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Education and Public Engagement

Intro

Education and Public Engagement is an integral part of APC’s strategy. It is informed by research on public perception and understanding of microbiome science and by government policy.  The goals of our EPE programme are to foster an awareness and interest in microbiome science among the general public, including schools and young people, and to train APC researchers to effectively communicate their research to non-specialist audiences.

Overview of APC Education and Public Engagement

APC researchers engage with the community through three core programmes:

  • Education
  • Early Intervention
  • Engaged Research with a focus on Citizen Science.

Underpinned by evidence-based design and targeted communications, APC’s approach to EPE is focused and strategic. Programmes are planned, implemented and evaluated to maximise the societal impact of our research. 

All APC staff play an active role in sharing our excitement about APC research, engaging with patient groups, consumers and young people, in order to encourage future generations to develop an understanding of the science issues that affect society.

Further Info

For further information on APC’s Education & Public Engagement programme please contact:

  • Caoimhe Byrne | cbyrne@ucc.ie

Primary & Secondary School Activities and Resources

The APC Education programme allows students to discover, engage with and investigate microbiome science in unique and interesting ways.

3rd and 4th Level

The development of APC staff and students is of crucial importance to meet the APC goal of producing the scientific leaders of tomorrow. This is achieved through the professional laboratory training of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Our EPE programme has also taken a lead role in developing new educational programmes to strengthen the skills of our research community in areas such as entrepreneurship, presentation skills, innovation and business development.

APC’s Principal Investigators also make significant contributions to both graduate and undergraduate education in UCC, CIT and Teagasc, by incorporating cutting edge research discoveries into their lectures and by providing a unique multidisciplinary perspective on science and research to undergraduate students of science and medicine.

APC Summer Student Bursaries

APC offers bursaries to 3rd level science, medicine (undergraduate/graduate entry) and engineering students based in Irish Universities who would like to gain valuable lab experience through a 2-month internship. Unfortunately, we will not run our annual Summer Internship Programme in 2023.

STEM Careers Initiatives

APC staff and students receive training and participate in STEM career initiatives e.g. Smart Futures and science communication competitions such as Famelab  and Pint of Science.

Famelab Ireland

APC partners with the British Council and Tyndall National Institute, IPIC, Infant and MaREI in organising the CORK HEAT of Famelab Ireland. The National Final took place in Cork on 15 April 2020.

FameLab Cork - Flyer outlining the information abotu famelab at https://britishcouncil.ie/famelab

Public Activities and Resources

Science is the language of the 21st Century and societal scientific literacy is the currency that will help the development of Ireland’s Knowledge Economy. The aim of the APC’s Public Engagement Programme is to engage the wider scientific community and stimulate public interest in, and understanding of, science in society, with particular emphasis on gastrointestinal health.

Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)

At APC we strive to collaborate with patients, carers, service users, families, people with lived experience in planning, designing, managing, conducting, dissemination and translation of our research.

PPI is research carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them’.

Host Institution

Host Logos - UCC and Teagasc

Partner Institutions

APC Microbiome Ireland

Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Ireland,

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