Ulysses 2026: Strengthening Franco-Irish Research Collaboration on Gender, Work and Social Inequalities
The first exchange visit under the Ulysses 2026 programme, jointly funded by Research Ireland and Campus France, took place at University of Limerick (UL) from 27–30 October 2026.
Hosted by Dr Lindsey Garratt and Dr. Emily Murphy, Department of Sociology, the visit welcomed Dr Elsa Boulet from Université de Rouen Normandie and DySoLab (Laboratory for Social Dynamics), and Dr Mathilde Julla-Marcy from Nantes Université, Deputy Director of the Centre Nantais de Sociologie.
The visit strengthened Franco-Irish research collaboration on gender inequalities, paid and unpaid labour, and the institutional structures shaping life-course trajectories. The researchers engaged with colleagues in Sociology and the SHINE centre, delivering three seminars across the university.
On 28 October, the visitors contributed to the Athena Swan Seminar Series with “Boys in White”: The Making of a Gendered Elite in Academic Medicine’, examining the reproduction of gender inequalities within medical careers.
On 29 October, a postgraduate research seminar: ‘Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Social Science: Researching Medical Students as a Case Study’, explored methodological approaches to investigating institutional inequalities, including the integration of statistical analysis, archival records and qualitative fieldwork.
On 30 October, Dr Boulet delivered: ‘The Third Shift: Medicalisation, Work and Domestic Labour during Pregnancy’, jointly hosted by the School of Sociology and School of Medicine and moderated by Professor Patrick Kiely. The seminar examined how medical regulation and institutional expectations generate additional forms of gendered labour during pregnancy.
The visit facilitated interdisciplinary exchange, postgraduate training and the development of collaborative research networks between Ireland and France.
The second stage of the exchange is scheduled for February 2027, when Dr Lindsey Garratt and Dr Emily Murphy will undertake a reciprocal research visit to Nantes, further developing the collaboration supported by the Ulysses programme.
