuMP interns were selected and attended a two day ‘teach the teacher’ course designed for medical professionals, facilitated by Oxford Medical Training. Clincial tutorials were delivered over both semesters and were supported by two meet and ‘greet the intern’ evenings called ‘Your Event Your Future’. Funding for the programme came from the Health Service Executive’s National Doctors Training and Planning Development Funding Programme. To view testimonials from the interns visit https://vimeo.com/177832547.  -Ends-

NUI Galway will host the Sixth Annual Tudor and Stuart Ireland Interdisciplinary Conference from 19-20 August in the Moore Institute, Hardiman Research Building. This year’s programme will feature a selection of plenary speakers including Professor Mary O’Dowd of Queen’s University Belfast, and Professor Andrew Hadfield from University of Sussex, as well as a special panel session ‘Shakespeare and Ireland ‘ and a session in honour of Professor Steven Ellis from NUI Galway’s Discipline of History. The programme also boasts thirty-six research papers across both days of the conference. Co-Organiser Dr Bronagh McShane, Postdoctoral Researcher with NUI Galway’s Moore Institute, said: “The Tudor and Stuart Ireland Interdisciplinary Conference annually welcomes established academics, early stage and independent researchers, as well as postgraduates from Ireland and beyond to present their research in a genuinely collegial environment.”  For more information visit https://tudorstuartireland.com/ or follow on Twitter @TudorStuartIre. -Ends-

‘Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Health Research in Horizon 2020’ NUI Galway will host the Irish Research Council Interdisciplinary Research Workshop for Health on Friday, 16 September, in the Aula Maxima. The workshop aims to facilitate the creation of long-term interdisciplinary networks for health‐related research, with the target of securing European funding under the upcoming Horizon 2020 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing Work Programme (2016/2017). The workshop, ‘Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Health Research in Horizon 2020’, is open to those working in health-related research, including academics, researchers, industry, health service providers, and NGOs. Dr Molly Byrne, Director of NUI Galway’s Health Behaviour Change Research Group, School of Psychology, and coordinator of workshop explains: “One of Ireland’s key industrial strengths is in the Med-Tech Sector. With 13 of the world’s top 15 medical device companies based in Ireland, employing over 25,000 people, the economic and societal value of this sector cannot be overstated. Much of this success has been achieved through close collaboration with Irish academic research institutions, bridging the inter-sectoral gap between industry and academia. However, interdisciplinary gaps within health research in Ireland still exist, and with changes to the funding landscape, truly interdisciplinary research is vital to success.” The workshop will: Highlight areas of strengths across the disciplinary divide Identify opportunities to enhance health-related research through interdisciplinary collaboration Facilitate network creation with the aim of developing detailed plans for collaborative submissions to the upcoming Horizon 2020 Health calls in the area of Personalised Medicine One of the experts speaking at the workshop is Dr Adamantios Koumpis of the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Passau, Germany. Dr Koumpis was a Research Fellow at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, NUI Galway with responsibilities for fundraising, research strategy design and development of synergies with European industry for new projects design. He has successfully led over 50 commercial and research projects for new technology development, technology adoption and user uptake, at national and European level. Also speaking is Professor Sally Wyke, Deputy Director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and Associate of the School of Medicine at the University of Glasgow. Professor Wyke’s research is focused on helping people manage and maintain their health, reduce risk of ill health and manage their symptoms and illnesses. She currently leads an EU FP7 project (2013-2018): EUROFIT: Social innovation to improve physical activity and sedentary behaviour through elite European football clubs – European Fans in Training. For further information or to register for the workshop visit www.conference.ie, or contact Valerie Parker, Health Behaviour Change Research Group, NUI Galway at valerie.parker@nuigalway.ie or 091 49 4454. -Ends-

