BookofAbstracts

Contents AFeatofClay:PalaeontologyEngagementthroughArt.......................................................................2

CellExplorers_STEMEngagementInSchoolsDeliveredByHigherEducationInstitutions...................3

CREATE:TheArtofPregnancy,Birth&Beyond....................................................................................4

DebunkingtheMyths-Thesciencebehindwomen’shealth.................................................................5

DivingintoArt,Science,Technology&Knowledge:CatchingAWave..................................................6

DublinMaker.........................................................................................................................................7

Engaging youngpeoplewith cancer immunotherapy communicationusinga creativearts (STEAM)approach................................................................................................................................................8

HarnessingthepowerofdigitalbadgestohelpcreatefuturereadyGraduates................................10

HowtobringImmunoloytoschools–abestpracticereportforaschoollab....................................11

Howtobring60nerdstogetheronastage?.......................................................................................12

IntroducingCreativityintoaPostgradOutreachModule...................................................................13

Purlsofwisdom: spinningayarnof Ireland’s changingclimate tounderstand theknittygrittyofasustainablefuture................................................................................................................................14

RealTalkwithRealMums....................................................................................................................15

ScienceforAll:CommunicatingSciencetochildrenwithsightloss....................................................16

Tellingthestoryofsewerfatbergsusingcreativeapproaches...........................................................17

The IS-SEC-Q: A validated instrument to assess the impact of science outreach interventions onchildren’sconfidencetodoscience....................................................................................................18

TheuseofgraphicdesigntoimprovesciencecommunicationwithinIrishresearchprojects...........19

Undergraduate Student Co-Creation of an Intervention to Promote Physics to Female SecondarySchoolStudents...................................................................................................................................20

What do evaluationpractices reveal about theworking life of public engagementprofessionals inIreland? An exploration of the experiences of Education and Public Engagementmanagers in SFIResearchCentres.................................................................................................................................21

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A Feat of Clay: Palaeontology Engagement through Art Elspeth Wallace1, Anthea Lacchia1,2, Elaine Harrington3, Fergus McAuliffe1, Emma Morris1,2, PeterHaughton1,2

Institutions:

1.IrishCentreforResearchinAppliedGeosciences2UniversityCollegeDublin3UniversityCollegeDublinParityArtistinResidence

Palaeontologyispossiblythemosteffectivetooltoengagepublicswiththeearthsciences.However,theaudiencesreachedbypalaeontologicalengagementareoftenlimitedtorecurringgroups,suchas familieswithyoungchildrenandadultswithapre-held interest in the sciences.Here,wehavetaken a novel approach to broadening the audiences reached by palaeontological engagementthrough collaboration with the arts. University College Dublin seed funding has enabled a pilotworkshoptobedevelopedandrunalongsideUCDParityArtistinResidenceElaineHarrington.Intheworkshop, participants were introduced to a range of fossils and the geoscience involved inproducingclayforceramics.Theywerethenencouragedtocreateafossil-inspiredartworkfromtheprovided clays. Participants actively engaged with and were inspired by the palaeontologicalmaterial.The2.5-hourworkshopwasheldonaSaturdayafternoonatacommunitycentreinruralwesternIrelandwithlowlevelsofscientificengagement.Attendees(25people)werepredominantlyfemalesbetweentheagesof30and60,whichsuggeststheworkshopwassuccessfulinbroadeningengagedaudiences.Weintendtobuildonthissuccess infutureeventsandexpandtheprojectbycreatingtransportableceramicmodels.Suggestionsforfutureworkshopsarewelcomed.

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Cell Explorers_STEM Engagement In Schools Delivered By Higher Education Institutions MurielGrenon1,ShaneMcGuinness1,SarahCarroll1,MayaFrost2,DrCarolineGilleranStephens3,DrSuzanneLinnane3,DrGuiomarGarcia-Cabellos4,DrTimYeoman5,DrGeraldineTwamley-Stein5,DrAntoinette O’Grady5, Samantha Prior5, Mary Carr6, Dr Elisa Fadda7, Dr SineadMiggin7, Dr KellieDean8,Dr Eoin Fleming8, KarenMcGibney9,DrAudreyO’Grady10,Dr FionaO’Halloran11,DrMaireBegley11,DrKarenFinn11,DrAnthoniaDonovan12,MarieWalsh13.

Cell EXPLORERS is an educational outreach programme that aims to inform, inspire, and involveyoungpeopleinscience.Basedontheactivitiesofavolunteeringteammadeofstudentsandstafffromhighereducationinstitutions(HEIs),theprogrammebringsexcitementofsciencetothepublic,increases public engagement with “Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM)” andhighlightsitsimportanceinsociety.

Cell EXPLORERSusesauniquemodel for sustainable sciencepublicengagement inHEIs,originallydeveloped in NUI Galway. It engages students in educational outreach activities as part of theircurriculumandalsoworkswithagrowingvolunteeringbasemadeofstudentsandresearchers.Thisorganisation underpins themodel’s sustainability and has the dual benefits of engaging children,young people and the public in STEM whilst developing key graduate student attributes andresearchers’publicengagementskills.

