News Archive

Bank of Ireland today announced a programme of support for the development of Sports Clubs and Societies at NUI Galway. The significant investment from Bank of Ireland will help fund the development of the Clubs and Societies and help improve the overall quality of the student experience at the University. Speaking at the event, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said “I am delighted to announce this exciting partnership with Bank of Ireland which aims to support the development of Sports Clubs and Societies at NUI Galway. Clubs and Societies are central to life at NUI Galway and the University’s excellent facilities offer our students a chance to balance academic study with a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. The new partnership with Bank of Ireland will allow the University’s students to develop their sporting and cultural interests in new and enriching ways. NUI Galway has had a long and beneficial relationship with Bank of Ireland and I am certain that this development will strengthen our relationship even further.” NUI Galway has recently announced a series of Wellness and Mindfulness initiatives aimed at students and staff within the University’s culture and the wider community. As a part of the development programme unveiled today, Bank of Ireland will also be involved in a number of these Wellness and Mindfulness programmes throughout the campus starting with the inaugural Wellness Week from 7-10 March 2016. Mr Liam McLoughlin, Chief Executive, Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland, said “Going to university can be a big life adjustment for students. Sports clubs and societies are an important part of the college experience, presenting students with the opportunity to further their growth in other ways, to gain new experiences, and to make friends for life. We are therefore delighted to support the development of clubs and societies at NUI Galway. Wellness and Mindfulness is also a big part of the programme being announced today, and one that my colleagues from the on-campus branch will be taking an active part in. Some of Ireland’s sports stars, actors, artists and public representatives have come through the doors of NUI Galway and have been active participants in clubs and societies at the University, and we are delighted to be supporting the development of the next generation at NUI Galway. Sport is central to life at NUI Galway and the University’s excellent facilities offer students a chance to balance academic study with a wide range of sporting activities. The University also offers a generous package of Sports Scholarships to elite athletes. Director of Sport and Physical Activity at NUI Galway, Mike Heskin said: “I very much welcome the wonderful news of Bank of Ireland’s new investment in the sporting life of the students of NUI Galway. Bank of Ireland has, over the years, been a wonderful supporter of the sports programmes within NUI Galway, and this new relationship will bring sport within the University to a new and exciting level. NUI Galway Sport has ambitious plans across the sporting spectrum, from developing high performance for world champions to encouragement of mass participation in everyday fun physical activities.” With over 110 student-led societies, all tastes and interest groups are catered for at NUI Galway. NUI Galway’s societies have continuously topped the leader board for society wins at the Board of Irish College Societies, National Society Awards. In welcoming the new initiative with Bank of Ireland, NUI Galway Societies’ Officer, Riona Hughes said “The Societies’ Office joins with students in welcoming this announcement which will greatly assist Societies in expanding participation in cultural, educational and charitable activities for the benefit of students. This support builds on the annual Bank of Ireland Society Bursary which promotes the valuable work of student societies in enhancing the student experience and enriching the wider community.” NUI Galway and Bank of Ireland have had a strong partnership since the establishment of the University in 1845 and the Bank are involved in numerous activities and activations on campus such as the annual alumni awards, Student Scholarship Programme, support of the on campus Bank of Ireland Theatre, Wellness Week, financial planning seminars and now the programme of support for the Sports Clubs and Societies. ENDS

The Irish Student Drama Association (ISDA) Festival, hosted by NUI Galway’s Drama Society, will run in Galway from 14-23 March. The ten-day festival will hold 18 productions in five venues throughout the city including The Mick Lally Theatre, An Taibhdhearc and The Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway. Over the years ISDA has acted as the starting point in the careers of such theatre heavyweights as Michael Colgan, Conor McPherson, Fiona Shaw, Alan Stanford, Barry McGovern, Cian O’Brien and Tom Creed from Rough Magic, and Garry Hynes from Druid, as well as other well-known names like actress Pauline McLynn and comedian Chris O’Dowd to name but a few. The programme features a variety of productions from new works to acclaimed classics, including such classics as Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and The Beauty Queen of Leenane from the NUI Galway Drama Society and Misterman from Queens University’s QU Players. Trinity College’s DU Players will present Mercury Fur and Freak, with both plays exploring sexuality and life in a ravaged world where humanity is the bargaining chip. Queens QU Players bring us back to 1953 America where everything is about to change in Dinner without Joe, and in Delkany Ploy one man's pursuit of true love may mean his death. Maynooth University Drama Society present Doubt in which the characters must confront their own faith and doubt as everything they know is challenged. UCC’s Butterfly Kiss brings the audience into the world of Lily in her jail cell where she is incarcerated for matricide. In Exit the King, DIT’s Drama Society will present the absurdist world of Eugene Lonesco. DCU Dramsoc will present two plays on the themes of youth and Nothing to Declare, a devised piece based on interviews of people who have migrated to a new city, country or continent. Festival Director Oryana Farrell Hickey said: “NUI Galway Dramsoc is delighted to host the national awards and we hope that Galway, with its international reputation for excellent theatre, will join is a feast of drama over the duration of the festival where enthusiasts will get the opportunity to see future dramatists in the making.” The week will also include panel discussions, movie screenings workshops, murder mystery and a host of drama related entertainment all wrapping up with the gala awards ceremony on Wednesday, 23 March, where the much coveted awards will be announced. NUI Galway’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance is one of the leading international centres for the study of Irish theatre and offers students and researchers a range of courses in the area of drama and theatre at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The University has partnerships with the Abbey Theatre and Druid Theatre Company and has particular expertise in Irish theatre, theatre archives, playwriting, and much more. For full details and the timetable of events visit www.theisdafestival.com. -END-

NUI Galway to host public talk titled ‘Leeches upon our tax payers: The Deportation of Irish Migrants from America and Statelessness in Irish Diaspora 1840-1880’  Dr Hidetaka Hirota of Columbia University in NewYork will give a public talk titled ‘Leeches upon our tax payers’: The Deportation of Irish Migrants from America and Statelessness in Irish Diaspora 1840-1880’ at NUI Galway on Monday, 14 March. The story of Irish emigration to America in the nineteenth century is well known, before, during and after the Famine. What is less known is the fate of destitute Irish migrants who were deported from the United States back to Ireland and Britain in the period from the 1840s to the 1880s. In this public talk, Dr Hidetaka Hirota will discuss the state policy of Massachusetts in arranging these deportations. Anti-Irish attitudes in nineteenth-century America were stronger than we have realised, leading to harsh practices of physical removal. This policy formed part of a broader system of making poor Irish migrants stateless people in the nineteenth-century north Atlantic World. Professor Daniel Carey of the Moore Institute at NUI Galway, commented: “The hardship faced by Irish immigrants to America did not end on their arrival in the New World. For some, the ordeal continued in subsequent deportation when their meagre funds ran out.” Dr Hidetaka Hirota is a postdoctoral researcher in the Society of Fellows at Columbia University. He took his first degree in Japan and developed his interest in Irish migration as a PhD student at Boston College. His book Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Origins of American Immigration Policy will be published in 2017. The talk will take place on Monday, 14 March at 4.15pm in the Seminar Room of the Moore Institute, Room G010 of the Hardiman Research Building. All are welcome and admission is free. ENDS

NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies and Comhrá Ceoil have announced details of the next talk in the Martin Reilly Lecture Series for 2016. Taking place on Tuesday, 22 March at 6.30pm in the Galway City Library, the talk will be delivered by Dr Seán McElwain. ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain with the Sky Over it: Retracing the musical imprints of the Sliabh Beagh region of Monaghan/Fermanagh’ draws on PhD research into the traditional musical heritage of the north Monaghan/east Fermanagh region conducted by Dr McElwain at Dundalk Institute of Technology. The album ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain with the Sky Over it’ is the culmination of this academic research and was recently awarded the prestigious TG4 Comharcheol Gradam Cheoil. Uncovering a wealth of previously neglected material, this lecture will present an overview of the research findings behind the recording project, illuminating some of the major musical figures in that region’s musical history. From Co. Monaghan and now resident in Dublin, Seán is an academic researcher and member of the traditional group Téada, with whom he has toured and recorded extensively. He is centrally involved in the Scoil Cheoil na Botha traditional festival in Scotstown, Co. Monaghan. This series of talks is dedicated to Martin Reilly, the celebrated Galway uilleann piper, and gives an opportunity to researcher-practitioners in Irish traditional music and dance to present their work in a public forum. The success of the series thus far confirms the interest in research of this kind in Galway, where traditional music and dance are part of the cultural fabric of the city. Everyone welcome and free admission to all talks. -ENDS-

First time an event of this type has been held in Ireland NUI Galway will host a Masterclass in Health Economics from 21-24 March. This is the first time an event of this type has been held in Ireland and offers a rare opportunity for early career researchers to gain access to preeminent researchers at a critical juncture of their career and in the case of Ireland in the development of our healthcare system. Health care systems have and will come under increasing pressure as demand for care rises, more new and expensive technologies become available and the expectations of the public for services continue to rise. Within this context, it is more important than ever that there exists in Ireland people with the skills to critically assess the challenges that face the system, the claims and counter claims made in respect of it and; who can help provide evidence based solutions to the challenges faced. The class will expose early career researchers from Ireland, the USA, the UK and continental Europe to the work of preeminent economists working in the area of health. The faculty contributing to the class include internationally recognised experts who have provided advice to government and industry in the US, UK and Ireland, as well as pioneering the use and teaching of economics to address issues and problems in health and health care. Delegates will be exposed to the latest research in lectures, laboratories and smaller informal discussion sessions, share their experiences and given hands-on experience in the use of data in laboratory sessions. They will also have the opportunity to meet and discuss with editors of leading academic journals publication strategies and with policy advisors on ensuring the effective translation of research into policy design and practice. Professor Ciaran O’Neill, NUI Galway’s discipline of Economics, said: “The class is being provided with support from AbbVie Limited and NUI Galway that has allowed us to heavily subsidise attendance by delegates. The event is being run on a strictly non-profit basis and we hope will help develop a group of individuals with critical skills to meet the growing challenges for healthcare in Ireland and beyond.” Speakers and topics covered at the Masterclass will include: John Cawley, Cornell University – The Economics of Obesity Dave Madden, UCD – Health Transitions: Applications in Adolescent Obesity Mark McClellan, Duke University – Recent developments and expected trends in healthcare finance and delivery reforms John Mullahy, University of Wisconsin – Health outcomes in economic analysis Anne Nolan, The Economic and Social Research Institute – Access to and use of healthcare: studies in primary care Ciaran O'Neill, NUI Galway – Uptake of preventive services: studies in cancer Eamon O'Shea, NUI Galway – The economics of dementia Mark Pauly, University of Pennsylvania – The Future of Health Insurance: Will Lower Income People Be Allowed to Choose Plans with Cost Sharing? Jody Sindelar, Yale University – Economic issues in addiction Jonathan Skinner, The Dartmouth Institute – Publishing economics in medical journals -Ends-

The final lecture in the Lectures in the Library series curated by the Centre for Irish Studies to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising will take place on Tuesday, 15 March. The lecture will focus on the contribution of Craughwell blacksmith, Tom Kenny (1877-1947) to revolutionary politics in Galway in the decade before the rebellion. Dr Tony Varley will deliver the lecture and explore the tension between Kenny and Liam Mellows, ‘captain’ of the Galway rebels who told the blacksmith later that year that he ‘had taken no part in the Rising’ and the extent to which the Galway rebels were let down by incompetent leadership. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm at Galway City Library in Augustine Street.  -ENDS-

NUI Galway will host the third International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference from 10-11 March. Co-organised and supported by NUI Galway, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Maynooth University, this unique gathering of Irish and international scholars, practitioners, artists and creative inquirers will focus on the use of stories and how the stories we tell about our own and other people’s lives can be deployed in research and practice. The focus of the conference is how to use story and narrative in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The conference will look at what it means ‘to do’ narrative inquiry and this question will guide the explorations, discussions, reflections and exchanges during the conference. Keynote speaker is Ann Phoenix, Professor of Psychosocial Studies at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Department of Social Sciences, UCL Institute of Education, University of London and a Fellow of the British Academy. Professor Phoenix co-directed the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre and is the Principal Investigator on NOVELLA (Narratives of Varied Everyday Lives and Linked Approaches), an ESRC National Centre for Research Methods node. Her research is mainly about social identities and the ways in which psychological experiences and social processes are linked. It includes work on racialised and gendered identities and experiences; mixed-parentage, masculinities, consumption, young people and their parents and the transition to motherhood.  Much of her research draws on mixed methods and includes narrative approaches. Dr Anne Byrne, co-organiser and Head of NUI Galway’s School of Political Science and Sociology, said: “Stories bring power to narrative and are used to make sense of the complex world we live in across a multitude of research settings. We debate and critique the power of the stories we live by in this conference as well as celebrating the pleasure of listening to and telling stories.” -Ends-

As part of the international Brain Awareness Week, staff and students of NUI Galway’s Neuroscience Centre will hold a public information exhibit from 9.30am-3.30pm on 15-16 March in the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway. Members of the public and children from local schools will have the opportunity to visit the exhibit to learn more about how the brain and nervous system work. The exhibit will consist of interactive displays where visitors can learn more about the nervous system in a hands-on way. There will be various puzzles and tests of hand-eye coordination, visual perception, left/right handedness, creativity and many others. Approximately 180 million Europeans are thought to suffer from a brain disorder, at a total cost of almost €800 billion per annum and visitors will have the chance to learn more about the brain and related disorders through a series of large information posters prepared by the staff and postgraduate students of NUI Galway Neuroscience Centre. The posters will cover a variety of illnesses including: epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, pain, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury. Information leaflets from brain-related charities and organisations such as MS Ireland, Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Parkinson’s Association of Ireland, Aware, Chronic Pain Ireland, Shine, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and Brainwave, will be available for the public to take away. Plastic models of the nervous system and microscopes, which can be used to view brain cells and brain tissue sections, will be available for those interested in seeing what a brain cell and brain tissue really looks like. The Galway Neuroscience Centre acknowledges funding from the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering and Science in NUI Galway. -Ends-