The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway has announced details of a special entrance maths examination to give students a second chance to pursue a career in engineering. The exam, which takes place on Wednesday, 24 August, is for students who achieve the CAO points for an undergraduate engineering degree course at NUI Galway but who have not met the obligatory maths requirement. NUI Galway will also hold an intensive preparatory course for applicants intending to sit the exam. This free course will run from 18-24 August. For more than 20 years NUI Galway has provided this special entrance exam to help applicants who did not achieve the required grade C3 or better in higher level mathematics. Those who took lower level maths in the Leaving Cert may also apply for the exam. Students who pass this examination will be deemed to have satisfied the maths requirement and, providing they have the necessary points, will receive an additional CAO offer at Round Two. From 18-24 August, in addition to preparing students for the special entrance examination, lecturers will demonstrate the relevance and application of mathematics to engineering. The aim of the preparatory course is to bridge the gap between the Leaving Certificate lower level and that required to be successful in the entrance exam. This will be achieved by tackling a variety of problems of increasing difficulty. Learning how to approach a problem and apply the knowledge available will be emphasised. Professor Gerry Lyons, Dean of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, said: “The nature of engineering programmes is that they are focused on the development of analytical and problem solving skills, and thus require significant use of mathematics and applied mathematics. Every year we see a number of promising students who perform poorly on the day of the Leaving Cert exam. Our Special Entrance Maths Examination provides these students with a second opportunity to demonstrate that they have reached the necessary standard in maths. Over the years, we have had some exceptionally talented students graduate and pursue successful careers in engineering because they were given the second chance which this exam represents.” NUI Galway offers students an undenominated entry to engineering. This course is specifically designed for students who are interested in becoming an engineer, but uncertain as to which field they want to specialise in. This course offers students the option of studying engineering in a general way for one year before going on to specialise in their chosen field in year two. To apply for the special maths exam please visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathsexamination/. Those interested in the revision maths course should visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathspreparatorycourse/ for further details. -Ends- Seans Eile á thabhairt ag OÉ Gaillimh do Mhic Léinn na hArdteistiméireachta trí Scrúdú Speisialta Matamaitice a Reáchtáil Tá Coláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh i ndiaidh sonraí a chur ar fáil faoi scrúdú speisialta iontrála matamaitice, scrúdú a thugann seans eile do mhic léinn tabhairt faoi ghairm na hinnealtóireachta. Beidh an scrúdú ar siúl Dé Céadaoin, an 24 Lúnasa, agus tá sé dírithe ar mhic léinn a bhaineann na pointí cuí don CAO amach chun cúrsa céime san innealtóireacht a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh ach nach bhfuil an marc riachtanach acu sa mhatamaitic. Chomh maith leis sin, beidh dianchúrsa ullmhúcháin ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh roimh ré dóibh siúd ar mian leo an scrúdú a dhéanamh. Beidh an cúrsa saor in aisce seo ar siúl ón 18-24 Lúnasa. Le breis agus scór bliain anuas, tá an scrúdú speisialta iontrála seo á reáchtáil ag OÉ Gaillimh chun cabhrú le hiarratasóirí nár éirigh leo an grád riachtanach C3 nó os a chionn a bhaint amach sa pháipéar matamaitice ardleibhéil. Féadfaidh daoine nach ndearna ardleibhéal matamaitice san Ardteistiméireacht cur isteach ar an scrúdú chomh maith. Má fhaigheann mac léinn pas sa scrúdú seo beidh an riachtanas matamaitice sásaithe aige/aici agus gheobhaidh sé/sí tairiscint eile ón CAO i mBabhta 2, chomh fada is go bhfuil na pointí riachtanacha aige/aici. Ní hamháin go n-ullmhófar daltaí don scrúdú speisialta iontrála idir 18-24 Lúnasa, ach léireoidh léachtóirí an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an matamaitic san innealtóireacht agus an úsáid is féidir a bhaint aisti. Is é an aidhm atá leis an gcúrsa ullmhúcháin seo cur lena mbíonn foghlamtha ag daltaí ag an ngnáthleibhéal san Ardteistiméireacht, le go n-éireoidh leo sa scrúdú iontrála matamaitice. Cuirfear é seo i gcrích trí dhul i ngleic le fadhbanna éagsúla ag leibhéil éagsúla deacrachta. Cuirfear béim ar an gcaoi le tabhairt faoi fhadhb agus ar an gcaoi a gcuirfear an t-eolas atá ar fáil i bhfeidhm. Dúirt an tOllamh Gerry Lyons, Déan na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh: “Is é mianach na gclár innealtóireachta go bhfuil siad dírithe ar fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar scileanna anailíseacha agus ar scileanna chun fadhbanna a réiteach, agus dá bhrí sin caithfear úsáid shuntasach a bhaint as matamaitic agus as