In 2019, the programme has 13 teams established in HEIs nationally, including the original NUIGalway team. An important aim of the programme is to combat the stereotypes associatedwithscience (e.g. science is boring anddifficult) – and scientists (e.g. scientists are typically oldwhite,mad men wearing glasses, facial hair and a lab coat). The team of volunteers brings a positiveengaging scienceexperienceand informationon sciencecareers to childrenatanagewhere theymakedecisionsabouttheirinterestinSTEMormaketheirchoiceofSTEMasacareer.Duringtheseactivities,participants impersonatescientistsandarementoredby local scientists, facilitatingreal-lifescienceexperiencesandone-to-oneinteractionswithsciencerolemodels.

Thestructureandorganisationoftheprogramme,itscharacteristicsandfindingsonits impactwillbepresented.Inparticular,currentevaluationoftheprogrammehighlightsself-reportedbenefitsofparticipationbyteammembersaswellaspositiveimpactsonchildren’sperceptionsofscienceandscientists.

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CREATE: The Art of Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond

EliseBelmonte

CREATE-TheArtofPregnancy,BirthandBeyondwasafreeartexhibitionthatshowcasedcommonpregnancyandnew-bornhealthissuesandcelebratedtheimpactofperinatalresearchonmothersand babies in Ireland and internationally. The project aimed to engage an audience of public,patients, healthcare professionals and researchers to create an exhibition with a diverse field ofvoices,experiences,topicsandartisticmedia.Thisexcitingandnovelformatwaschosenbecauseattheheartofbothartandresearchiscuriosity.Researchandartallowustoaskquestionsandtofindanswers.Whatbettermediumtoexploreandcelebrateperinatalresearch?

CREATE received over 80 submissions during the Open Call. 13 pieces were chosen, touching ontopics ranging fromperinatalmentalhealth tobereavementandpregnancy loss, IVF, labour,birthexperiences, and breastfeeding, as well as exploring how health research helps women andnewborns.

Theexhibitionwasshowcasedin4uniquespaces–amixofculturalandgalleryspaces,andclinicalandresearchenvironments.AftertheinitialexhibitioninScienceGallery,whichhostedaround3,000visitorsovertwoweeks in July2018, theexhibitionmovedtotheRotundaHospitalduringCultureNightand,thefollowingyear,theprojecttouredtovenuesnationwideincludingSt.Peter’sinCork,UniversityHospitalGalwayandNUIGcampus.Theexhibitionwelcomedover14,000visitors intenmonths.

Thegrowthofthisprojectindicatesthevaluablerolethatartandcommunicationhavetoplayinthedisseminationofhealthresearchandknowledgetothepublic.

ThisprojectisaninitiativeoftheHRBMotherandBabyClinicalTrialsNetworkandtheRotundaRCSIResearch department and was funded by the Health Research Board through its KnowledgeExchangeDisseminationProgramme.

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Debunking the Myths-The science behind women’s health

AineO’Flaherty

“Debunking the Myths-The Science behind women’s health” is a workshop series for teenagersfocusedonwomen’shealth.Intoday’sclimateof‘fakenews’itcanbedifficultforteenagerstofindreliablesourcesof informationaboutsexualandreproductivehealth.Manyteenagersare learningabouttheirbodiesandthesehealthissuesfromfilm,televisionandsocialmedia.

WehostedfourworkshopsintheRotundaHospital,eachfor50secondaryschoolstudentsfromthecommunity,todiscussanddebunkanumberofmythsassociatedwithwomen’shealth.Wetargetedsecondaryschools intheDublinarea,withaparticularfocusonschools intheRotundacatchmentarea.Thetopicsthatwerecoveredwerethoseofparticularrelevancetostudentsinthe15-18yearoldbracket,importanttopicssuchasPeriods,theVagina,theHPVvaccineandContraception.

Theaimoftheseworkshopswastoexaminetheactualscienceofwomen’shealth.Theworkshopsalsoofferedasafespaceforteenagerstoaskqualifiedprofessionalsabouttopicsrelatedtosexualhealth. They provided a forum for young people in the community to explore the science behindwomen’shealth.It isincreasinglyimportanttoeducateouryoungpeopleabouttheadvancementsin health research and tomake them aware of the various preventative and screeningmeasuressuch as the HPV vaccine, and the CervicalCheck programmewhich continue to be developed. Byinformingyoungpeopleaboutwhatishealthyaccordingtoprovenscientificresearchwearegivingthemthetoolstomakeinformeddecisionsabouttheirhealthandwellbeing.

ThisprojectisaninitiativeoftheHRBMotherandBabyClinicalTrialsNetworkandtheRotundaRCSIResearchdepartment andwas fundedby theHRB through its knowledge exchangedisseminationprogramme.

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Diving into Art, Science, Technology & Knowledge: Catching A Wave

HesterWhyte1andAoifeDeane1incollaborationwiththeCatchingaWaveCollective2

1MaREI,theSFIResearchCentreforEnergy,ClimateandMarine,UniversityCollegeCork,Ireland

Contactdetails:hester.whyte@ucc.ieandaoife.deane@ucc.ie

Communicating science to engage stakeholders and generate change remains one of the biggestchallengesofourtime. Inaworldofconstantlyshiftingbiophysicalandsocialrealities,wefaceanever-evolvingneed fornew ideasaround sustainabledevelopment.CatchingaWave representsacollectiveofmultiandtransdisciplinaryresearchers fromsixuniversitiesbased intheUSA,UKandIreland,combiningexpertiseinenvironmental,socialsciencesandthearts.

