Drs Shirley Martin (Primary investigator), Deirdre Horgan and Jacqui O’Riordan from the School of Applied Social Studies were recently awarded €433,000 under the Horizon 2020-SC6-Migration call. This new four-year research project, IMMERSE, will develop new socio-educational indicators of integration and map the integration of migrant and refugee children in education in Europe.  The total project funding for IMMERSE is €2.9m and the project is being coordinated by Professor Mercedes Fernandez from the Institute for Migration Studies, Comillas University Madrid. IMMERSE comprises eleven European partners and in addition to UCC and Comillas University, these include Save the Children Italy; Panteion University of Social and Political Studies, Greece and DOZ International in Germany.

Speaking about the award Dr Helena Buffery Vice Head for Research and Innovation in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences in UCC pointed to the research strengths and expertise in the School of Applied Social Studies and ISS21 “the IMMERSE project follows on lengthy tradition and focus on research with marginalised and migrant children and youth in UCC. The skills and strengths of the team in the School of Applied Social Studies and Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century and in particular their focus on inclusion and childrens' voices in research will add an invaluable dimension to this timely and important research project and topic. Finding the ways and means of successfully integrating refugee and migrant children into European host societies represents an important and vital example of impactful research in the College and UCC." 

The UCC team are responsible for a number of key aspects of the project including data collection and field work in Ireland.  They are leading Work Package three of IMMERSE which will oversee data collection and monitoring across the European partners. IMMERSE aims to foster the empowerment of children and other relevant stakeholders with a view to contributing to enhancing their integration and successful transition to adulthood into host societies.  Building on the UCCs team extensive experience of participatory research with children they are establishing an innovative Children’s Research Advisory Group for the entire project. This group will be made up of 10-15 migrant and refugee children who are resident in Ireland. The Children’s Research Advisory Group will provide input on the development of data collection instruments, data analysis and dissemination and use of a children’s research advisory group is central to grounding the research in children’s experiences and adhering to the spirit of Article 12 of the UN Convention in the Rights of the Child. The UCC team are currently recruiting a Post Doctoral Researcher for IMMERSE and this post will commence in April 2019. IMMERSE will be co-located in the School of Applied Social Studies and ISS21. For further information, please contact Shirley Martin, School of Applied Social Studies.

Immerse Twitter: @IMMERSE_H2020 

Shirley Martin Twitter: @shirley_cork