matamaitic fheidhmeach. Gach bliain feicimid daltaí cumasacha nach ndéanann chomh maith agus a d’fhéadfaidís ar lá an scrúdaithe Ardteiste. Tugann an Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála Matamaitice deis eile do na daltaí seo léiriú go bhfuil an caighdeán riachtanach sa mhatamaitic bainte amach acu. Thar na blianta, d’éirigh le roinnt mac léinn a raibh cumas eisceachtúil iontu, céim a bhaint amach agus dul sa tóir ar shlí bheatha dóibh féin san innealtóireacht mar go bhfuair siad an dara deis leis an scrúdú speisialta iontrála seo.” Tá cúrsa neamhainmnithe san innealtóireacht ar tairiscint do mhic léinn in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá an cúrsa seo dírithe go háirithe ar mhic léinn a bhfuil suim acu a bheith ina n-innealtóirí ach nach bhfuil cinnte cén réimse ar mhaith leo díriú air. Tugann an cúrsa seo deis do mhic léinn staidéar ginearálta a dhéanamh ar an innealtóireacht ar feadh bliana sula roghnaíonn siad a réimse speisialtóireachta i mbliain a dó. Chun iarratas a dhéanamh ar an scrúdú speisialta matamaitice téigh chuig:  http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathsexamination/. Ba chóir do dhaoine ar spéis leo an cúrsa ullmhúcháin a dhéanamh dul chuig http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathspreparatorycourse/ chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil. -Críoch-

 Minister Mitchell-O’Connor announces research investment of €40 million in total Science Foundation Ireland investment will support world-class research in key priority areas for Ireland NUI Galway-led research projects received almost €4.4 million in funding today in an announcement by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell-O’Connor TD. Three projects from the University were funded and they will investigate: the use of cell therapy for diabetic complications; the therapeutic potential of compounds from sponges and corals; and more efficient energy production. In total nearly €40 million was given nationally to 24 major research projects distributed via Science Foundation Ireland’s Investigators Programme through a funding stream provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. With awards ranging from €500,000 to €2.7 million over four to five year periods, projects funded by the Investigators Programme will support over 200 researchers. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: “This funding provides an important platform for researchers to advance their investigations and further enhance Ireland’s reputation for excellence in sectors such as health, agriculture, marine, energy and technology. Engaging with 39 companies, the programme offers researchers the opportunity to develop their careers, as well as providing industry collaborators with access to the wealth of outstanding expertise and infrastructure found throughout the island. The alignment of the Investigators Programme with Horizon 2020, the European Union’s research funding programme, will lead to further successes in leveraging EU resources and increasing international collaboration. The projects within this programme clearly demonstrate excellent and impactful research which is a key goal of the Government’s science and innovation strategy – Innovation 2020.” NUI Galway projects According to NUI Galway’s Vice-President for Research, Professor Lokesh Joshi: ‘Research aimed at harnessing the therapeutic potential of novel natural products from deep-sea marine organisms, enhancing energy efficiency, and reducing the likelihood of amputation in diabetic patients is highly relevant to many of the challenges we face and will undoubtedly yield significant societal and economic benefits. I congratulate all involved in these projects; their success in the SFI Investigators Programme is reflective of the scientific excellence and relevance of on-going innovative research at NUI Galway.” Exploiting and conserving deep-sea genetic resources NUI Galway’s Dr Louise Allcock and Professor Mark Johnson, in partnership with the Marine Institute, are undertaking a €1.9 million project. The team aim to elucidate unique chemical compounds from two groups of marine organisms, sponges and corals, from the deep-sea – where extreme environmental conditions seem to promote the evolution of novel compounds. They will extract compounds and use techniques to purify them and examine their structure and biological assays to determine their pharmacological potential. To increase the efficiency of future sampling, mathematical modeling techniques will be used to produce maps predicting areas in Irish waters with the greatest biodiscovery potential. This will maximize the economic impact of future biodiscovery work. Combustion Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Utilization NUI Galway’s Professor Henry Curran was awarded €1.9 million to focus on understanding, at a molecular level, how fuel burns in combustors. This will enhance the efficient utilisation