CatchingaWaveisplannedasaniterativesea-levelrisemulti-mediainstallationtoactasacatalystfor a transdisciplinary approach to shift individual and collectivemind-sets towards action on sealevelriseandconsiderationforthepeoplewholive,workandinteractwithinatriskcoastalspaces.

Each wave “subject” is captured in detail through being photographed from multiple angles,capturingasmanyofsurfacesaspossible.Theresultingdigitaloutput is thenprintedtocreate3Dmodelswhicharethenusedaspatternsforglassmoulds.Imagesandtextrelatingtooceanhealthareembeddedby fusing them intotheglasswavesso theyarestill readable throughthepolishedsidesofthewave.

Usinga transdisciplinaryapproach toovercomebarriers in language,discipline specific jargonandsiloed thinking, the project team are exploring ways of integrating voices of coastal and islandpeoplesandcommunitieswhoareoftenmarginalized.ThephilosophyandnatureoftheCatchingAWaveprojectinitsmanyandvariedformshasthelibertyandpotentialtogenerateshifts insocialperceptionsinwaysthatscienceanddataalonecurrentlydonot.

ThisinitiativeispartofamovementtoreinvigoratelinkagesbetweentheartsandsciencesinordertoaddressurgentissuesofourtimeundertheauspicesoftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals.

Keywords:CoastalandOceanSustainability,Communication,Art,Science&TechnologyIntegration,Transdisciplinarity2CatchingAWavecollec0ve:ShonaPaterson(GlobalChallengesResearchFellow,BrunelUniversity,UK),Mar.nLeTissier(UCC,Ireland),HesterWhyte(UCC,Ireland),LisaBethRobinson(EastCarolinaUniversity,USA),Kris@nThielkingUniversityofWisconsin,StevensPoint,USA)andMrillIngram(Independentscholar&editorforTheProgressivemagazine)catchingawave.org

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Dublin Maker VickyTwomey-Lee,LauraTobin,JeffreyRoe,DavidMcKeownandTomasWard

DublinMakerisanannualfree,familyfriendlyshowcaseofinvention,creativityandresourcefulnessfrom the local community ofmakers.Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters, educators,tinkerers, hobbyists,engineers, artists, science clubs, students, authors and commercialexhibitors.In2019wehadover60diversemakersofallagesandbackgrounds,exhibitingprojectsfromtraditionallacemakingtosatellites.

DublinMakerallowsthepublictoseetechnologysuchas3Dprinters,CNC,woodturning,RaspberryPiandlasersinactionandaccessibleoutsideofacademic,commercialandindustrialsettings.Manyofthestandsencourageactiveparticipationsovisitorscantrytheirhandattheprojectratherthanjust viewingademoof finishedproduct. This approachallows for a two-waydialoguewithpublicengagementwhichbenefitsboththemakersandthevisitors.Wehavefoundthatasaresult,visitorshavetakenupnewskills,therehasbeencollaborationsandformervisitorshavebecomemakersthefollowingyear.

Eachyeartheeventhasgrownandexpandedtobecomemoreinclusiveandtoreachaudiencesthataren’talreadyinterestedinSTEM.WecheckforbarrierstoaccesstoDublinMakerandimplementchangestoensurethatwehaveaccessibility.

This yearDublinMaker launched a new2-year programme,MADE funded by Science FoundationIreland and hosted by Dublin City University. MADE will knit together a currently fragmentedregionalmaker scene through the introductionof a seriesof initiatives coordinatedbyourMakerAdvocate, Vicky Twomey-Lee.One of the first projectswithMADEwas in collaborationwithDCCLibrariesonconvertingamobilelibraryvanintoamobilemakervanwhichisnowinoperation.

DublinMaker’smissionistoentertain,informandconnectthemakersofIreland,whileinspiringthenextgenerationofIreland’smakersandinventors.

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Engaging young people with cancer immunotherapy communication using a creative arts (STEAM) approach AnnaWedderburn1,2,GraceDarcy2,JoannaCrispell2,JoanneLysaght3,andClionaO’Farrelly1

[1]TrinityBiomedicalSciencesInstitute,TrinityCollegeDublin

[2]ScienceGalleryDublin,TrinityCollegeDublin

[3]TrinityTranslationalMedicalInstitute,TrinityCollegeDublin

Weknowthathavingfunwhilelearningaffectsmotivationandmemoryretention.Withthisinmind,wedesignedaworkshopcalled‘CancerUncovered’for15-17yearolds,whichexplainsthebasicsofcancerbiology,theimmunesystem,andcancerimmunotherapeutics.ThiswasfundedbytheKEDSprogrammefromtheHRB.Theworkshopdesignedtorunoverfourdays,consistsoftopic-focusedtalks and especially designed interactive learning activities/games (Fig 1). These are interspersedwith ‘creativity’ sessions suchas stopmotionwithplasticine (Fig2), aprintworkshop (Fig3), anddrama, all designed to give students opportunity to explorematerial introduced during the focussessions. This STEAM approach allowed students to creatively explore and consolidate scientificvocabularyandconceptstheyhadacquiredthroughouttheday.

WerantheworkshopforthefirsttimeinNovember2018.23transitionyearstudents(13girlsand9boys)wererecruitedthroughScienceGalleryDublinfromacrossIreland.50%ofplaceswereheldforschoolsincommunitiesatriskofdisadvantageandsocialexclusion.