Andrea Mahon, a PhD student in the Discipline of Podiatric Medicine at NUI Galway was recently awarded a prestigious Journal of Wound Care Award for The Best Laboratory/Pre-Clinical Study. This achievement was in recognition of research undertaken in fulfillment of her Masters by Research degree and was presented at a special ceremony in London. To address the need for advanced wound therapies; Andrea designed a preclinical study to assess topical stem cell therapy in a diabetic wound model. A stem cell clinical trial in diabetic foot ulcers will be planned by the outcome of this research. From Oranmore, Co. Galway, Andrea’s research was supervised by Professor Caroline McIntosh, Head of Discipline of Podiatric Medicine, Professor Timothy O’Brien, Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Dr Claire MacGilchrist, Lecturer in Podiatric Medicine. The Journal of Wound Care Awards recognises innovation and excellence in research and practice within the field of wound care. The aim is to recognise individuals and teams who have improved, implemented or excelled in some field of wound care. Professor Caroline McIntosh said: “This is a fabulous achievement which highlights the high quality of research being undertaken in wound healing and tissue repair at NUI Galway. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of lower limb ulceration and amputation. Diabetes related foot ulcers are challenging to manage with many failing to respond to standard wound therapies. There is a need to research advanced therapies for application on non-healing wounds. The findings of Andrea’s research will help in the design of first in human studies of Mesenchymal stem cell application for non-healing neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.” -Ends-

Senator Sean Barrett, Independent Senator in Seanad Éireann and member of the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry, will deliver a talk in NUI Galway on the banking inquiry. Organised by NUI Galway’s Whitaker Institute and the University’s Finance Society, ‘Learning the Hard Lessons from the Banking Inquiry’ will take place on Wednesday, 9 March from 2.30-4pm in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics. The Irish Banking Guarantee of 2008 and subsequent 2010-2013 Troika Bailout was a national trauma. The Oireachtas Inquiry into the Banking Crisis was to outline the causes of banking crisis and subsequent bailout and provide guidance for future policy formation so as to prevent a re-occurrence. The analytical framework used by the Inquiry was termed the Bank-State-Property Nexus. Senator Barrett was the only independent member of the Inquiry. During the panel discussion he will outline what lessons he learnt during the process of the Inquiry, what needs to be done in the future to prevent it and how students can use the materials published and collected by the Inquiry for future scholarship and research.  The panel will be chaired by NUI Galway student and member of the Finance Society, Brendan O'Driscoll, with NUI Galway’s Professor Alan Ahearne, Head of Economics, and Professor John McHale, Director of the Whitaker Institute, participating. Brendan O'Driscoll, of NUI Galway’s Finance Society said: “The 2014 Oireachtas Banking Inquiry was established to investigate factors contributing to a systemic failure in Irish banks. The enduring legacy of this inquiry will not be as a punitive reaction, neither can it mitigate the hardship born by Irish society in the dark years that followed. Its true success will be measured in how well it educated and admonished the next generation so as to prevent such a crisis ever re-occurring. As the inheritors of not only a recovering economy, but the government and financial system at the heart of the crisis, millennials must heed the lessons learned in fiscal prudence, corporate and political integrity and social responsibility.”     -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Discipline of Management in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics will host an open information evening for its three highly regarded Masters programmes from 6pm Thursday, 10 March. The information evening will provide an opportunity to meet the Programme Directors, faculty and successful graduates now working in senior roles with companies such as Google, Accenture and Volkswagen. The MSc in Human Resource Management (HRM) is a one year full-time programme accredited by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). The MSc HRM is designed to develop a thorough knowledge and applied competence in the fundamentals of human resource management and employment relations. Students learn the nature of work and explore human resource policy and practice in national and multinational organisations. The programme includes an international study visit to Toulouse Business School in France. The one year full-time award winning MSc in International Management (IM) provides students with in-depth knowledge and expertise in the principles and application of international business and management. The degree provides a solid foundation for a career in international management with multinational corporations, internationally-focused and newly internationalising domestic firms. The MSc IM includes an international study visit to Hong Kong. The MSc in Strategy, Innovation and People Management (SIPM) focuses on critical determinants of enterprise success and their interfaces. The MSc SIPM is an innovative programme designed and developed to meet graduate and employer needs in the globalised Smart Economy. It is one of only a small number of programmes accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is unique in focusing on critical areas of management in addition to HRM. Dr Alma McCarthy, Head of the Management Discipline, NUI Galway, said: “The MSc programmes in HRM, IM and SIPM have been running for a number of years and we are very proud of the achievements of our graduates. Many of our graduates hold senior roles in leading international companies including Accenture, Google, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Intel and Amazon. Graduates also play key roles in national organisations including IBEC, Enterprise Ireland, the Civil Service and The Irish Times.” The information evening will take place in room CA118 in the Cairnes Building on campus. Full details about each programme are available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/business-public-policy-law/cairnes/courses/taught/ or by contacting Gerry Campbell at 091 493771 or gerry.campbell@nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Déanfar Comhdháil Chumann Idirnáisiúnta na gCoimisinéirí Teanga a reáchtáil i nGaillimh idir Dé Luain 7 Márta agus Dé Céadaoin 9 Márta.Is é Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins, a dhéanfaidh imeachtaí na Comhdhála a sheoladh go hoifigiúil oíche Dé Luain 7 Márta san Aula Maxima in OÉ Gaillimh. Is é an tOnórach an Breitheamh Adrian Hardiman, Cúirt Uachtarach na hÉireann, a thabharfaidh Léacht na Comhdhála. Beidh teacht ar bheoshruth idirlín de Sheoladh Oifigiúil agus de Léacht na Comhdhála ar chainéal Youtube OÉ Gaillimh oíche Dé Luain. Is é An Coimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, agus Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga atá i mbun na Comhdhála seo a eagrú i gcomhpháirt le hOÉ Gaillimh. Beidh Coimisinéirí Teanga ó na tíortha seo a leanas ag freastal ar imeachtaí na Comhdhála: Ceanada, An Bhreatain Bheag, An Chosaiv, An Chatalóin, Tír na mBascach agus An Bheilg. Beidh cuairteoirí gradamúla eile ag freastal ar an gComhdháil ón Nua-Shéalainn, Albain agus an Fhionlainn. Dúirt an Dr John Walsh agus Dónall Ó Braonáin ó OÉ Gaillimh: ‘Beartas suntasach a bhí in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla don phobal teanga sa stát seo. Léiríonn clár na comhdhála seo cén tábhacht idirnáisiúnta a bhaineann le cearta, stádas agus úsáid teangacha sa saol poiblí i ndlinsí agus i stáit éagsúla. Ceisteanna iad seo a bhfuil aird phobal na Gaeilge orthu ó rinneadh athbhreithniú ar an Acht le deireanas agus tá áthas ar OÉ Gaillimh a bheith ag obair i gcomhpháirt leis an gCoimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, agus an chomhdháil seo á reáchtáil i nGaillimh den chéad uair.’ Is in Óstán Chuan na Gaillimhe a dhéanfar seisiúin phoiblí na comhdhála a reáchtáil Dé Máirt 8 agus Dé Céadaoin 9 Márta. Tá clár iomlán na Comhdhála le fáil ar shuíomh idirlín an Choimisinéara Teanga ag www.coimisineir.ie I measc na n-ábhar a phléifear le linn na comhdhála, beidh: Fás agus Forás: Éabhlóid an Dlí Teanga: Meri Huws, Coimisinéir Teanga, An Bhreatain Bheag; Bart Weekers, Ombudsman na bPléimeannach; Katherine D’Entremont, Coimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla,New Brunswick; Rafael Ribó, Ombudsman na Catalóine. Glór mo Mhuintire: Teanga & Féiniúlacht: Slaviša Mladenović, Coimisinéir Teanga, An Chosaiv; François Boileau, Coimisinéir do Sheirbhísí Teanga nanFraincise, Ontario; Manuel Lezertua, Ararteko - Ombudsman Thír na mBascach. Cearta Mionteangacha in Aois na Móréagsúlachta Teangeolaíche:Stephen May, Ollscoil Auckland, An Nua-Shéalainn. Ról na Reachtaíochta i gCosaint Cearta Teanga: John Walsh, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh; Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin, Ollscoil Luimnigh. Beart de Réir ár mBriathair: Feidhmiú Reachtaíocht Teanga: Deirdre Ní Loingsigh, Ollscoil Luimnigh; Máire Seó Breathnach, Comhairle Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge; Dyfan Sion, Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, An Bhreatain Bheag. Ról na Féiniúlachta i Saothar Robert Flaherty: Sandra Inutiq, Coimisinéir Teanga, Nunavut Tuaisceart Éireann; Cearta Teanga & Acht Teanga: Robert Dunbar, Ollscoil Dhún Éideann, Albain Oideachas Trí Ghaeilge; sa Ghaeltacht, Taobh Amuigh den Ghaeltacht & i dTuaisceart Éireann: Muireann Ní Mhóráin, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta; Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, Gaelscoileanna Teoranta; Liam Ó Flannagáin, Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta. An Tábhacht le Teanga i Luath-Oideachas – Dearcadh ón Fhionlainn: Pär Stenbäck, Aire Stáit, An Fhionlainn Críoch

