The UCD CHAS Collaborative Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Grants aim to foster collaboration between educators in at least two CHAS schools. The goal is to enhance the educational experience and outcomes for our students through a collaborative approach to educational innovation within CHAS.
We received 13 full funding applications from across the College addressing a broad range of topics. Following the adjudication process, we are pleased to be able to confirm the award of CHAS Collaborative Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Grants to the three top ranked applications. We extend our warmest congratulations to the project leads and their teams on the following funded projects.
1. ImPACT: An Interdisciplinary Professional Approach to Concept-based Teaching
A concept-based approach to curriculum design in healthcare professional education has been proposed to address issues of content overload, modular fragmentation and repetition. Recently, health and social care profession (HSCP) regulators moved to principle-based minimum professional standards. The standards directly guide curriculum design, teaching, and assessment in higher education. Consequently, HSCPS share common professional competencies and standards, particularly relevant to cognitive competencies, professional behaviour, safe and collaborative healthcare, communications, clinical decision making, and evidence-based practice. This project represents interdisciplinary and inclusive curriculum development. It will provide a roadmap of concept-based education opportunities across HSCP disciplines that will be relevant beyond the project phase. Formal co-design was initiated in April 2025 with four students joining the academic team as co-applicants and contributing ideas and feedback to the project proposal. A template for student co-design and implementation of inclusive, concept-based interdisciplinary teaching and learning activities supported by education technology will be another key output.
Project Lead: Dr Sarah Browne (SPHPSS)
Project Team: Dr Freda Browne (SNMHS), Assoc. Prof. Michael Connolly (SNMHS), Ms Ruth Charles (SPHPSS), Professor Clare Corish (SPHPSS), Dr Allison McGee (SoM), Ms Laura McMahon (SPHPSS), Associate Professor Grainne O’Donoghue (SPHPSS), Dr Keith Smart (SPHPSS), Dr Elaine Wilson (SSPSWSJ), Ms Ciara O’Kane (student partner), Ms Emily Quinn (student partner), Mr Joe Nolan (student partner), Ms Allyson Maria Smith (student partner)
2. Building bridges in health and social care education: co-designing a virtual simulation for interprofessional competency development
Pre-registration programmes in health and social care provide students with the skills relevant to each individual discipline. However, students often lack opportunities to gain the interprofessional competencies required to provide optimum patient care. Thus, our graduates learn to function independently in discipline specific silos and enter the workforce unprepared to function as active interprofessional team members. To address this challenge, a number of CHAS Schools have begun introducing in-person interprofessional simulation-based education (SBE). However, due to its realistic nature, without preparation SBE can heighten students' emotional distress (Cantrell et al., 2017). Using virtual simulation as an interprofessional pre-briefing tool, this project will introduce foundational concepts, scaffold knowledge, and act as a primer for in-person SBE and clinical practice placements. Aligned with international simulation standards (INACSL 2021), this project will prepare students to meaningfully engage with interprofessional working through co-designing and evaluating an accessible, virtual, open-educational resource (OER).
Project Lead: Dr Lisa Rogers (SNMHS)
Project Team: Dr Freda Browne (SNMHS), Assoc. Prof Tara Cusack (SPHPSS), Dr Rachel Toomey (SoM), Ms Siobhan Brereton (SNMHS), Assoc. Prof. Sarah Donnelly (SSPSWSJ)
3. From Wax to Web – A 3D Revolution in Anatomy Learning: Digitisation of Physical Models Using Photogrammetry in Anatomy Education
This interdisciplinary project brings together the Schools of Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery, and Veterinary Medicine to pilot the use of photogrammetry in anatomy education. Using accessible photographic techniques and specialised software, we will create high-quality, manipulable 3D models of 19th-century wax embryology specimens currently housed in the School of Medicine's anatomy museum. These models will be integrated into the digital learning environment, enhancing spatial understanding and student engagement across human and veterinary anatomy. The project avoids the ethical and logistical complexities of cadaveric material in its initial phase, while laying the groundwork for future digitisation of prosected human and animal specimens. Through shared workflows, cross- school training, and a final public workshop, this initiative will promote sustainable interdisciplinary collaboration and provide a scalable model for future integration of interactive 3D content across CHAS curricula.
Project Lead: Dr Mark Pickering (SoM)
Project Team: Dr Tom Flanagan (SoM), Ms Catherine McCarney (SVM), Dr Paula Cornally (SNMHS)