Participants’ knowledge was evaluated on the first and final day of the workshop. We saw asignificantincreaseinunderstanding,particularlywhentheinformationacquiredwasaccompaniedby learning activities/games. For example,wehad a gamebasedonmetastasis - on the first day,35% of the class correctly answered the question ‘what ismetastasis’, whereas on the final day,100% of students got this correct. We also assess enjoyment; 86.4% of participants wouldrecommend the workshop to a family member/friend, and when asked if they had enjoyed theweek,allparticipantsanswered‘yes’.

Inthefuture,wehopetobringthisworkshoptoteenagerswhohavebeendiagnosedwithcancer,asit has been demonstrated that individuals who understand their diagnosis and treatment have abetterprognosis.

Figure1:Someofthegamescreatedtoenhancestudentslearningexperience.

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Figure2:Snapshotsoftheclaymationcreations.

Figure2:Outputfromtheprintworkshopcarriedoutbyparticipants.

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Harnessing the power of digital badges to help create future ready Graduates

O’BRIENAnneMarie

Ireland

Higher education has seen an upsurge in recent times in using digital badges for studentdevelopment.Accordingtoastudycarriedoutin2017[1]manystudentsinhighereducationtodayhave grown up with the internet and consider digital media to be a very useful learning tool. ADigitalBadgerepresentsanaccomplishment inthesamewaythatatraditionalbadgesuchasonereceivedfromthegirlguideswould.However,adigitalbadgeisavailableonlineandcontainsallthemetadataandlinksrequiredtoexplainitscontextandmeaning.Inessencedigitalbadgesareusedbyeducatorstopromotethreethings:motivation,statusrecognitionandevidenceofachievement[2].Takingallthisintoaccounttheyhavethepotentialwhenusedcorrectlytobecomeanalternativesystemforawardingmicro-credentials.ThepieceofworkundertakenforthispaperlookedatalargescalepilotstudytoawardDigitalBadgestoparticipantandcategorywinnersinIreland’sfirstScienceUndergraduate Research Experience network (SURE) conference (2018) aimed at students fromInstitutes of Technology. The conference ran simultaneously over three venueswith over 28 oralpresenters, 64 poster presentations and almost 600delegates. A total of 104digital badgeswereawardedfromtheSUREnetworkwithanacceptancerateof79%.Afollowupsurveyofrecipientsrevealedthatwhile90%hadnevercomeacrossadigitalbadgetheyfounditeasytoacceptand75%said theywould use it on LinkedIn and CV. The recipients found the badges amotivating factor,some expressed concerns that employersmight not recognise their value yet. However, 58% stillstatedthattheywouldbeusefulfortheircareer.Followingonfromthissuccessfulpilot,thedigitalbadgeswillbeusedinsubsequentSUREnetworkconferenceswithanannualevaluationmeasuringtheimpactofthebadgesplanned.

Keywords:Digitalbadge,UndergraduateScienceResearch,Conference,Impact

[1] Dowling-Hetherington, L. & Glowtaz, M. “The Usefulness of Digital Badges in HigherEducation: Exploring the Students’ Perspectives”, Irish Journal of Academic Practice, Dublin,2017.6(1).

[2] Gibson, D., Ostashewsk, N., Flintoff, K. & Grant, S. and knight, E. “Education andInformation Technologies Education”. The Official Journal of the IFIP Technical Committee onEducation.2013,403-410.

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How to bring Immunoloy to schools – a best practice report for a school lab

Dr.ElisabethJurack

PressOfficerattheClusterofExcellenceImmunoSensation2

UniversityofBonn

e.jurack@uni-bonn.de

+4922828751283

RightnowinGermanythetopicsofimmunologyandtheimmunesystemarenotbeingteachedatschools. Rising numbers of non-vaccinated children and adults are presenting a high risk of onceerradicatedinfectiousdiseasescomingback.Toteachyoungstudentsabouttheimmunesystemandhowlab-workisbeingdoneinanimmunologicalenvironment,weestablishedfromscratchaschoollab called ‚ImmunoLogisch’. It consists of two parts: first lab work by conducting an experimentdealingwithmeaslesandsecondapartwherethestudents learnaboutthedayofa technician inthelabwithavideoinselfie-styleandatourinthebiggestlaboncampuswithover40techniciansworking in it. The students are drawn to the topic in the beginning by starting with building ascenario of ameasles outbreak inwhich they should provide help. The school lab finisheswith adiscussionaboutvaccination.Nexttothetopicofimmunology,studentsareaswellbeingeducatedaboutscientificmethodsandgoodscientificpracticeinthelab.ThewholeconceptwasenbeddedintheprogramforPromotingYouthScientificCareerAwarenessanditsAttractivenessthroughMulti-stakeholder Cooperation–MultiCO.MultiCOwas fundedwithin theHorizon2020project from theEuropeanUnion.

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How to bring 60 nerds together on a stage?