CÚRAM PhD student wins best paper award for her research to develop polymeric neural probes, which measure the electrical activity of neurons in our brains, for deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s disease Catalina Vallejo Giraldo, a PhD student at CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, has just received the Best Paper Award at ‘Biodevices 2016’, the 9th International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices in Rome. Ms Vallejo Giraldo’s paper titled ‘Electrochemical Analysis of Accelerated Aging of PEDOT-PTS Coated Screen-printed Electrodes’ (authors, Nathalia Peixoto, Tjerignimin Silue, Catalina Vallejo-Giraldo and Manus Biggs), was selected from a set of outstanding papers, based on the quantitative and qualitative classifications assessed by the distinguished program committee reviewers. At CÚRAM, under the supervision of Dr Manus Biggs, Professor Abhay Pandit and Dr Eilis Dowd, Catalina’s research aims to develop polymeric neural probes (which measure the electrical activity of neurons in our brains) for deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s, as well as reducing the development of scarring at the probe interface in the brain. Originally from Colombia, Ms Vallejo Giraldo’s research interests are focused on the area of biomaterials, with applications for tissue engineering and drug delivery, bio-interfaces, nerve regeneration and Parkinson’s disease. Commenting on her work, Ms Vallejo Giraldo said: “Studies on using materials that conduct electricity to coat electrodes used in deep brain stimulation have been shown to enhance tissue/electrode integration and electrode performance. Current treatment strategies using electrodes for deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s patients have focused on reducing the complex ratio of the voltage to the current in an alternating current (AC) circuit, and the use of proteins to enhance the integration of the electrodes in the brain. We hope to develop biomaterial coatings for these electrodes so that they are accepted more readily by the body, perform more efficiently and for longer, thereby creating a much better therapy option for the patient.” Congratulating Ms Vallejo Giraldo on her success, Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM at NUI Galway, said: “I am delighted to see more of our researcher’s successes at international conferences. It really reflects the high quality of research being carried out here at CÚRAM and in the Med Tech industry in Ireland in finding solutions for patients suffering from chronic illness.” Over 200 renowned experts in biomaterials, drug delivery, cell therapy, glycoscience and device design are working on blue sky research and industry projects associated with CÚRAM, which aims to radically improve the quality of life for patients with chronic illness, by developing the next generation of smart, implantable medical devices. CÚRAM is a Science Foundation Ireland centre for research in medical devices, bringing together experts from Ireland’s leading universities and research institutes. Its academic partners, led by NUI Galway, include UCD, UCC, TCD, UL, The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and Molecular Medicine Ireland. ENDS

New consortium appointed to run Ireland’s National Rural Network with NUI Galway leading the research to achieve better outcomes under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 The School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway, led by Dr Maura Farrell has been appointed as lead researchers of a new consortium to run Ireland's National Rural Network (NRN), as announced by the Department of Agriculture. The new consortium will be responsible for facilitating all stakeholders and interested groups in achieving better outcomes across all the measures under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP). The National Rural Network, which is being led by Irish Rural Link, is part of the implementation architecture for Rural Development Programmes across the European Union. Its primary aims are to increase stakeholder involvement, improve quality of implementation, inform the public and potential beneficiaries, and foster innovation in agriculture, food production, forestry and rural areas. Commenting on the announcement, Dr Maura Farrell, Director MA in Rural Sustainability in the School of Geography and Archaeology and Project Leader for NUI Galway, said: “The National Rural Network consortium will endeavour to create strong linkages between the administrative structures and organisations delivering Rural Development in Ireland. Through a resilient and systematic communications structure, the Network aims to increase stakeholder participation, expand the quality of rural development programmes and advance and disseminate innovative practices that can positively influence individuals and societies throughout rural Ireland. Such practices will be drawn from projects funded under the LEADER programme, and also from best practices in agriculture, biodiversity and small town development and rejuvenation.” The School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway, through its Rural Research Cluster and the Whitaker Institute for Innovation and Societal Change, is a leading body with the strongest rural development credentials. Its alumni in agriculture and rural development occupy prestigious positions throughout the sector. It has unrivalled credentials in the fields of rural research and innovation. The NUI Galway team undertake research projects, co-ordinate innovation initiatives, and undertake monitoring and evaluation initiatives. Seamus Boland, Chief Executive of Irish Rural Link added, “The ambition of the new consortium is to maximise the impact of the Rural Development Programme by bringing it into the lives of as many people and communities as possible. We aim to transform levels of engagement with the programme, and by building participation in its implementation, and a sense of ownership of the programme amongst stakeholders, to maximise the positive impact in the lives of people and communities across rural Ireland.” Additional members of the consortium include The Wheel and Philip Farrelly & Co. For more information about the programme visit: www.nationalruralnetwork.ie or email info@nationalruralnetwork.ie. ENDS   

