Science Waves
Year Awarded
2020
Amount
€42,377
- Organisation:University of Galway
- Audience:Primary Students, Primary Teachers, Parents, General Public
- Format:Broadcast/Film
- Location:Cork, Dublin, Galway, Leitrim, national
Project Summary
CÚRAM, the Centre for Research in Medical Devices has a mission to become:
“A global leader in the creation and translation of clinic-ready and patient-focused medical devices. Develop the next generation of industry-relevant, publicly engaged researchers. Become an anchor for industry applicable research.“
CÚRAM’s Education and Public Engagement (EPE) programme aims to raise awareness of its research and increase understanding of preventative behaviours which can reduce the incidence of chronic illness. The current COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for members of the public to better understand science and its impact on their lives. Misinformation about COVID-19 has led to greater uncertainty and fear. More than ever, there is a greater need for clear science communication. The crisis has exposed the existing divide amongst children who have access to learning material online and those who do not. The ‘Science Waves’ project aims to create content which is accessible to everyone and gives clear information about science.
CÚRAM’s Science Waves is a series of six science radio shows co created by children and scientists for children. CÚRAM will work with children from underrepresented and under engaged communities to create accessible, engaging, and fun radio shows, which are aimed at children aged 10 – 12 years old. Radio has been chosen as the medium for this educational project as radio shows can be accessed at no additional cost as ownership of FM/AM radios was reported at 92% in 2017 (https://www.bai.ie/en/media/sites/2/dlm_uploads/2018/04/180410-Mediatique-Report.pdf).