Dr. Veli Vural Uslu Epigenetics Department AgroScience GmbH, Alplanta 67435 Neustadt a.d. Weinstrasse Germany

Oneofthebiggestchallengesofsciencecommunicationistobringthelaymen,whoarenotinterestedinscience,andtheresearchers,whoarenotinterestedinlaymen,together.Inordertoengageresearchersinsciencecommunicationandthepublicinscience,atheatrebasedexperiment,whichIinitiatedfouryearsago,canserveasasuccessfulmodelplatform.Thisproject,SciComHD,beganwithafewrandomresearchersintheuniversitycampus.Afterafewroundsofsimplestagetraining,therehearsalsturnedintoanever-growingplatformwhereresearcherscouldexpresstheirdailyfrustrations-sometimesveryvividly.Withtheplentyofstoriesthatresearchersbroughtinfromtheirlaboratories,wewroteandperformedseveraltheatreplayssuchas„RomeoandJulietintheLab“,whereRomeoandJulietaretwoPhDstudentswhofallinloveataconferenceandtheircompetingbossesdonotletthembetogether.Inparallel,theactorsalsoparticipatedinanewformatofsciencecommunicationandtalkedabouttheiractualresearchinatheatresetuportheyjustdancedtheirresearchonthestage.Sofar,thisprojecthasgatheredmorethan60scientistsfrom30countriesandweperformed10differenttheatreplaysandseveraldozensofshows.Theticketsweresoldoutinalmosteverysingleshowandwemanagetoreachouttoseveralthousandsofpeople.Alloftheseprojectsrunwithnoexternalfundingandinanon-profitbasistobeasustainablemodelevenforlowbudgetlocalinitiativesinthefuture.Altogetherthisfunexperimentdemonstratesthatsuchtheaterbasedprojectscanbeasuccessfulmodeltoencouragethescientistsforreflectingontheirextraordinaryresearchandordinarylablifetolaymen.

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Introducing Creativity into a Postgrad Outreach Module

Name:DrJohnO’Donoghue

Institution:TrinityCollegeDublinandTheRoyalSocietyofChemistry

In TCD Chemistry our PhD students complete a semi-structured programme with a number offlexible modules available to fit around their research. The OutreachModule has formalised theeducationandpublicengagementtrainingforourPhDstudents,withasummarisedversionofthemodule rolled out to other institutions aswell. Spectroscopy in a Suitcase (SIAS) is an SFI fundedhands-onactivitydelivered in schoolsbypostrgad studentambassadors from6 institutions. Ithasbeen running in Ireland for over 5 years, giving hundreds of chemistry PhD students a uniqueopportunitytohonetheircommunicationskills.

SIAS forms a key part of the PostgradOutreachmodule in TCD andUCD since it acts as the core“work experience” component alongside other opportunities. The module also includes formalworkshops in Science Communication, Evidence based Science Education theories and Self-Reflection.Startinglastyear,partofthemoduleassessmentnowrequiresstudentstoworkinpairsto create and test new outreach activities, presenting their ideas to the wider TCD Chemistrycommunityforcriticaldiscussion.Theyareassessedontheoriginalityandaccessibilityoftheirideaaswellastheirpresentationskillsandstyleofdelivery.

Thisposterwillpresenttheresultsgatheredfromparticipantsthroughafocusgroupinterviewrunin2018 and two surveys conducted in 2016 and 2018. Key skills identified by the PhD ambassadorswhichweredevelopedorimprovedbySIASinclude“PublicSpeaking”and“ScienceCommunication”amongothers.Intermsoftraining;63%oftherespondentsfeltfurthertraininginpresentationandcommunicationskillswouldbeuseful.TheresultsfromthisresearchwerecollatedandformedthebasisoftheredesignedOutreachModule.Thenewlyrevampedmodulehasjustcompleteditsfirstfullacademicyearandthefeedbackfromparticipantshasbeenverypositivetodate.

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Purls of wisdom: spinning a yarn of Ireland’s changing climate to understand the knitty gritty of a sustainable future. ElspethWallace1,FergusMcAuliffe1

1IrishCentreforResearchinAppliedGeosciences,UCD

Earth’sclimateiswarming.Thisisanindisputablefact,isregularlyreportedonandisunderstoodbypublicsonaglobalscale.However,onalocalscale,theproblemislessvisible.PurlsofWisdomisanew, yarn-basedapproach to raisingawarenessof Ireland’s changing climate. Theproject aims toreachnewaudienceswithinartistic/craftingcircles.DuringtheirparticipationwithPurlsofWisdom,thoseinvolvedareempoweredtocreatevisualartwhichdisplaystheeffectsofawarmingclimateonIrelandspecifically.Participantsuseclimatedatasetstocreateblankets,garmentsorothervisualartformswhichdisplaydatathrougharraysofcolour.Dataissplitintoacolourstoryinwhicheachcolour represents a subset of data (e.g. 10°C or 2mm rainfall) and each row ofknitting/crotchet/other represents a year. In this way, the created endpiece displays change inclimatethroughtimeascolourshifts.

AkeyconsiderationofthePurlsofWisdominitiativeissustainability.Participantsareencouragedtouse yarns for their projects that contain natural fibres, ideally sourced from, spun and dyed inIreland. This limits the amount of non-recyclable materials used during the initiative, and theinitiative’scarbonfootprint.ApotentialexpansionforPurlsofWisdomwillincludefurtheremphasisonthe‘fastfashion’industryandcreationofraisedawarenessofitscontributiontoclimatechange.

The Purls of Wisdom initiative, which began in November 2019, will run the course of a year,culminatinginashowcaseoftheprojectsinDecember2020.AnetworkofcraftersacrossIrelandareinvolved in the initiative, however theproject is open to anyone interested and thatwants to beinvolved.Pleasedon’thesitatetogetintouchandjointhePurlsofWisdomcommunity!