NUI Galway’s Mystics Ladies Basketball team recently captured the Basketball Ireland Women’s Division 1 national league title. The deciding game against Father Matthews of Cork ended in 67-64. NUI Galway Mystics have ended their regular season on 16 wins and 1 loss. The winning team was included Marritta Gillcrease, Hannah Coen, Ailish O’Reilly, Lauren Murray, Deirdre O’Shea, Rebecca Hansberry, Emer Smyth and Aoibhin O’Neill. Pictured are the NUI Galway Mystics Basketball team. >>> Read a report on the Mystics in The Irish Daily Star

NUI Galway recently celebrated five years of the Hardiman and the Dr Tony Ryan Research Scholarships schemes with a special ceremony in the University. The Hardiman PhD Scholarship scheme was established in 2011 with the objective of attracting the best Irish and international students to NUI Galway. The fully-funded scholarships support students who undertake four-year Structured PhD and are focused on five key areas of research: Applied Social Sciences and Public Policy; Biomedical Science and Engineering; Environment, Marine and Energy; Humanities in Context, including Digital Humanities; and Informatics, Data Analytics, Physical and Computational Sciences. To date the scheme has provided financial support for over 100 PhD students to undertake research in the University’s priority research themes and has been strongly supported by the Galway University Foundation and its donors, most notably the Broderick and Glynn endowments, Cancer Care West and the Ryan Foundation. Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, congratulated the Hardiman scholars on their research achievements. Speaking at the event Dr Browne said: “In Vision 2020, NUI Galway’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020, the goal for research and innovation is to produce research that is recognised as being excellent, transformative, and relevant to societal and economic needs, while we train the next generation of researchers. The Hardiman Scholarship scheme is a key component of the University’s support for PhD students.” Posters at the event demonstrated the Hardiman and Dr Tony Ryan scholars’ research achievements including: Sally McHugh, 2014 Hardiman scholar, who showcased the CampusCreate project; and Mary McGill, 2015 Hardiman scholar, fresh from her recent Galway TEDx talk, who gave a talk on how to adapt academic ideas and presentation styles for events. Professor Lucy Byrnes, Dean of Graduate Studies at NUI Galway, said: “The Hardiman PhD scholarship scheme is the most prestigious scholarship scheme at NUI Galway and has a significant international reach, with over half of the scholars coming from other universities across the globe to complete their PhDs. A third of Hardiman scholars’ initial funding came from the Hardiman scholarship scheme but they then competed successfully for national scholarships, such as those from the Irish Research Council, further augmenting the support for PhD students at NUI Galway.” 28 new Hardiman scholars, and one new Dr Tony Ryan scholar, will begin their PhDs in September 2016 and shortly thereafter the 2017 competition will be launched. For further information on the Hardiman PhD Scholarship scheme visit www.nuigalway.ie/hardiman-scholarships. -Ends-

First programme of its kind to be offered in Ireland NUI Galway has launched a new Masters programme in Biomedical Genomics, the first of its kind to be offered in Ireland. This programme places NUI Galway at the forefront of training the next generation of scientists and clinicians in the use of cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies, both within fundamental scientific discovery and in clinical applications. Based at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, this Masters is an inter-disciplinary programme drawing on expertise from across the University. The programme has been specifically designed to address the growing need for scientists with the quantitative skills necessary to help realise the enormous potential of sequencing-based technologies to deliver on the promise of personalised medicine in order to better understand, diagnose, and treat disease. Keynote speaker at the launch, Dr John Greally, an NUI Galway graduate, Professor of Genetics and Medicine and Director of the Center for Epigenomics at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said: “As both a clinician and director of a research laboratory, I see on a daily basis how contributions from genomics scientists in areas such as drug discovery and diagnosis of rare genetic diseases are transforming the field of medicine. I am really excited by this new programme because it provides the unique combination of molecular and analytical skills that are critical in order to take advantage of the current wave of innovation in genomics-based technologies. With this programme, I can see NUI Galway establishing itself as a major centre for biomedical genomics training and research in Europe.” Professor Cathal Seoighe, Director of the NUI Galway programme added: “This exciting new programme will bring together students from diverse academic backgrounds who share the common goal of learning how to apply newly-developed genomics technologies to biomedical problems. I'm delighted that NUI Galway and the College of Science are leading the way in recognising the transformative potential of genomics science both in human health and in basic research.” Graduates of the programme will have a highly marketable and transferable combination of computational and analytical skills as well as specialist knowledge of the application of these skills in the analysis of genomics data. They will be well placed to seek employment in the new field of precision medicine, in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies making use of genomics technologies, or in research roles in both industry and academic settings. This programme will have its first intake of students in the academic year 2016/17. For further information on the MSc in Biomedical Genomics visit http://bioinf.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Student Services will hold its inaugural Wellness Week from 7-10 March. The aim of the initiative is to show students and staff that getting active and eating healthy are essential contributions to your general wellbeing. As part of Wellness Week, the Societies Office are running a new programme called ‘Good Morning NUI Galway’, a series of early morning dance classes, fitness and meditation workshops designed to start the day off in a positive mood. From 8am, societies will be leading salsa, zumba, capoeira, and mindfulness classes, and silent discos. The Climate Change and Food Safety (CCAFS) and Baking Societies will team up with the Societies Office to bring the ‘The Great Chef Challenge’ competition to campus. During the week, four campus chefs will battle it out to see who can create the healthiest week worth of dinners for a shopping basket of €20. Students can taste their creations in An Bialann, College Bar, Friars and Clinical Science Cafe every day and vote for their favourite with the grand final in Áras na Mac Léinn on Thursday, 10 March from 3-5pm. On Wednesday, NUI Galway’s Dance Society will hold a ‘Strictly Come Dansoc’ night in the Bailey Allen Hall from 7.30pm. And on Thursday, the Baking Society will hold a Baketastic Bash, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, in the Bailey Allen Hall from 11am-6pm, which will include a Food Fair with healthy and delicious food ideas, as well as the launch of their new cookbook. Riona Hughes, Societies Officer at NUI Galway, said: “With music, art, a sleep hygiene workshop, Malaysian food, a positive mental health exhibition and the launch of Botany Societies’ ‘Grow it Yourself’ initiative, the week promises to be full of tips on how to increase your wellness and have fun in the process.” The Wellness Week also coincides with Refugee Awareness Week, organised by the Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières and Gender Awareness week organised by Feminist Society. For more information on Wellness Week and other society events in NUI Galway visit www.nuigstudents.ie and www.socs.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway has announced that RTÉ 2FM broadcaster Will Leahy will host this year’s Gala Banquet featuring the 2016 Alumni Awards ceremony. Will Leahy, is an NUI Galway graduate BA (1992) LLB (1994) who is a Limerick based solicitor specialising in Local Authority and Family Law. He is also an award winning broadcaster with both RTÉ Radio and Television presenting primarily on RTÉ 2FM and RTÉ Radio One. The 2016 Alumni Award winners will be presented with their awards at the Gala Banquet on Saturday, 5 March, 2016 in the Bailey Allen Wing located in Áras na Mac Léinn on campus. The winners of the six alumni awards to be presented at Gala 2016: Award for Arts, Literature and Celtic Studies - sponsored by AIB - Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, Owner/Producer at Danú Media. Alumni Award for Business and Commerce – sponsored by Bank of Ireland - Ruth Curran, Managing Partner in MERC Partners and Global Chair IIC Partners. Alumni Award for Law, Public Policy and Government – sponsored by Galway University Foundation - Dr Mathilda Twomey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Seychelles. Alumni Award for Engineering, Science and Technology – sponsored by Aramark - Gearóid Faherty, Former CEO and Chairman of Eurand NV. Alumni Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences – sponsored by Medtronic - Dr Joe Murray, Professor of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic. Alumni Award for Contribution to Sport – sponsored by Bank of Ireland - Dr Paul Hession, Olympic and world champion sprinter and junior doctor in Tallaght Hospital. ENDS

