Funding announced for 32 projects bringing STEM to communities nationwide

From sparking curiosity to STEM as Gaeilge, Research Ireland Discover projects are driving STEM engagement across the country.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, and Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton TD, have today announced almost €6 million in funding to support 32 projects designed to engage the public in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through the Research Ireland Discover Programme. 

The Research Ireland Discover Programme is a national initiative to widen participation in STEM. This year’s projects will engage with people of all ages, from early childhood through to adulthood, through creative, community-embedded and inclusive approaches to STEM engagement.  

Announcing the awards, Minister Lawless said: 

STEM is one of the most powerful forces driving Ireland’s creativity, resilience and future prosperity. The projects announced today will widen access to STEM by bringing wonder, curiosity and real opportunities for learning into people’s everyday lives. This investment isn’t just about supporting programmes – it’s about sparking imaginations. It brings conversations about research and innovation directly into our communities and helps nurture a new generation of explorers, problem solvers and innovators who will shape Ireland’s future.

Welcoming the announcement and her department’s funding of six projects, Minister Naughton commented: 

Today’s funding is about opening doors for our children and young people. By supporting STEM projects both inside and outside the classroom, we are helping children and young people across Ireland to discover that science, technology, engineering and maths are not abstract subjects, but real career paths that they can step into. This investment will ensure more children and young people can see themselves in STEM, build their confidence, and will empower them to pursue it as part of their future.

Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, added: 

The projects funded today highlight the creativity and ambition of Ireland’s STEM engagement community, and their commitment to inspiring the next generation of scientists. They are also playing a vital role in helping people of all ages feel informed and connected to the role of STEM research in society. Research Ireland’s strategy, launched earlier this week, is built on the three pillars of Talent, Economy and Society. We are proud to support these partners as they deliver programmes to democratise access to STEM across the country, and help support talent for our future economy and society.

Some highlights of the 32 projects supported through the Discover Programme this year are: 

• Energize, led by Ann Butler at Junior Achievement Ire Ltd, will target 6th class students in national and DEIS schools to educate them in sustainability, biodiversity and renewable energy, while exposing them to careers in STEM at an early age;
• The Chemistry Toolbox, led by Dr John O’Donoghue at Trinity College Dublin, will support early-career researchers and teachers to co-create inquiry-based chemistry investigations for the new Leaving Certificate specification, strengthening practical science particularly in DEIS and rural schools;
• H2O Heroes, led by Dr Caroline Gilleran Stephens at Dundalk Institute of Technology, is a hands-on environmental education programme that empowers communities to investigate water quality, biodiversity and climate action using their local rivers and green spaces as ‘outdoor laboratories’; 

12 higher education institutions and 8 organisations are leading projects in this year’s Discover programme. These are: Circus250 CIC, Dublin City University, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Education for Sustainability, Irish Computer Society, Irish Manufacturing Research, Junior Achievement Ire Ltd., Kinia, Mary Immaculate College, Maynooth University, National College of Ireland, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, South East Technological University, Stop.watch Television Ltd., Technological University of the Shannon, The National Concert Hall, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin, and University of Galway.

Image caption: Left-right: Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Research for Society at Research Ireland, James Lawless TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Ann Butler, Project Lead, Energize / Junior Achievement Ire Ltd (Discover-funded project), Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Education and Youth, and Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO Research Ireland (Photo: Jason Clarke).