Understanding Health Research
Consistent with our ambition of being an internationally recognised, research-intensive University, the School encourages our undergraduate students to participate in our Summer Student Research Initiatives. Each year, approximately 70 undergraduate students from our five degree programmes undertake an 8-week supervised laboratory, clinical or patient-centred research project which are designed to develop key scientific skills.
Health Science is changing rapidly such that much of the information that we teach our students will be superseded with new knowledge as it emerges during their careers as Doctors, Radiographers and Scientists. Society rightly expects healthcare professionals to be able to explain to patients and their families how to maintain health, the causes & course of disease and outline treatment options available. They must do so in a way that can be understood by a "non-scientific" audience.
Hence, in addition to imparting scientific knowledge, we must develop within our students skills of enquiry and critical-thinking and ensure that they develop effective communication skills. As a result, our students take part in two competitions (a) Scientific Research (b) Research Communications.
- Research Competition - 27th September 2011
The Research competition involves scientific review by UCD investigators and culminates in a poster competition on Tuesday 27th September 2011 from 5pm. Approximately 70 students will present their research methods and findings to a panel of 40 academic investigators attached to the School, our research institutes and our affiliate hospitals. This gives our students their first experience of defending their research work to a scientific audience - a key skill for successful researchers. Our students are also required to submit their research work for publication in the Irish Journal of Medical Science.
Gold, Silver and Bronze research winners will be chosen by the Academic Review Panel. Winners will be announced at the School's Research Awards evening on Wednesday 5th October 2011.
- Research Communications - 28th September 2011
Twenty four students from our Summer Student Research initiative have agreed to participate in our Research Communications competition. Students have been given communication skills training and will be required to present the same research project to a non-scientific audience in a poster competition on Wednesday 28th September 2011 from 5pm.
Students will describe their work to a Public Communications Review Panel comprising communications professionals from UCD, the medical press and from patient advocate groups.
Six students will be chosen to make short oral presentations at our key public engagement event which takes place on Wednesday 5th October 2011 from 5pm in UCD Health Sciences Centre.
Summer Student Research Awards - 5th October 2011
Our Summer Student Research Awards evening will be held on Wednesday 5th October 2011 from 5pm until 9pm in the UCD Health Sciences Centre.
In a change to previous years, this event will focus on public engagement with the School under the theme of "Understanding Health Research".
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Six students from our Research Communications competition will make short presentations to a general public audience.
Their performance will be assessed by three adjudication panels comprising:
(a) previous SSRA winners
(b) academic and research staff
(c) Communications Professionals.
We are delighted to welcome a number of national personalities with experience of communications with the general public.
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Medals will be presented for both the Research Competition and the Research Communications Competition. This evening will also recognise the Medical Graduates Association awards for research by graduates of the School.
This event is an opportunity for the general public to engage with the students and staff of the UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science in an evening of discourse on health research. All are welcome to attend and can register by emailing ssra@ucd.ie.
Programme & Event Sponsors
We are grateful to the following groups who have sponsored the Summer Student Research Awards:
- UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science
- UCD Medical Graduates Association
- MSD Ireland
- Alpha Technologies
- Irish Medical Times
The School would like to acknowledge the public figures, media and communications professionals and our patient advocate partners for giving generously of their time in support of undergraduate student research and improved public understanding of health research.