NUI Galway will host a Cancer Research and Awareness evening in Galway providing fascinating insights into the future of cancer research and prevention NUI Galway will host a Cancer Research and Awareness evening for the public providing valuable insights into the future of cancer research and in particular, early cancer detection and prevention. The event will take place in Áras Moyola at NUI Galway on Thursday, 11 February from 7pm to 9pm. Organised by NUI Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and NUI Galway’s Cancer Society, the event will share information on all types of cancer with the wider Galway community and the many resources available to people. It aims to encourage public and patient involvement in cancer research; discuss the future of cancer medicine and patient well-being, and the benefits of combining research with psychology and clinical medicine. Special guest, Professor Mark Lawler from the Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology in Queen’s University Belfast will headline the event. Joining Professor Lawler on the panel of experts are; Dr Sharon Glynn, Lecturer in Pathology at The Lambe Institute for Translational Research at NUI Galway, Dr Jane Walsh, Director of M-Health Research Group and the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, and Sinead Quinn, Clinical Psychologist and Patient and Family Advocate. The evening will comprise of short presentations by each of the speakers, followed by a panel discussion in which members of the audience can pose questions. Community members, patients, patients’ families, physicians, medical professionals and students will benefit from this multi-disciplinary discussion. Schedule of Panel Discussions: Lorraine Toner, Irish Cancer Society - Introduction Dr Sharon Glynn, College of Medicine, NUI Galway - Current Research Aimed at Preventing the Development of Metastatic Cancer & Future Research Strategies for Cancer Prevention Dr Jane Walsh, School of Psychology, NUI Galway - Tools available for healthy living, exercise and nutrition for cancer patient and for lowering risk. Sinead Quinn, Patient and Family Advocate – Raising Awareness for Early Cancer Diagnosis & Psychological Impact of Cancer Diagnosis Professor Mark Lawler, Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast - 21st Century Cancer Medicine; Time to get personal General Discussion with Audience and Closing The event is free and open to the public. For further event details email nuigalwaycanceraware@gmail.com, follow on Twitter @nuigalway.ie or Facebook at NUIG Cancer Society. ENDS

NUI Galway announces the international recruitment of 15 of the most promising early-career researchers to support its ambitious research strategy NUI Galway has begun an international recruitment campaign to recruit 15 of the brightest emerging research stars to support the delivery of an ambitious strategy to become a top-200 research-led university by 2020. In partnership with Galway University Foundation, NUI Galway is launching ‘The Foundation Research Leadership Programme’, a new three-year programme to attract the highest calibre of early-career researchers to Galway. Almost €7.5 million will be allocated for the recruitment of the 15 Foundation Research Lectureships, aligned with the University’s strategy to develop internationally-recognised research excellence in a range of priority areas. The Foundation Research Leadership Programme will support the development of early-career academics and future research leaders. Recruitment to the Foundation Lectureships will pay particular focus to the research output and potential of applicants, with candidates being required to have internationally recognised, measurable research output and impact in their careers to date, and to demonstrate convincingly their future research plans and strategy. Crucial to the support of NUI Galway’s Research and Innovation strategy is the attraction and retention of emerging research leaders across the University’s key research themes, building on significant international successes to date. The priority research areas include: Biomedical Science and Engineering; Marine, Energy and Environmental Science; Data Analytics and Informatics; Physical and Computational Sciences; Applied Public Policy and Social Sciences, Digital Humanities and Drama and Theatre Studies. NUI Galway has significantly grown its research activity and output over the last ten years. The identification of priority research areas and subsequent investments in these areas have enabled the University to develop a critical mass of expertise which has led to significant success in securing competitive research grants, nationally and internationally. Currently home to two national SFI Research Centres, in Medical Device Technologies and Data Analytics, NUI Galway is also in the top two best performing Irish universities in the European Horizon 2020 research funding programme. Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, said: “At NUI Galway, our ambition is to produce research that is globally recognised as excellent, transformative, and relevant to societal and economic needs. The challenge now is to attract and retain the highest-calibre of emerging researchers in the University’s priority research areas. “Nationally-funded schemes, such as Science Foundation Ireland’s Principal Investigator and Professorship Schemes support the University’s efforts to attract the best senior researchers from a global field. However, we recognise that a gap exists at early-stage career levels. “The Foundation Research Leadership Programme is an exciting new initiative by Galway University Foundation, which will enable NUI Galway to support the most talented emerging researchers from across the globe, with the objective of ensuring our University’s future research success.” Tom Joyce, CEO of Galway University Foundation added: “Galway University Foundation is delighted to support the development of the next generation of research stars at NUI Galway. It is vital that we invest in the best people to carry out transformative research that helps to improve lives and societies, and tackles big global challenges. Inspirational researchers push forward the boundaries of knowledge, leading to life-changing discoveries and policies that shape the future both nationally and internationally.” The first of the Foundation Research Lectureships will be a Senior Lecturer in Medical Electronics, supported by Techrete, a large Irish Engineering company serving the construction market. The successful candidate will work at the interface between Medicine and Engineering, developing innovative engineering-based solutions for today’s medical challenges. Advertising will begin in January 2016 and positions will be appointed in stages throughout 2016, 2017 and 2018. Creating opportunities for female academic research leaders is a key priority and applications from female candidates will be strongly encouraged. For further information about the Foundation Research Lectureships and to make an online application for the research posts visit: www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/jobs To view NUI Galway’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/vision2020/ ENDS

The Galway University Musical Society’s 16th musical, ‘The Addams Family’ will take place in the Black Box Theatre from 9-13 February at 8pm, with a special matinée on Saturday, 13 February at 2pm. Over 50 NUI Galway students will perform in the musical about everyone’s favourite ghoulish American family, who have an affinity for all things macabre. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Tickets cost €15, €12 for students and €10 for groups of four plus. The Saturday matinée, organised especially for families, will cost €10 for adults and €5 for children. The Galway University Musical Society is an amateur musical society which has been nominated for numerous Association of Irish Musical Society (AIMS) awards and receiving fantastic reviews. Tickets are on sale now at the Socs Box at www.socsbox.nuigalway.ie or 091 492852, or the Town Hall Theatre at www.tht.ie. -Ends-

