Outcomes and Impacts

Dissemination and engagement

In UCD, we have a vibrant community of researchers, science communicators and educators who participate in activities and initiatives in public engagement and research stakeholder engagement.
Funding agencies including the Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Research Board, and the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020 all place significant weight on the need for greater engagement with public research stakeholders.  
In addition, there is increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact that research has beyond academia both at the grant application stages and also at the reporting stage.  Engagement with research stakeholders and public engagement can be a pathway to impact.

Engaged Research
Engaged Research describes research approaches and methodologies which involve collaboration with publics and research stakeholders and which aim to improve, understand or investigate issues of public concern (IUA, 2016). Public research stakeholders include:

  • Public or professional service and product users
  • Government and policymakers – local, national and international
  • Civil and civic society organisations, for example charities, patient advocates, local community groups
  • Others

Public Engagement
Public Engagement describes the many different ways in which research and activities of higher education can be shared with the public. Public engagement creates the opportunity for people to exchange ideas and information and learn from each other.
Public engagement:

  • Enhances the reputation of UCD
  • Develops institutional ambassadors and role models, thereby raising the profile of UCD academics nationally and internationally
  • Develops the communication skills of UCD researchers and students
  • Underpins the civic and civil responsibilities of the university by inviting various publics to experience its work and engage with its communities
  • Contributes to addressing UCD's six research priorities in Agri-food, Culture, Economy and Society, Energy, Environment, Health and ICT, through collaboration, co-production and involvement with multiple stakeholders and diverse audiences. 

Self-Service Supports

Engaged Research:
Engaged Research Toolkits are available from the Irish Universities Association (IUA)

Public Engagement:

Public Policy:
For monitoring public policy, a number of sources may be useful:

  • Merrion Street  for Government Press Releases.
  • Kildarestreet.comis a searchable archive of everything that's been said in the Dáil, and all written parliamentary questions, since January 2004. It also includes everything said in the Seanad since September 2002, and all Committee meetings since September 2012. Alerts can be set up for keywords and TDs or Ministers.
  • Houses of the Oireachtas you can sign up for alerts on This Week in the Houses of the Oireachtas, The Dáil Schedule and The Committee Schedule.

Central Supports

ServicesContact Details
Communications Training:
Using theatre and improvisation tools to provide communications training for researchers and academics, this training will help you communicate more effectively with multiple audiences, your partners and teams and people outside your field of expertise.
Communications Training for Researchers