Thursday 30 April

Aiming Higher: Understanding Research Assessment Reform

ERB001 | 9.15-11am

One of the first Irish signatories of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) and the first IUA University to produce a CoARA action plan, UL is taking on the challenge of reform of research assessment.

Chaired by Assistant Dean Research, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and UL Reform of Research Assessment Committee Chair, Professor Christina Morin the panel will discuss the impacts of the reform of research assessment.

UL Citizens' Assembly

Limerick Racecourse V94 K858 | 10am-4.30pm

The UL Citizens’ Assembly provides UL researchers with the opportunity to access funding for their engaged research, get feedback on their projects from a panel of experts, hone their communication skills, and present to civically engaged, cross-sections of citizens from Limerick city and county.

Join as an Assembly member to choose the projects that will receive a €10,000 award. All Assembly members will receive a user-friendly resource pack in advance of the Assembly with information about the SDGs, the projects, and how the voting will work on the day. Project posters will be publicly available to view in advance.

The Assembly will be arranged in a ‘world café’ style, leaving space in the schedule for participants to share their thoughts about the project presentations before casting their vote. 

The revolution is just a t-shirt away: Protest and Popular Music

ERB001 | 11am-12pm

What can popular music and its performance tell us about society and the political sphere which underpins that society? 

Songs of Social Protest: International Perspectives, was published in 2018 and was the culmination of research presented at an international conference held in Limerick in 2015, in the pre-Trump, pre-Brexit era, and at a time when Gaza and Ukraine were not to the forefront of people’s minds. 

Nowadays we find ourselves in a different world; where ‘protest’ songs serve both left and right agendas more overtly, where music genres and song repertoires that aligned with certain politics in the past are put in the service of new, populist agendas, and where social media plays a critical role in disseminating truths and falsehoods.  

This event discusses historical and contemporary examples of music and song seeking changes to the social order, and it addresses the critical role that song, in particular, plays in both disseminating and challenging competing ideologies.

Research Impact: what we know and where we should go

KBG12 | 11am-12.30pm

The debate on research impact continues apace. As an agenda, it is one which requires scholars to demonstrate deeper engagement with broader audiences beyond academia, while at the same time continuing to satisfy the traditional university metrics of scholarly publications and citations. 

The capacity to demonstrate impact is now front and centre in the knowledge production process. 

We bring together a panel of scholars from science, education, economics, management, strategy, and risk to curate interdisciplinary insights on what we know about the research impact agenda thus far, where we go from here and what it means for university research agendas into the future. 

Mapping Dance Research Ecologies

Atrium, Foundation Building | 12-1.30pm

Join dance researchers from the Irish World Academy for a special performance and a vibrant panel that maps the evolving ecologies of dance research across arts practice, ethnographic inquiry, and transdisciplinary innovation.

This interactive session showcases how dance-based research extends far beyond the studio by shaping pedagogy, informing community collaborations, and opening fresh pathways for creative and scholarly discovery at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

Using Evidence to Influence Policy

ERB001 | 2-3.30pm

How can early and mid-career researchers meaningfully influence public policy, inform decision-makers, and contribute to evidence-informed change? 

As the demand for robust scientific input into national and international policy grows, researchers at earlier career stages are increasingly seeking opportunities to engage—but often lack clear pathways, access points, and examples of how to begin. 

This thought-provoking event is led by members of the Young Academy of Ireland (YAI) from ESRI, HIQA and UL, and aims to open up that conversation and provide practical, research-driven insights into how emerging scholars can contribute to policy processes in impactful and sustainable ways. 

Economics for Social Good

ERB007 | 3-4pm

How can economic methods and approaches help us understand and inform some of Ireland’s key social challenges?

This event will feature insights from three researchers from the Department of Economics, all recipients of the UL President's Research Excellence and Impact Research Output Award, will highlight how economics can help contribute to social good across areas of health, education and the environment. 

Economics for Social Good offers a unique window into how economic research provides the evidence base needed for a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future. 

3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Grand Final

ERB001 | 5-7pm

Welcome to the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Grand Final, where postgraduate researchers (PGRs) only have three minutes to tell you all about their research in a fun and accessible way. 

The Grand Final will see contestants from each of the four faculties present their research live in front of an audience and panel of judges. 

Always a highlight of Research Week.

The winners of the Picture This competition will be announced during the Grand Final.