Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

The Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Engineering (IRUSE) is a research group at NUI Galway which focuses on developing concepts, methods and technology that underpin best practice sustainable & holistic lifecycle building management solutions. This research group utilizes many aspects of the campus as a living laboratory, such as:
Requirements for life cycle oriented building operation strategies (Design, Commissioning, Operation)
Building Information Models (BIM) focused on the integration of building operation strategies throughout the BLC.
BIM intelligence (algorithms) that enables analysis of building performance utilising the virtual and physical data generators.

http://www.iruse.ie/


CE21012: Community Energy Building Engineering Project Module
Students have completed lots of projects that focus on fulfilling a real need to improve the campus infrastructure by working closely with Buildings & Estates staff.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/course-information/module/CE2102


ALIVE: Student Engagement through Volunteering
In its fifteenth year, ALIVE connects students with volunteering opportunities across Ireland through an online portal. Through ALIVE students can engage in voluntary activities across the university campus, Galway city, and wider communities. Students are enabled to develop their own practical, real-world skills and civic awareness through engagement with charities, non-profits and community organisations. Annually 1,000 students reflect on their volunteering experiences and achieve an award from the NUI Galway President in recognition of their learning.
∙ Contact email: alive@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.nuigalway.ie/alive
∙ Social media links: www.facebook.com/alive.nuigalway
@ALIVEnuigalway

Cell EXPLORERS: Muriel Grenon
The Cell EXPLORERS programme is an education and public engagement programme based in the School if Natural Sciences. It aims to inform, inspire and involve young people in modern biology. It runs with an unique model of sustainable public engagement for Higher Education Institution, which has the dual benefit of engaging children in local schools and communities whilst facilitating the training of tomorrow’s science communicators. Cell EXPLORERS has developed nationally and now include 10 volunteering teams based in higher education institutions. Since its creation in 2012, it has involved more than 850 volunteers who engaged at least 26,000 members of the public in hands-on science. The programme is also researching the impact it has on its stakeholders.
∙ Contact email: muriel.grenon@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.cellexplorers.com
∙ Social media links: @cellexplorers

Co-creating Change for a Healthy Ireland: Fiona Donovan, HI National Coordinator
To create something is to make something happen as a result of one’s own actions. To co create is to make something happen as a result of people working together. Co-creating change for active civic engagement is a collective process that connects and empowers us - students, academic staff and community partners - to be change agents in our own lives, in our families, in our communities and ultimately changing the way we live on the planet. Co-creating Change is about ordinary people coming together and making change happen through our everyday choices, decisions and behaviours. Service Learning project outputs will be shared, including: Second Bachelor Commerce (n420 in 105 Intervention projects); (n95 BComm in 25 research projects) and MSc Marketing (n47 in 10 Behavioural Change projects) all to do with “Increasing Physical Activity in Galway City” as Service Learning work for Healthy Ireland. HI estimates this hands on research and community work reached approx. 4,500 people in the community.
∙ Contact email: fiona.donovan@hse.ie; christine.domegan@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: http://whitakerinstitute.ie/research-cluster/social-innovation-policy ∙ Social media links: @HealthyIreland @HealthyGalway

P4C Initiative, Philosophy: Lucy Elvis and Annie McKeown-O’Donovan
The P4C (Philosophy for Children) initiative is run by staff and post-graduate students from NUI Galway Philosophy and is delivered by a cohort of volunteers taken from our under-graduate student body. Using P4C - a form of inquiry-based learning that promotes critical thinking skills through participation in democratic communities of inquiry - we work with schools, community groups, and cultural organisations that want to think more deeply and effectively together. To date, over forty students have received basic P4C facilitator training, and more than 400 children have participated in P4C projects on campus, at cultural festivals, and in local primary and secondary schools.
∙ Contact email: orla.richardson@nuigalway.ie; GalwayP4C@gmail.com
∙ Website: https://galwayp4c.com
∙ Social media links: www.facebook.com/NUIGPhilosophy

Youth Academy
Geraldine Marley
The Youth Academy at NUI Galway works with high ability 4th, 5th and 6th primary school
students to support their learning and academic development. The Youth Academy aims to inspire entry
into university by introducing children and their families to university life and to enrich the primary
school curriculum. The programme also aims to create positive perceptions of the university and its
academic programmes. Since 2012 almost 3,500 students from across the west of Ireland have attended
courses from across the disciplines at NUI Galway.
∙ Contact email: youthacademy@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.nuigalway.ie/youthacademy
∙ Social media links: Facebook: www.facebook.com/YAnuigalway
Twitter: @YAnuigalway