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Real Talk with Real Mums

JamesKeyes

Real Talk with Real Mums is a ten-episode podcast series discussing the issues of everydaypregnancywithmedicalprofessionalsand the realwomenwhohavegonethrough thepregnancyjourney.Eachepisodetacklesadifferenttopic,fromexerciseinpregnancywithaphysiotherapisttomentalhealthissuesinpregnancywithamentalhealthmidwife.

Eachepisodeoffersmothers,mothers-to-be,andthegeneralpublicpractical,realistic,snapshotsofthepregnancyjourney,temperedbyexpertinsight.Thefinalbumper-sizedepisodewillberecordedlive in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital to a live audience on 8th December,marking theculmination of the series. A panel of expertswill be available on the day to take questions frommothersandpregnantwomenintheaudienceandtheeventwillbecomperedbyourpodcasthost,LouiseMcSharry.

Byengagingwithmothers,pregnantwomen,andtheirpartnersthroughthepodcast,RealTalkwithRealMums taps intoanewmediumofdisseminationforresearchfindingsand leavescurrentandfuture parents feeling better prepared. The content featured in this project stems from the HRBMotherandBabyClinicalTrialsNetwork’skeyresearchthemesaroundperinatalhealth,bringingtheexpertiseofhealthcareprofessionalsfromaroundIrelandintothehandsofthegeneralpublicandmakingthejourneyofpregnancymoreunderstandable.Usingsocialmediachannels,italsooffersaway forpeople toengagewith the topics at theirownpaceand to listeneither independentlyorwithapartnerorfriends.

Thepodcasthasaccruedover13,000streamsacrossthreecontinents.

ThisprojectisaninitiativeoftheHRBMotherandBabyClinicalTrialsNetworkandtheRotundaRCSIResearch department and was funded by the Health Research Board through its KnowledgeExchangeDisseminationProgramme.

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Science for All: Communicating Science to children with sight loss

SoniaMarieLenehan

In Ireland, 5,772 children (2016 census) are blind or visually impaired. The National Council forSpecialEducationresearchreportNo.23(2016)highlightedthatvisuallyimpairedstudentsidentifiedscience as a subject difficult to access in school. Thismay be because as a societywe are overlydependentonvisual instructionforteachingandrelayingscientificconcepts.Asaresult,only1.2%of third level education students with disabilities studying science are visually impaired or blindaccording to 2017/2018 report by AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access & Disability).Thesefigureshighlighttheneedtoenablechildrenwithsightlosstoengagewithscienceatayoungageandtoenableteacherstomakescienceaccessibleforeveryoneintheclassroom.

Thisprojectaims tomakesciencemoreaccessiblebycreatinga safe space forchildrenwith sightlosstoexplorescience.Asecondaryaimistoestablishaworkshopaimedatteacherstohelpthembuildtheconfidenceandknowledgetocommunicatesciencetochildrenwithsightloss.

InJuly2019,Iworkedwithresearchers,youthadvocateswithsightloss,andthenationalsightlossagency, theNational Council for the Blind Ireland (NCBI), to collate resources andmaterials for aworkshop.Elevenyoungpeoplewithsightloss,ranginginagefrom11-19,tookpartinafocusgroupto help identify resources that are required to communicate effectively and to finalise workshopcontent.Anatomicalmodels, skeletons and gameswere sourced through generousdonations andtheprizemoneyawardedby‘I’mascientistgetmeoutofhere’.

Theprojectisstilldeveloping,andasecondfocusgroupwilltakeplaceinNovemberwiththeplantoroll out the project by summer 2020. Science for All is an innovative way to support greaterinclusion, engagement and involvement in science. Informed by my findings, I hope that thisapproachhasthepotentialtobereplicatedelsewhere.

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Telling the story of sewer fatbergs using creative approaches Thomas (Tom) P. Curran1, Barry Orr2, Nathan T. Wright3, and Michael O’Dwyer4

1UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.

2Sewer Outreach and Control Inspector, London, Ontario, Canada.

31411 Forestdale Drive, Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

4SwiftComply, 30 Francis Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.

Corresponding Author Email Address: tom.curran@ucd.ie

Theword‘fatberg’enteredtheOxfordEnglishDictionaryin2015andisdefinedas‘averylargemassof solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygieneproductsthathavebeenflusheddowntoilets’.Whiletheoccurrenceoffatbergsisaglobalproblem,it isparticularlyprevalent intheUKwithabout300,000sewerblockageseveryyear,costingabout£100million. A key approach to addressing the issue is to raise awareness among the public andbusinesscommunity inordertoreducetheamountoffat,oilandgrease(FOG)andsanitary itemssuchaswetwipesthataredischargedintothesewer.

EngagementbywaterutilitiesorcompaniessuchasSwiftComplytypicallytakesplacedirectlywithfoodserviceestablishmentswhilepubliceventsarealsoorganised.Fatbergshavebeenhighlightedmany times in themedia, most notably theWhitechapel fatberg, which was found in London in2017,weighing130tonnes(equivalentto19Africanelephants)andmeasuring250metresinlength(as long as two football pitches). The research results from BarryOrr (a.k.a. Captain FOG) on so-called‘flushable’wetwipesgainedwidespreadpublicityandthe“YourTurn”FOGcupiseffectiveforresidents.

