Events

Taking a fresh look at Interreg

May 20, 2-3pm on Zoom

Interreg is one of the key instruments of the European Union supporting cooperation across borders through project funding. Its aim is to jointly tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in fields such as health, environment, research, education, transport, sustainable energy and more. It funds collaborative cross border and transnational multi-partner projects based arend regions. There are various strands or areas under Interreg based around specific geographical areas. The new programme starting in 2021 is soon to be announced with changes in terms of eligible partnerships due to Brexit. Interreg presents a unique opportunity to develop impactful projects and partnerships in a range of areas. We hope this event will provide an opportunity to scope potential applicant teams and topics from within the Earth Institute and UCD, which could then be pitched via the NCPs to potential partners in the relevant regions. 

UCD has had a number of successes in the programme period 2014-2020. Recent projects include:

ECOSTRUCTURE: climate change adaptation through ecologically sensitive coastal infrastructure (Prof Tasman Crowe (School of Biology and Environmental Science). This project brings together five universities in Wales and Ireland to research and raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to the challenge of coastal adaptation to climate change.

Healthy Oats (Prof Fiona Doohan, School of Biology & Environmental Science) This project aims to help farmers and industry prepare for the changes pending under the EU Green deal, including reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides. Led by UCD, in collaboration with Aberystwyth University, Swansea University and Teagasc, researchers are working with agricultural communities and stakeholders to promote the health, economic and environmental benefits of growing oats.

CCAT: Coastal Communities Adapting Together (Dr Karen Foley, School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy). CCAT aims to build adaptive capacity for climate change by improving knowledge flow and awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation for the Irish Sea and coastal communities. Partners include Cardiff University, Fingal County Council, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Port of Milford Haven, University College Cork.

ACCLIMATIZE (Prof Wim Meijer, School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science). Funded under the Ireland Wales Programme, the project’s aim is to work out how bathing waters at the seaside become polluted in a way that can impact on public health, and how climate change may affect the quality of these waters in the future.

Agenda

• Brendan Mooney, the National Contact Point (NCP) will give an overview of both the Northern Periphery and the Arctic and Atlantic Area, with an overview of European policy shift in the next round of funding. He will outline what is to be expected in the forthcoming programme announcements and what researchers can do to prepare.
• Panel discussion with UCD Interreg projects leads (Acclimatize, CCAT, and ECOSTRUCTURE) talking about their experiences

 

 

World Bee Day coffee morning

May 20, 11-12 pm, Online

Email mark.clare@ucd.ie to register

To celebrate World Bee Day, UCD Earth Institute, Dunlaoghaire Rathdown Co. Co & UCD Parity Studios invite you to participate in the MISSING workshop. This workshop is FREE – pre registration essential.

Solitary Bees pollinate more flowers than any other group of insects ensuring that plant communities are healthy and productive. Without them mammals and birds would not have the seeds, berries, or plants on which they depend. Osmia aurulenta is the only solitary bee in Ireland that makes its nest in empty snail shells.

Over the last 30 years up to 30% of Irelands insects have disappeared. A recent UN report highlighted 1,000,000 species are in danger of extinction due to human impact. This symbiotic relationship between Osmia aurulenta and the snail shells that she makes her nest in represents a creative and sensitive approach to existing harmoniously within ones natural environment.

The Unavoidable Interconnectedness of Everything is an ambitious art project that will engage people, of all ages, to produce an artwork consisting of 1,000,000 individual, handmade ceramic ‘shells’, each one representing an endangered species. If you would like to participate in this project please join us for a free workshop where you will be invited to produce a ceramic snail shell that will be used in the final artwork.

The workshop involves a short presentation on the role of solitary bees on local biodiversity. Thereafter ceramic artist Mairead Stafford will give a practical demonstration on ways of working with clay to produce a ‘shell’. Participants will then be invited to produce their own individual artworks.

Individual kits containing clay will be available to pick up in UCD ahead of the workshop. If you cannot pick up a kit but would still like to participate in the workshop plasticine can work as a creative alternative. This finished artworks will be Pit fired in UCD at a later date. Covid restrictions allowing participants will be able to come along to this event.

Anyone interested in participating should contact mark.clare@ucd.ie to register.

 

Coffee Morning with Aidan O'Sullivan

May 27, 11-11.30 am on Zoom

All are welcome to join us for the last Earth Institute coffee morning of the trimester with Professor Aidan O'Sullivan from the School of Archaeology!