ReelLIFE SCIENCE: Enda O’Connell
ReelLIFE SCIENCE is a nationwide STEM engagement programme, which encourages the public to discover more about STEM and its impact on individuals, society and the environment. Participants of all ages from schools and community groups are challenged to research a scientific topic and communicate it for the public via an engaging and educational three minute video, while developing their critical thinking, communication and digital skills. Since launching in 2013, ReelLIFE SCIENCE has enabled more than 9,000 Irish students and community group members to engage with STEM in a novel way, while the videos produced have been viewed over 150,000 times online and at public screenings.
∙ Contact email: enda.oconnell@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.reellifescience.com
∙ Social media links: www.facebook.com/ReelLifeScience
@ReelLifeScience

The Alice Perry Engineering building at NUI Galway, which was opened in July 2011, consolidates education and research activities in the various engineering disciplines into one building, which not only provides a learning environment, but itself acts as a teaching and learning tool. It is serving as a ‘living laboratory’ for engineering, where live data sets from numerous types of sensors are being used to illustrate structural engineering and building performance concepts in undergraduate teaching and in the development of full-scale research in structural engineering and energy. The building contains green-building initiatives, which will provide working models for students. Several of the building’s constructional elements have consciously been left exposed, as visual learning tools (RMJM, 2008).

Both energy and structural characteristics of the structure are to be monitored throughout the buildings entire life cycle. The vision is for a building whereby future students will be able to analyse and understand a building’s defining characteristics at first hand and on a personal level. Data measuring the strains, temperatures and movements due to loading of the building are being gathered along with energy demands and performance of the building. Embedded sensors within structural elements are fundamental to the development of the building as an interactive teaching tool, reporting on the evolving dialogue of the structure with its environment (Goggins et al, 2012).

https://www.nuigalway.ie/structures/facilities/livinglaboratory/


CE2101: Community Engaged Building Engineering Projects Module
Engineering students complete a 5 ECTS module, which equates to 100-120 hours of learning for an average student. Several students each year complete their projects on developing recommendations for improving the sustainability of buildings on campus. Students have completed lots of projects that focus on fulfilling a real need to improve the campus infrastructure by working closely with Buildings & Estates staff

http://www.nuigalway.ie/course-information/module/CE2102


IRUSE has several students each year working on projects that utilize the campus as a living laboratory, focusing on developing developing concepts, methods and/or technology that underpin best practice sustainable & holistic life cycle building management solutions. .

http://www.iruse.ie/


The Sustainable & Resilient Structures research group at NUI Galway was founded in 2008 by Professor Jamie Goggins. The core expertise of the group is in developing sustainable and resilient structures for buildings and energy infrastructure. The group applies leading-edge scientific and engineering methods to develop the improved infrastructure and built environment required for sustainable social and economic development.

www.nuigalway.ie/structures


A number of other buildings on campus have been used by graduate students in engineering as living laboratories as part of their research work. For example, this project using the Arts Science Building:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132318302610

IRUSE also has several research groups who supervise undergraduate and postgraduate projects that utilise NUI Galway's infrastructure as a living lab in relation to energy.

http://www.iruse.ie/


The Alice Perry Engineering building is used as a living lab, as mentioned in the buildings section above. The energy data collected from the building is used by both undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students to better understand energy consumption of buildings as part of their modules

For example:
CE466 Energy in Buildings: http://www.nuigalway.ie/course-information/module/CE466
EG400 Advance Energy Systems Engineering: http://www.nuigalway.ie/course-information/module/EG400
CE3118 Design of Energy Systems for the Built Environment: http://www.nuigalway.ie/course-information/module/CE3118


Building Energy Model of Killeany Lodge Inis Mor: Sinead Reidy
RESPOND is an EU H2020 Project focusing on Smart Grid development in Sustainable Energy Communities. The Aran Islands are one of 3 pilots in the RESPOND Project. Kileany Lodge is serving as one of 25 houses that will comprise a Smart Grid on Inis Mor containing various renewable energy systems that include heat pumps and solar PV. An Energy Simulation Model is requires for Killeany Lodge to provide a Baseline of Energy demand prior to integrating Killeany Lodge into the Irish RESPOND Smart Grid Pilot. Also the School of Engineering builds students skills at undergraduate level through the ‘Building Engineering Community Based Project’ second year module.
∙ Contact email: sineadareidy@gmail.com
∙ Website: http://project-respond.eu; www.iruse.ie
∙ Social media links: @project_respond

Masterchefs Catering (operating Moffetts, Staff Club, Cloud, Stem, CSI cafés) provide the 2GOCUP, Ireland’s first deposit and return scheme. To date the scheme has saved over 2,550,000 single use cups from going to landfill introd. 2GOCUP was introduced in the University in January 2020.

