Mairéad Holden
Education and Training Manager
mholden1@tcd.ie
Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research
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Our ambition is to:
We believe that our audiences and researchers hold valuable perspectives, expertise & knowledge that can contribute to dialogue about materials science innovation and applications within society.
Our approach provides audiences different kinds of opportunities to engage with AMBER in a manner that is most appropriate to them from communications, events and workshops, to our education and engaged research programmes.
EPE stands for Education and Public Engagement. Research Ireland funds research and public engagement, the outcomes of this research and public engagement promote and assist in the development and competitiveness of industry, enterprise and employment in Ireland, delivering tangible impact for society.
EPE is a core objective of Research Ireland large-scale research awards, with Research Ireland committed to further developing programmes to support engagement with, and participation of, a broader range of civil society and community groups across research awards. This commitment is strongly supported by the public, with research showing that 84% of the population hold the view that “scientists have a professional responsibility to talk about research findings with the public”.
Research Ireland also aims to build people’s confidence and aspirations to pursue skills development and career choices in the STEM fields. This is to ensure that, as a nation, we will be well-placed to respond to future opportunities or challenges. Consequently, Research Ireland expects its award holders to stimulate public understanding, interest and involvement in research and STEM, through relevant, inclusive and accessible activities. Ultimately, this will lead to the creation of a diverse scientific, research and innovation ecosystem which is welcoming to all and which places emphasis on active engagement and co-creation with the Irish public.
In summary, Research Ireland supports large-scale award holders such as Research Centre’s like AMBER to carry out EPE activities which aim to:
“Quantum Quest” authored by Mark Mitchison Khalak Mahadeviya & Saulo Moreira & illustrated by Brigid Sweeney, can be accessed online by clicking the image above.
As part of Science Week 2024, Fighting Words facilitated the creation of AMBER Centre’s first collection of “Smalltalk” story books, which were launched at the ‘Smalltalk – Big Ideas’ event. The two books ‘Something’s Missing’ and ‘Quantum Quest’ were conceived and written through a partnership between Fighting Words creative writing centre and Trinity College Dublin’s AMBER Research Centre. The project aimed to make complex science and STEM concepts more accessible to the public through the medium of creative writing. Through a series of four creative workshops, researchers from the School of Physics in Trinity College Dublin participating in the EU-funded ASPECTS project, worked with Fighting Words facilitators to write this science story for children.
AMBER held the Science Week Event: “Smalltalk on the Big Screen” on 13th November in the Old Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin for Science Week 2025.
Led by AMBER, “Smalltalk on the Big Screen” had attendees of all ages who got playful with hands-on materials science & bioengineering activities including: 3-D printing, LEGO® challenges, and interactive demos with TCD, RCSI, Ulster University and Trinity Quantum Alliance.
The matinee performance was held for 5th & 6th class students from Scoil Chaitriona and invited guests with the evening public session attended by over 120 people of all ages.
The event included participation by AMBER’s Youth Forum Ambassadors Alex & Emilija who guided guests through the activities and facilitated the post screening Q&A.
There was an opportunity to make your own battery with the team from Current Chemistry Investigators, enjoy a quiet read in the STEM stories space, and the PPI Ignite Network Chillout Zone where people could relax while learning more about the work of those involved in Public Patient Involvement.
This was followed by the premiere of two animated shorts:
‘Something’s Missing’, created by the multi-talented Ian Benjamin Kenny, where rabbit princes Joshua and Kevin turn to the power of regenerative medicine to reveal a long-lost secret.
‘Quantum Quest’, from the creative minds of Adam Rael’s team at Cassette Vision, Alice and Bob are transported to the Quantum Realm, where they experience bizarre phenomena.
Both shorts were created with support from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland’s National Talent Academy for Animation, based on original storybooks conceived and written through a collaboration between AMBER and Fighting Words. The event wrapped up with a lively panel discussion with scientists and animation teams behind each movie, who delved into the science behind each animation- and was followed by an audience Q&A.
Both of the shorts can now be viewed below:
AMBER has a strong emphasis on collaboration. Central to AMBER’s research remit are collaborative projects performed with industry partners, and working with academic, industry and wider stakeholder on international and national research programmes.
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