Creative approaches have also been used to get themessage across. Nathan T.Wright created a‘Fatberg’ character for an illustrated book ‘Adventures of Fatberg’; this highlighted how fatbergscouldbeconvertedintobiofuels.TomCurran(a.k.a.Dr.Fatberg)performedastand-upcomedysetat Bright Club Dublin, which is available on YouTube.More recently, Nathan T.Wright created afollowoncomicbook‘AttackoftheFatbergs’incollaborationwithSwiftComply;itisataleoftimetravelwith ‘Fatberg’, ‘Captain FOG’, ‘Dr. Fatberg’ and ‘Dr. SophieQuinn’ trying to save Christmasfromthemenaceoffatbergs.Thereappearstobesignificantinterestinalltheseinitiatives.

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The IS-SEC-Q: A validated instrument to assess the impact of science outreach interventions on children’s confidence to do science

SarahCarroll1,VeronicaMcCauley2andMurielGrenon1

1. Biochemistry,SchoolofNaturalSciences,NationalUniversityofIrelandGalway2. CollegeofArts,SocialSciences,&CelticStudies,NationalUniversityofIrelandGalway

To increase the socio-scientific literacy of the upcoming generation, many scientist-led outreachprogramsaimtoimprovechildren’sengagementinscience.Someoutreachprogramsusecreativity-based methods to achieve this, such as Makerspaces, inquiry-based learning, and art-basedactivities. Itwould be beneficial for outreach practitioners to be able to determinewhether theircreativity-basedinterventionhasanimpactonparticipant’sengagementwithscience.However,theterm ‘science engagement’ can be ambiguous and as a multi-faceted construct, it is difficult tomeasure. Outreach programswishing to assess their impact on participant’s science engagementmaywishtotargetadifferentrelatedoutcome,suchasincreasedscienceself-efficacy.Scienceself-efficacycanbedescribedastheself-beliefanindividualhasintheirscienceabilities.Ithasapositiverelationshipwithmotivation,aspirationandengagementwithscience.Currently,thereisapaucityofresearchexaminingtheinfluenceofscienceoutreachprogramsonchildren’sscienceself-efficacy,possiblyduetothelackofasuitableinstrument.

ThisposterwillpresenttheScienceSelf-EfficacyChildren’sQuestionnaire(IS-SEC-Q).Itcontainsfivesections,eachwithstatements(65intotal)thatparticipantsanswerusinga7-pointLikertscale(e.g.stronglydisagreetostronglyagree).Eachsectionrelatestoadifferentaspectofscienceself-efficacy:a)generalacademicself-efficacy,b)performance,c)knowledge,d)sourcesande)tasks.Thepost-interventionversionalsohasanadditionalsection:f)perceivedscientistcompetence.TheIS-SEC-QhasbeentailoredtoaligntothelearningoutcomesoftheIrishprimarysciencecurriculum(5thand6thclass)andincludescientistsasinfluencersofscienceself-efficacybeliefs.Ithasbeenvalidatedinan Irish context anddemonstrates goodpsychometric properties. It should serve as an invaluabletool for practitioners wishing to assess the impact of their creative science interventions onchildren’sscienceself-efficacybeliefs.

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The use of graphic design to improve science communication within Irish research projects

AmyDozier1

1MaREICentre,EnvironmentalResearchInstitute,UniversityCollegeCork,Ireland

Email:amy.dozier@ucc.ie

Intoday’smedia-richsociety,thevalueofhigh-qualityvisualcommunicationcannotbeunderstateddue to its power todraw in target audiences, explore thematic areas indepth, andmake specificinformation accessible to lay audiences. When used to communicate scientific research, visualgraphics have the power to inform, persuade, and delight a wide range of audiences, includingdecision-makers and non-scientists. Graphic design and illustration can make complex scientificinformationmoreattractive,understandable,andmoreaccessible,especiallyasvisualgraphicscanbe shared easily across digital platforms. This poster will showcase how graphic design has beenusedtodemocratiseresearchfindings,clarifyscientificmessages,andincentiviseaudiencestotakenotice of key environmental outputs fromEuropean-funded international research projects. Fromunderwater noise to eco-engineering, visual communication can facilitate the dissemination ofscientificinformationfromacademiatodecision-makersandnon-scientists.

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Undergraduate Student Co-Creation of an Intervention to Promote Physics to Female Secondary School Students EloraMcFall,AaronCusack,CianMcKeown,IanClancyandGráinneWalshe.UniversityofLimerick

A group of undergraduate students came togetherwith postgraduates andUniversity of Limerickstaff toco-create theSOPHiaProject.Thisprojectaims toencourage femaleuptakeofphysics forthe IrishLeavingCertificate.Currently, in Ireland, theuptakeofphysicsat this level is25%femaleand75%male.Fivemainundergraduatestudentscontributedtothedesignoftheworkshopandinearly 2018, with the support of the Institute of Physics in Ireland, an initial pilot program waslaunched. Following the positive impact of SOPHia on the attitudes of female students towardsphysics,theprojectreceivedfundingunderScienceFoundationIreland’s(SFI)Discoveryprogramme.Subsequently,SOPHiahasexpandedandalargergroupofstudentfacilitatorsarenowinvolved.ThefocusofthisposterwillbeonboththecentralinvolvementoftheinitialundergraduatecoordinatorsandtheimpactofinvolvementwithSOPHiaonthenewcohortofstudentsinvolved.

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What do evaluation practices reveal about the working life of public engagement professionals in Ireland? An exploration of the experiences of Education and Public Engagement managers in SFI Research Centres.