How it works:

a) Order your hot drink to go

b) Deposit of €1 for your 2GoCup

c) Return for your €1 or get a fresh 2GOCup

d) You receive a reusable lid with your first deposit, this is yours to keep!

e) Cup lasts a minimum of 3 years if used every single day. That’s 1,000,000’s of single use cups saved from landfill simply by switching to 2GoCup!.

https://www.2gocup.ie/


Our caterers ensure sustainability labelling is prominent in both kitchens and dining halls encouraging diners to end food waste. Students see signage encouraging them to only take what they can eat and staff are advised of alternative options to binning food such as three simple steps; wrap, label and freeze for staff.

Graduate students from NUI Galway have published research which is on the forefront of sustainable food policy in large organizations:
https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/handle/10379/6154

NEAR Health: Caitriona Carlin and Gesche Kindermann
NEAR Health investigates how Nature and Environment can help society Attain and Restore Health. We aim to connect people with nature to benefit their health and wellbeing. We collaborate with communities to co-create and/or assess inclusive nature-based activities that promote and restore health and wellbeing, helping us value and care for our environment. Combining multisector stakeholders, we develop and transform knowledge for communities, policymakers and practitioners.
Funded by EPA and HSE, it contributes to Healthy Ireland goals to create a healthy environment where
‘every sector of society can play their part in achieving a healthy Ireland’.
∙ Contact e-mail: caitriona.carlin@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: http://whitakerinstitute.ie/project/near-health
∙ Social media links: @NEARhealth_NUIG

Eco EXPLORERS: Dr Michel Dugon
“Eco EXPLORERS” is a science outreach initiative founded by Dr Michel Dugon, with the support of the NUI Galway School of Natural Science and the NU Galway Discipline of Zoology (part of the SNS). The aim of Eco Explorers is to promote ecological and zoological awareness through school workshops and public / media communication. Since 2013, Michel and 80 NUI Galway volunteers have delivered over 600 workshops to approximately 18,000 pupils throughout Ireland. Michel has hosted the children show "Bug Hunters" on RTE and is regularly consulted by the media to speak about reptiles and bugs.
∙ Contact email: michel.dugon@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.facebook.com/thebughunters
∙ Social media links: @EcoExplorersNUI


Sampling and Survey Techniques are taught on the grounds, with assignments including species and habitat management plans (for the following under graduate courses: Env Science, Zoology, Botany, PG: Sust Environment, Biodiversity and Land Use Planning) grounds are used to teach students species and habitat identification skills, ecological survey techniques and conservation management planning, this is assessed via assessed reports, papers and minor theses.

Invasive Species Assessment and management, biosecurity (The module: EV534 Invasive Species & Biodiversity) Students learn invasive species identification, biosecurity and conservation management approaches, assessed via reports and papers. Contributes to the university research biosecurity protocol.

Several students each year from Civil Engineering complete their thesis on projects related to understanding and/or advancing sustainable transport infrastructure that serves NUI Galway campus and Galway City.

https://www.nuigalway.ie/science-engineering/engineering/civil-engineering/research/transportengineering/

The Engineering Building at NUI Galway, as mentioned in the Buildings section above, is being used as a living laboratory for Engineering students. One of the metrics that is monitored in this lab is water consumption. Water meters were installed throughout the building during construction. The water consumption data is fed into the buildings BMS (Building Management System), which is connected to a screen in the buildings foyer, where the water consumption is displayed graphically and building users can interact with the screen to learn more.