Páraic Ó hOibicín, the newly appointed sean-nós Dancer-in-Residence at NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies, will deliver a series of five sean-nós dance workshops beginning on Wednesday, 10 February at 7pm in An Taibhdhearc. A native of Leitir Mucú, Connemara, Páraic is one of a generation of dancers who led the revival of sean-nós dance in the late twentieth century. Key to Páraic’s style of dancing is a faithful nod to older dancers and the tradition that he saw in his youth. The workshops are free and open to all. This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway. -ENDS- Ceardlanna Damhsa ar an Sean-nós Cuirfear tús le sraith ceardlann damhsa ar an sean-nós san Taibhdhearc are an 10 Feabhra ag 7pm. Is é Páraic Ó hOibicín atá ceaptha mar Rinceoir Cónaitheach in Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh, OÉ Gaillimh i mbliana a bheidh mar stiúrthóir na gceardlann. D'fhás Páraic suas i Leitir Mucú, i gConamara agus is ó Mháirtín Beag Ó Gríofa a fuair sé a chuid damhsa ar dtús. Tá Páraic dílis i gcónaí don seantraidisiún rince agus é ar dhuine desna damhsóirí is tábhachtaí in athbheochaint an tsean-nóis a tharla ag deireadh na haoise seo caite. Tá na ceardlanna saor isteach agus tá fáilte roimh chách. Is iad Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus An Chomhairle Ealaíon i bpáirt le hIonad an Léinn Éireannaigh atá ag maoiniú an togra seo. -Críoch-

Eight NUI Galway academics attended a celebration of ‘Women in Science’ by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, in Áras an Uachtaráin at the weekend. The event celebrated the leading role that women play in scientific research and industry. Since his inauguration in 2011, the President has spoken repeatedly about the importance of using scientific insights to address the great challenges facing humanity and our fragile planet and to ensure the benefits of this research are shared equitably among and within nations. The celebratory event highlighted the achievements and inspirational roles played by a growing number of women in this regard. Representation was drawn from the universities and institutes of technology in Ireland, as well as a small number from scientific state agencies and bodies.  There was also a group of competitors and organisers from the BT Young Scientists Competition. Speaking at the celebratory event, President Higgins said: “It gives me great pleasure to host this event, aimed at celebrating the leading role that women are playing in scientific research and industry. Science is an important and influential discipline – one which has a pivotal role to play in the great concerns of humanity in our time, and one which has the potential to make the greatest contribution to improving our world. “As experts in their fields, award winners, holders of distinguished Chairs and Professorships, esteemed researchers, writers and lecturers they are breaking new ground and paving the way for new generations of women who will also wish to use their talent and creativity to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, and play their unique role in crafting a better world. I wish each and every one of them success in their fields of expertise, in their future careers and in their capacities as inspirational role models for the scientists of the future.” The eight NUI Galway researchers were: Dr Adrienne Gorman, Vice-Dean for Research in the College of Science and Principal Investigator in Apoptosis Research Centre Dr Eva Szegezdi, Lecturer in Biochemistry, Head of the Blood Cancer Biobank in Ireland, and Principal investigator of the Cancer Niche Laboratory Dr Laoise McNamara, Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering Dr Elaine Dunleavy, Wellcome Trust Research Fellow with Biochemistry and Centre for Chromosome Biology Dr Róisín Dwyer, Lecturer in Translational Science Professor Grace McCormack, member of the Zoology Discipline of the School of Natural Sciences and the Biodiversity and Bioresources cluster of the Ryan Institute Dr Michelle Kilcoyne, Lecturer in the Discipline of Microbiology Dr Sharon Glynn, Lecturer in Pathology -Ends-

NUI Galway will hold a ‘Scientist for a Day’ workshop for children aged 7 to 13 years old on Tuesday, 16 February from 10am-3pm. Organised by three science outreach initiatives based in NUI Galway, Cell EXPLORERS, Eco EXPLORERS and Kitchen Chemistry, the workshop will include a full day of science-related activities such as preparing DNA, observing colourful chemical reactions and working with live exotic animals. With Cell EXPLORERS, children will learn about the fascinating world of cells which are the basic building blocks of all living things. They will set up their own experiment to prepare DNA from a chosen fruit. Kitchen Chemistry will teach children how to make their own glow sticks and grow crystals at home. To complete the day, Eco EXPLORERS will present an exciting display of live exotic animals, ranging from tarantulas to snakes and stick insects. Adele Gabba, PhD student and lead of the Kitchen Chemistry team, said: “We are very excited to run this event once again. It is a unique opportunity for children to practice hands-on science in a real laboratory setting. They will learn and discover under the guidance of scientists who are passionate about sharing their enthusiasm for science and education. It’s a great way to stimulate children’s interest in science in a fun and interactive way.” All three workshops will be delivered by NUI Galway staff and students. The cost to attend is €10 per child, with discounts available for multiple bookings, €18 for two children, €25 for three, or €30 for four. Registration will open on Thursday, 4 February at 7pm and bookings can be made at http://scientistforadayfebruary2016.eventbrite.com. Once registered, email the registration form from Eventbrite to cellexplorers@nuigalway.ie for each child who would like to participate (maximum 4 children per Eventbrite order). Please reference your Eventbrite order number on the registration form. Places are limited, so early booking is advised. -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Societies have been awarded the second annual Bank of Ireland Society Bursary. The Bursary, worth €10,000, promotes the valuable work of student societies, enhancing the student experience and enriching the wider community. The aim of the award is to support the societies in organising events of social, cultural, humanitarian and educational importance. Events with creativity and originality are also especially encouraged. Among the events which received funding, €1,000 was awarded to Dramsoc for the Irish Student Drama Awards (ISDA) annual Theatre Festival, a week-long festival in which third-level drama societies will travel to Galway and perform plays from their home college. The Festival will be running from 17-24 March. Cumann Staire (History Society) received €700 for Irish History Students Association (IHSA) Annual Conference, which is taking place on the weekend of February 19-21. The Conference offers a unique opportunity for not only students, but also the wider community to engage with history in a less formal setting. It is the only fully student-led constituent event on the University’s ‘A Nation Rising’ programme of events to mark the centenaries of the 1916 Rising and the Battle of the Somme. Other winners of the Bursary this year include: The Literary and Debating Society; Irish National Law Debates; Cancer Soc; Relay for Life; Neuro Soc; Seeing the Light; Friends of MSF; Refugee Crisis Week; Slainte Society; Movember; Tag Rugby; Potter Society; Triwizard Tournament; African Caribbean Society; Afrofest; India Society; Diwali; and the Juggling Society’. The bursary was presented by Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, Pat Morgan, Vice-President for the Student Experience, Tom Joyce, Chief Executive of Galway University Foundation and Marie Cassidy, Customer Service Manager at the NUI Galway branch of Bank of Ireland. More information on upcoming society events can be found on http://socs.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

The third in the ‘Lectures in the Library’ series, curated by NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies, to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising will focus on Richard Henebry, a trenchant critic of attempts to modernise Irish language writing, who compared Pádraig Pearse’s short stories to ‘the mincing of an underassistant floor-walker of a millinery shop’. The Reverend Dr Richard Henebry was a Waterford-born scholar, priest and patriot whose commitment to Irish traditional music is evident in the posthumuosly published A Handbook of Irish Music (1928), a unique analysis of traditional music.   The lecture, ‘Dr Richard Henebry, 1863-1916’, will be delivered by Dr Méabh Ní Fhuartháin and will focus on Dr Henebry as a revivalist and scholar in the field of traditional music and will contextualise his scholarship in Ireland of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  The lecture will begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 9 February at Galway City Library. -ENDS-