SylviaLeatham,DublinCityUniversity

TheIrishgovernmentisinvestingmillionsofeuroinscientificresearch,inanefforttoboostIreland’seconomic competitiveness. Alongside research obligations, institutions and researchers funded bytheStateareobligedtocarryoutpublicengagementactivities.Therearegrowingexpectationsthattheseoutreachactivitiesbeevaluated–thatis,measuredinsomewayforimpactoreffectiveness.However, much evaluation activity is ‘hidden’ in unpublished reports to funders, and scholarlypublicationsonevaluationarefewandfarbetweeninIreland.

Boththeacademicarenaandthefieldofpracticeinpublicengagementsufferfromalackofagreedstandards around evaluation: There are no generally agreed measures of efficacy, definitions ofsuccess,oreven,attimes,definitionsofterminology.

AnexaminationoftheevaluationpracticesofpubliclyfundedscientificresearchcentresinIreland–carriedoutduringamaster’sinScienceCommunicationatDublinCityUniversity-aimedtoidentifycurrentpractices,establishcommonthemesandhighlight‘painpoints’.Aqualitativeapproachwasused to thematically analyse the knowledge, behaviour and experiences of public engagementprofessionalsemployedbyScienceFoundationIrelandResearchCentres.TheseEducationandPublicEngagement managers are responsible for the coordination, delivery and evaluation of outreachprogrammesonbehalfoftheirresearchcentres.

Analysisoftensemi-structuredinterviewsresultedinsixthemes:

• Lackofresources

• Knowledge,expertiseandtraining

• Qualitativedataandevaluationasresearch

• Isolatedautonomyandthedesiretocollaborate

• Approaches,methodsandchallenges

• Attitudeandmotivation

This studyyieldsapartial insight into theworking lifeofapublicengagementmanager ina third-level institute, combinedwith findings aroundevaluationpractices, attitudesandbehaviour in SFIResearch Centres. Recommendations are presented for consideration by those interested inenhancing the evaluation skills, capacity and support for research centres and their publicengagementmanagers.

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Communicating Plasma Bio-Sciences Research and Innovations to new audiences

Plasmagroup,TechnologicalUniversityDublin,CityCampus,Dublin7,Ireland

A communication gap has been identified between the scientific research community and nonacademicaudiences.Thecommunity,schoolsandindustryaudiencesareimportantcomponentsofresearchengagementandcommunicationactivitiesastheyarekeystakeholders intheknowledgedevelopedaswell asdefining thepriorities for research. Theplasmagroupdevelopeda rangeofactivitiestoactasabridgeandrespondtoidentifiedcommunicationgap,initiatedthroughtheAll–IslandPlasmaAPPSnetworkin2017.Thescientificresearchfocusisplasmabioscienceswithrelatedtechnology and innovations, with medium to long term impacts towards addressing severalsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandsocietalissuesincludingantimicrobialresistance,toxicresidues,,humanhealth,foodsafetyandagriculturalsustainability.Theseareallissuesofrelevancetosocietyandarangeofengagementactivitiesareunderway.

Thekeyaudienceidentifiedwereindustry,academia,publicandcommunitywhichincludesprimaryandsecondary school level children. An important component isbuilding theseactivities into theundergraduatemodulestobuildaresearchconnectedcurriculumthat isengagedwiththe localityandwidersociety,incooperationwiththeaccessandcivicengagementfunctions.Severalongoingprojects that reach local secondaryschoolsand thewiderpublic includingAirfield festivalof food.Activitiesweredevelopedtohighlightfoodliteracyandsustainability.Theprocessandchallengesofembedding researchengagement activities into theundergraduate curriculum in conjunctionwithfundedresearchteamsishighlightedthroughtheGlowtomakeyourplantsgrowinitiativeapplyingcoldplasmatechnologytopromoteplantgerminationandgrowth.

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FOODIE SCIENCE CAMP

GrahamO’NeillTUDublin-CityCampus

In June 2019 TU Dublin hosted the “Foodie Science Camp” designed at teaching 14-18 year old students a variety of different topics in physical chemistry through the medium of food. Food is an ideal medium through which to teach aspects of physical chemistry as students are familiar with food and its properties while it also leads to an immersive experience. The science camp thought students about phase changes, rheology, polymer crosslinking and surface tension. An “example first, theory second” approach was used for teaching.

Phases changes

Lipids and sugars undergo phase changes from sold to liquid or glassy to rubbery in response to temperature/moisture. A sub-group of students melted a batch of chocolate and mixed in 10 % additional fat including milk fat, coconut fat and sunflower oil before cooling the chocolate to reform the solid. The class were asked to determine the melting point of each chocolate and form a hypothesis as to why the melting points were different, all hypothesis were discussed among the group.

Polymer Crosslinking

A sub-group of students made edible cutlery to avoid the need for single use plastics. Using a mould, students formed spoons from whey proteins, carrageenan and gelatine using two variables (i) temperature (ii) crosslinker concentration. The class were asked to “road-test” the cutlery, suggest an optimum combination of polymer, temperature and crosslinking concentration and compare their findings to those of an Instron texture analyser.

Surface tension

Students formed marshmallows using either egg whites, whey protein or casein to investigate the importance of protein structure on air:liquid interfaces before determining the impact of oil addition and competitive adsorption presented by a third phase.

A further two “Foodie” science camps will be held in 2020, presenting at SciCom 2019 will enable science communicators to share ideas/suggestions that will enhance future Foodie science camps.