of energy and develop sustainable energy sources in order to comply with economic, environmental, and strategic imperatives. Professor Curran explains: “We will combine experimental chemical combustion studies with detailed computer models to develop accurate chemical kinetic models, leading to the identification of optimal conditions for combustion efficiency with minimal emissions. We will study the combustion of conventional fuels by considering some key gasoline and diesel components in addition to some novel biofuels to be used in gas turbines for energy production.” Combinatoral Cell Therapy For Diabetes-Related Critical Limb Ischaemia NUI Galway’s Professor Tim O’Brien, who is Director of REMEDI and Co-Director of CÚRAM, the SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, was awarded over €700,000 for a cell therapy project. His team believes that a diabetic blood vessel complication critical limb ischaemia (CLI), a condition where blood flow to the lower extremity is impaired to the extent of threatening viability, could be treated with cell therapy to regenerate damaged tissues. The aim is to isolate reparative cells, expand and then inject them into sites of blood vessel damage. “Cells from diabetics are known to be defective so we will identify and correct this defect and potentially use patient’s own cells for therapy or in combination with cells from healthy donors”, explains Professor O’Brien. “We aim to provide a pioneering new treatment for CLI personalised to diabetic patients.” Horizon 2020 To drive national success in Horizon 2020, the SFI Investigator Programme involved the collaborative participation of a number of Government Departments and funding agencies. Co-funding for seven of the projects is being provided by the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE), the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the Marine Institute (MI), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland added: “The Science Foundation Ireland Investigators Programme supports the highest standard of impactful research, as clearly demonstrated by the outcomes of previous awards.  I have high expectations for these projects; all have undergone rigorous peer review by international experts and we have funded only those projects deemed to be at the pinnacle of scientific excellence. As well as providing an important platform for engagement in Horizon 2020, the programme also creates training and employment opportunities, promotes industrial collaboration and drives advances in energy, agriculture, science, technology and health which will benefit Ireland’s economy and society.”  Ends  

NUI Galway will welcome over 300 delegates to a joint international conference on environment, health and geographical information science (GIS) from 14-20 August. This is the first year that the International Symposium on Environment and Health (ISEH), International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry (ISEG), and the Geoinformatics Conference have been held together. The joint conference provides an historical opportunity for international experts working in several closely related areas of environment, health, GIS and agriculture, to meet and share the latest understanding of the ever growing challenges between humans and our changing environment. Attending the conference are internationally leading experts in the fields of environment, health, GIS and agriculture with more than 20 keynote speakers, including three members of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Shu Tao from Peking University, Professor Huadong Guo from Chinese Academy of Science and Professor Deren Li from Wuhan University, and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Professor Kirk Smith from University of California Berkeley. Dr Chaosheng Zhang, Director of the newly established International Network for Environment Health at NUI Galway’s School of Geography and Archaeology, and Chair and Founder of the ISEH conference series, said: “This is a top level international conference promoting the new trend of interdisciplinary research. All of the four main topics in this conference are highly relevant to Irish society. Another significant benefit is for the local economy with such a large number of international delegates attending.” The joint conference is organised by NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute Geographical Information Science (GIS) Centre, School of Geography and Archaeology, and International Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Sciences, and is sponsored by NUI Galway, the Environmental Protection Agency, Fáilte Ireland and XOS. -ENDS- 