The School of Law at NUI Galway is to host a major conference on surrogacy and the law on 12 March 2016. Among the speakers is the world-leading child psychologist, Professor Susan Golombok, Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge. Also presenting are Dr Kirsty Horsey, an academic and member of the Surrogacy UK Working Group on Surrogacy Law Reform, and NUI Galway alumna, Deirdre Fottrell QC, who has acted in a number of leading surrogacy cases that came before the superior courts in the UK. Other speakers include Professor Deirdre Madden from UCC and Dr Andrea Mulligan, a barrister and academic. The conference is being organised by Dr Brian Tobin, a family law expert at the School of Law, NUI Galway, who provided legal expertise on the assisted reproduction provisions contained in the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality.       Announcing the conference, Dr Tobin stated: “Ireland has yet to enact legislation regulating surrogacy. Laws proposed in 2014 by the then Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter, were scrapped later that year as the Government felt that further consultation was required. However, there is a concern that the issue of surrogacy could lose priority. This conference is therefore timely and designed to bring together experts in the field with a view to forging a framework for the regulation of surrogacy in Ireland.” -Ends-

First time a regional heat has been held in Galway Ten NUI Galway scientists will battle it out for a place in the national final of FAMELAB, the largest science communication competition in the world. This is the first time ever that a regional heat for the international competition has been held in Galway. The competition will be held on Tuesday, 9 February, at An Taibhdhearc Theatre at 7pm and is free to attend. The ten scientists come from a variety of backgrounds, from a Professor of Mathematics to a researcher in medical device design. Presentations will answer a range of questions from ‘Can biomaterials fix a broken heart?’ to ‘Will we use light to control the brain?’ to ‘How can coral reefs survive in cold, wet Ireland?’. The competing scientists will be given a total of three minutes each to explain their research, or any scientific concept, as clearly, simply and charismatically as possible, to a public audience and a panel of judges. This will be followed by three minutes of questions from the judges and the audience. Scientists are given the instruction that they can use ‘only what they can carry with them onto the stage’ to help illustrate their stories. Two finalists will be announced on the night and will be sent forward to a communications master class in Dublin on 19-20 March. They will then compete in the Irish final of FAMELAB which will be held in the Science Gallery in Dublin on Thursday, 7 April. The overall national winner will attend the Cheltenham Science Festival, UK in June 2016 and will compete in the FAMELAB International finals. The judges include: Professor Dónal Leech, Dean of NUI Galway’s College of Science Michelle Ní Chróinín, Press Officer, NUI Galway Dr Miriam Haughton, Lecturer, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, NUI Galway Brendan Smith, Education and Community Outreach Officer, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, NUI Galway To attend FAMELAB please register at https://famelabgalway2016.eventbrite.com. Follow the Galway competition on @FameLab_Galway. -Ends-

NUI Galway awarded Research Leader role to implement Ireland’s first National Dementia Strategy to be underpinned by high-quality evidence through research projects funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and The Atlantic Philanthropies Professor Eamon O' Shea, Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway has been selected as Research Leader of Dementia Care as part of the establishment of a new National Centre for Social Research on Dementia, which will start this year as a result of significant investment from the Health Research Board (HRB) and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The establishment of a new National Centre for Social Research on Dementia and a suite of applied projects, exploring topics such as the use of home computer tablets for care management, dementia-friendly hospital design and the links between stroke and dementia, will start this year as a result of significant investment from the HRB and The Atlantic Philanthropies. "The awards are part of a very deliberate and focused plan to improve dementia care", says Graham Love, the Chief Executive of the Health Research Board. "They are aligned with the National Dementia Strategy and they all focus on improving quality of life for people living with dementia and those caring for them. From making our hospitals more friendly for dementia patients, or using technology to remotely track health markers like patient blood pressure and weight, each of these new projects will make a very real and tangible impact on people's lives and improve how we deliver their healthcare services." Mary Sutton, Country Director for The Atlantic Philanthropies added that, "This is part of a broader investment by Atlantic in the development of dementia health and social care. With the HRB, we want to see the dementia landscape transformed through an infusion of new leadership in thought and practice, building research collaborations between academia and the wider practice and policy community both here in Ireland and also internationally." A cornerstone of this integrated approach is the HRB Research Leader position in Dementia care. Professor Eamon O'Shea is a world-renowned expert on dementia and his Research Leader Award (RLA) represents a 5-year investment in dementia research between the HRB, NUI Galway and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The post will be expected to influence and inform national policy and practice and strengthen an evidence-informed approach to healthcare delivery. According to Professor O'Shea, "Too often people use the word 'burden' when talking about dementia. My vision is to champion a research programme and strategy that focuses on choice, capabilities, connectivity and personhood for people with dementia. This investment by the Health Research Board and The Atlantic Philanthropies will enable us to create a National Centre for Social Research on Dementia where the research focuses on the person living with the dementia and their needs, not just their symptoms. Our aim is to do research that looks at the best ways to provide care for people living with dementia that are based on choice rather than just relying on the traditional residential care model. We want to understand how the person connects with others during the care process, and the role of family carers in understanding and delivering care.  Our interest is in personalised, non-pharmacological approaches to care such as physical exercise and the beneficial effects of non-pharmacological interventions. Ultimately it is about putting the person with dementia at the centre of decision-making at all times. We have been very deliberate in our proposals. We are committed to working in partnership with key stakeholders in dementia-related activity and care in Ireland such as the Health Service Executive, the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland, and Genio. We will examine social, economic, civic, cultural and legal aspects of dementia so that we can enhance and enrich the lives of those with the condition." Dr Dympna Casey from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUI Galway will also participate in the dementia research programme. Dr Casey’s role will focus on Comprehensive Resilience-building Psychosocial Intervention (CREST) to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers. The project will combine a number of separate interventions into one umbrella programme to improve the quality of life for patients. It will comprise of four components to address: cognitive stimulation; group physical activity; dementia education; assistive technologies to support personal control and retain skills. The project will finalise the CREST intervention and undertake a pilot evaluation that will lead to a subsequent randomised control trial. The new funidng will support: A HRB Research leader in Dementia to influence and inform national policy and practice and strengthen an evidence-informed approach to healthcare delivery (Award value: €1.6m over five years). A new HRB Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement (ICE) Award (Award value: €572,000, over three years) to support three post-doctoral positions to examine the links between stroke and dementia. Five new Applied Research Projects in Dementia (Award value €1.5m, with each lasting between two and three years). See summaries below for more detail. A new dementia research and practice knowledge exchange network (Award value: €150,000 over two years). This will support an independent, multi-disciplinary network of dementia related researchers, practitioners, patients, families and other stakeholders, to enhance exchange of information and views among members, improve dissemination and awareness of Irish dementia and related research, enhance exchange and public and patient involvement in dementia research and consolidate links and cooperation between all who have an interest in dementia or research. Four PhD Scholarship positionssupported by the HRB SPHeRE programme. This 'first-of-its-kind' in Ireland training programme was established by the HRB to develop a pool of researchers with the specialist skills to conduct population health and health services research. The four scholarships will have a special emphasis on dementia-related topics. ENDS