AIT welcome inaugural national SURE conference

The national SURE (Science Undergraduate Research Experience) Conference takes place at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and two other institutes of technology (DIT, WIT) simultaneously this Friday, September 28. 

The inaugural conference, dedicated to promoting STEM research in the institutes of technology around Ireland, will see 60 student presenters from across the country come together to present their work in front of an audience of over 500 attendees across the three institutes. (Continues below photo.)

SURE AIT conference committee 2018, Dr Therese Montgomery and Dr Anne Maire O’Brien, with Judging coordinators Dr Anne Friel and Dr Gary Stack.

 

The AIT SURE conference will kick off with an opening address by the president of Athlone Institute of Technology, Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, before the opening of the national SURE conference with a keynote address from the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, TD, is live-streamed from AIT to the other venues.

AIT science lecturers, Dr Therese Montgomery and Dr Anne Maire O’Brie,n have been representing AIT on the SURE Network National conference committee since its inception in May 2017 and are organising the AIT Conference.

According to the organisers, SURE 2018 provides an opportunity to highlight the talent and skills existing within the institutes of technology to academia, industry and the wider community.

Dr O’Brien said: “The SURE conference allows students to showcase their hard work and to demonstrate to future employers in both research and industry how competitive the IoT graduates really are. 

“Next year’s SURE conference will be in IT Sligo and being selected to present is already a target for 2019 graduates.

“The technological higher education sector has long been at the forefront of scientific research, development and innovation in Ireland thanks to its focus on applied learning and industry partnerships.

“In fact, 51% of its taught research programmes are in STEM fields.

“A primary aim of the institutes of technology is to produce research-informed graduates who are work-ready and capable of performing well in any sector. 

“By showcasing the extensive research happening at undergraduate level to the wider public, we’re hoping to encourage the future matriculation of students.”

The AIT conference will see 31 recent graduates from AIT, GMIT and IT Sligo selected by a national panel of experts, deliver nine oral presentations and 22 scientific posters. 

Each will have the opportunity to explain their undergraduate research in STEM to an audience of over 200 students, researchers, academics, industry representatives and alumni.

Dr Montgomery said: “The cutting-edge research on display highlights the importance to the wider community of continued investment in research within the IOT sector. 

“Projects will include the development of health monitoring apps like ‘Scanitive’ for simplifying nutritional information for the public, parasite resistance in sheep, new therapies in nerve repair, combatting anti-microbial resistance and the presence of pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater samples.”

Attendees will also be treated to talks by AIT alumni from the biopharmaceutical industry, giving them an understanding of the career opportunities that exist for graduates of the scientific disciplines. 

Abbott technical manager and AIT alumna, Helen Hamilton, will be on campus to deliver a talk entitled ‘From academia to research to industry: the truth I would have told myself’ – which will give a flavour of her journey to working with one of the biggest medical device companies in Ireland.

AIT PhD graduate, Dr Barbara Cooper of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, will also be in attendance to deliver a presentation on how best to prepare for a career in industry. 

Dr Cooper works with toxicologists across Ireland and the US, providing regular support and aiding in clinical assessments and submissions.

Abbott, Enterprise Ireland, Turning Technologies and the Irish Society of Toxicology are all sponsoring awards on the day and all SURE presenters will receive a digital badge to put on their LinkedIn and CV detailing their participation. 

Presentations will be followed by an audience vote, which will be cast through an innovative electronic voting system piloted by Dr O’Brien, and an internal adjudication by a specially appointed SURE network judging panel made up from each of the participating institutes.

The day will culminate in a career development session hosted by postgraduate researchers from AIT, GMIT and IT Sligo. 

Audience members, including current undergraduate students and participants, will hear stories ‘from the frontline’ giving them an understanding of what can be expected at postgraduate level if they choose to undertake further research.

Dr Montgomery said: “It has been hard work bringing all of the stakeholders together but with an anticipated audience of more than 200 students and the level of support we are receiving from Industry and the AIT research centres, I think this conference represents a huge success for both AIT and the SURE network.” 

For more information on Ireland’s seminal SURE conference, see http://sure-network.ie or contact conference organisers Dr Therese Montgomery and Dr Anne Maire O’Brien. 

We would urge attendees to also register here to avoid disappointment on the day.