https://www.nuigalway.ie/structures/facilities/livinglaboratory/

NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy 2017-2020: Michelle O'Dowd Lohan & CUSP
The NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy 2017 to 2020 was launched in November 2017 and sets out a vision to establish NUI Galway as a leading green, smart and healthy campus. The Strategy is based on a Learn-Live-Lead model whereby the University will build on its core strengths in teaching and research to learn about the environment and new techniques, analyse campus operations, building performance and user habits to live more sustainably and connect to the broader community and other institutions, to lead by example. The Learn-Live-Lead model is organised around six themes (Research and Learning, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Nature and Ecosystems, Health and Wellbeing, Built Environment and Governance and Leadership), each comprising objectives and targets for our journey towards sustainability. While the proposals in this plan are well-grounded in Galway and the campus community, there is also a firm commitment to partnership with the local and wider community for example 'developing and implementing flagship projects with Galway City Council and Saolta University Healthcare Group' is a key target within the Leadership and Governance work package area. The Strategy illustrates an ambitious road-map for the campus to become a role model for the transition to a more sustainable future.
∙ Contact email: sustainability@nuigalway.ie; michelle.odowd@nuigalway.ie ∙
Website: www.nuigalway.ie/sustainability
∙ Social media links: @NUIGsustain

NUI Galway University of Sanctuary and City of Sanctuary: Aidan Harte
The University of Sanctuary campaign seeks to highlight the importance of access to Third-level Education for those living in Direct Provision and members of the Traveller Community. The aim of the campaign at NUI Galway is to increase public awareness of the global refugee crisis and Traveller specific issues across the University campus, and the steering committee hopes to achieve their aim by advocating for the development of pre-existing fee waivers, bursaries, and scholarships for asylum seekers, while developing meaningful outreach programmes to address the dearth of Traveller participation in third-level education. The steering committee will introduce pilot projects promoting multiculturalism and equity across campus through cross-faculty cooperation. The campaign promotes increased awareness, understanding, inclusion and equity for all students attending or hoping to attend third-level education. The University of Sanctuary Steering Committee at NUI Galway includes academic and administration staff, students and societies, community partners and individuals living in the Direct Provision centres in Galway.
∙ Contact email: sanctuarynuig@gmail.com
∙ Website: http://galway.cityofsanctuary.org
∙ Social media links:
www.facebook.com/sanctuarygalway

Access Programmes: Dr. Mary Surlis, Imelda Byrne and Adele Clinton
NUI Galway provides access to all academic programmes through a range of inclusive and responsive Access Programmes. NUI Galway’s programme of developmental initiatives and supports targets those at primary and secondary schools and potential adult students who might not ordinarily progress to higher education. This includes: Intervention programmes with Primary and Secondary schools; Preparatory Access Programmes; HEAR , an alternative admissions scheme for School Leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; QQI/FE a third level admissions scheme for those who have successfully completed a Level 5 or Level 6 QQI programme in the Further Education
∙ Contact email: adele.clinton@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.nuigalway.ie/access
www.nuigalway.ie/mature
∙ Social media links: www.facebook.com/nuigaccess
www.facebook.com/NUIG.MatureStudentOffice

Soapbox Science: Dara Stanley
Soapbox Science brings science to the streets, targeting members of the public who may not have sought out science outreach, and promoting the visibility of women in science. The event consists of 12 female speakers, who take turns standing on wooden soapboxes in a public space explaining their research, selected from a variety of STEM fields, institutions, and career levels. The 2018 Galway event is run by Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield (Physics) and Dr. Dara Stanley (Botany), and will occur on July 7th by the Spanish Arch, supported by the Galway City Museum and the NUI Galway Research Office.
Contact email: dara.stanley@nuigalway.ie; jessamyn.fairfield@nuigalway.ie
Website: http://soapboxscience.org/soapbox-science-2018-galway
Social media links: @soapboxscigal

PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway: Edel Murphy
Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in research means research carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. The PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway programme, funded by the Health Research Board, provides support, education and training to NUI Galway healthcare researchers and members of the public and patients who want to work together in partnership across the research cycle. The programme office also connects patient and community organisations and members of the public with researchers who are seeking PPI partners.
∙ Contact email: edel.murphy@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.nuigalway.ie/ppi
∙ Social media links: @PPI_NUIG

UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre: Danielle Kennan and Carmel Devaney
A major child welfare systems change has occurred in Ireland with a new independent Child and Family Agency, Tusla. At this transformational time in Irish social services the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre has played an important role in re-designing services. A significant aspect of our mixed methods programme of research focused on prevention, partnership and family support is to foreground the views of parents, children and young people. The programme involves significant collaboration with senior managers in Tusla and senior officials and policy makers across government departments and statutory agencies. This collaboration directly responds to the University’s vision to develop our partnerships with external organisations to enhance the quality, impact and relevance of our research.
∙ Contact email: danielle.kennan@nuigalway.ie
∙ Website: www.nuigalway.ie/childandfamilyresearch
∙ Social media links: @unesco_CFRC and #PPFSstudy