RESEARCH, no matter how groundbreaking or exciting, cannot exist in a vacuum. The general public needs to know about it, the media needs to know about it, but most important, the next generation of researchers needs to know about it – the young people of today who will be taking this research to the next level.

It all comes down to OUTREACH – linking up with schools, university laboratories, research groups and young people about to embark on a scientific career. SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND [SFI] has developed a range of programmes such as STARs, SFI/Dell Young Women in Engineering Scholarship, Speakers for Schools and the outreach activities of CSETs, which focus on bringing the scientific research it funds out into the wider community.

“The outreach programme is important because we need to generate a pipeline of people who think science is a good career opportunity,” says Professor Frank Gannon, SFI director-general. “We need to communicate the long-term advantages of science careers. A lot of this is perception and pointing out where the higher paid jobs of the future will be, post doctoral research jobs are paid very well.”

When it comes to talking to schoolchildren, Prof Gannon says it’s important to present the local aspect. “A good idea is to show students that people from their schools become professors or have set up their own company.”

SCIENCE EDUCATION in schools needs to involve laboratory work in Prof Gannon’s view. “The sooner we have students asking questions and trying to solve problems the better. When you look at the excitement and effort that goes into the Young Scientist Exhibition every year it’s amazing. My aim is to build on these things.”

SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS

The SFI website www.sfi.ie currently has contact details for 67 scientific researchers happy to give talks in schools on their own research, more general science and engineering topics or careers in science and engineering. Interesting titles include:
· “Why blood is red – drugs, vampires and medicine”;
· “What happens to the brain as we age”;
· “The eye, vision and super-vision”;
· “Exploring the maths in your iPod and DVD player” and
· “The body’s army against invaders”

STARs

The STARs programme filters new skills and knowledge through secondary school teachers down to their pupils to encourage an active interest in science. The STARs programme is an initiative through which teachers can receive support to conduct research within an SFI-funded research team during school holidays for a period of between 6 to 8 weeks.

A good example of a recent STAR initiative is the “Cancer Biology” programme for transition year students. Created by Cork-based teachers, Cian O’Mahony and Dan O’Sullivan in conjunction with Professor Gerald O’Sullivan and Dr Mark Tangey at the Cork Cancer Research Centre, this module examines how cancer grows inside the body and how this fits into everyday genetics and biology. It will provide teachers with a practical and relevant tool to use in biology lessons and the pilot programme will initially be run in four Cork schools:
Douglas Community School (boys)
Coláiste Christ Rí (boys)
Christ the King (girls)
Mount Mercy (girls)

YOUNG WOMEN IN ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP

The SFI/Dell Young Women in Engineering Scholarship encourages female students into engineering as an undergraduate degree and future career. The ten successful scholars receive €2,000 per year, a Dell notebook computer, the support of a research active mentor throughout their undergraduate career and the opportunity to spend summers in a research internship in university or industry.

CSETs OUTREACH

The seven SFI Centres for Science, Engineering & Technology (CSETs) are

These centres undertake extensive education and outreach activities, including computer games, visitor programmes, videos, teaching packs and TV programmes.

For example, the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (BDI), a multidisciplinary research institute at Dublin City University, focused on the development of next generation biomedical diagnostic devices has developed the “Me and my Body Programme” (MAMBO), aimed at 8-12 year olds.

	MAMBO ’s core focus is a website www.bdi.ie/mambo which enables the audience to explore the human body and link elements to research taking place at the BDI. The website is character-led and fully animated and is complemented by ‘hands-on’ activities for schoolchildren.
	The Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre [APC] at University College Cork also operates an education and outreach schools website, at http://microbemagic.ucc.ie explaining and exploring gastrointestinal health.