The conference will also acknowledge outstanding individuals in Civil Engineering The Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2016 (CERI2016) conference will be hosted by NUI Galway from 29-30 August. Organised by the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland (CERAI), the conference aims to nurture early-career researchers and offers opportunities wherever possible to the next generation of leaders in research and industry. A broad range of papers on civil engineering topics have been accepted for the conference including 117 full peer-reviewed technical papers and 5 keynote papers. There will be emphasis on applications, as well as theory, to maintain relevance to both industry and academia. A number of keynote speakers will address plenary sessions including: Professor Enzo Siviero, Principal at Implementation Projects Studio Associato in Italy who will present the Third Joe O’Donovan Memorial Lecture.  Professor Corey Griffin, Associate Professor, School of Architecture at Portland State University, USA. Professor Griffin will deliver a session on ‘Multi-performance retrofits to existing buildings: increasing resiliency and reducing the environmental impact of buildings through simultaneous structural and energy retrofits’.  Dr Annette Harte, Senior Lecturer with NUI Galway who will deliver a lecture on ‘Massive timber - the emergence of a modern construction material’.  Professor W. John McCarter, School of the Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot Watt University in Scotland will present on ‘Performance Monitoring for Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure’. Professor David Frost, Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA will focus on ‘The Evolving Role of Materials in Infrastructure Systems’. CERAI will also acknowledge outstanding individuals in civil engineering in a public forum and will formally present the following awards at the CERI2016 conference banquet: Life time achievement: CERAI will be honouring an individual for outstanding achievements made over a sustained period in the disciplines of engineering. The awardee will be considered based on open nomination and an independent panel of esteemed assessors will adjudicate on the nominees. Young researcher: This award will be made to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to research and practice at an early stage in their careers and are aged under 35 years. An independent panel of esteemed assessors will adjudicate on the nominees. Awards for best research papers and best practice in Engineering. To nominate an individual for one of the awards download the application form at http://www.cerai.net/page/23/awards--bursary/ and email Dr Jamie Goggins at jamie.goggins@nuigalway.ie by Monday, 8 August. For more information and to register for the CERI2016 conference visit http://www.cerai.net/page/57/welcome/ or contact the conference chairperson, Dr Jamie Goggins at jamie.goggins@nuigalway.ie or 091 492609. -Ends-

The Kennedy Summer School, a festival of Irish and American history, culture and politics, will be held in New Ross, Co. Wexford from 8-10 September and will have a distinct NUI Galway flavour in the midst of a hotly contested US presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The summer school’s guest of honour and featured speaker will be a 2008 honorary graduate of NUI Galway, former Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley. Governor O’Malley has strong Galway roots and still has a number of cousins living in Connemara. He will deliver the Edward M. Kennedy Memorial Lecture on Friday, 9 September, entitled ‘Supported by her exiled children: Ireland and America, 1916-2016’. Also speaking will be Larry Donnelly, a Lecturer and Director of Clinical Legal Education in NUI Galway’s School of Law and a regular media contributor on American and Irish politics, current affairs and law. He will give a presentation outlining the Electoral College map and the respective paths to the White House for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, as well as considering what impact the 2016 election will have on American politics in the longer term. Noel Whelan, Director of the Kennedy Summer School, a barrister and a columnist with The Irish Times, said: “This unique presidential election campaign provides an interesting backdrop for an examination of the Kennedy legacy, the American presidency and what might lie ahead in a time of political uncertainty and upheaval across the western world. “We are delighted to welcome Governor O’Malley to New Ross to hear his insights on the extraordinary relationship between our two countries and the current political landscape. We also are happy to have Larry Donnelly again to expand upon some of the analysis of the Clinton vs. Trump matchup he has provided in the media recently. And on Saturday afternoon of the summer school, both will join Tad Devine, chief strategist of Senator Bernie Sanders’ remarkable bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen and others for what we believe will be a fascinating panel discussion on this year’s election.” More information about the Kennedy Summer School is available at www.kennedysummerschool.ie. -Ends-