Events: my take-home message
Teagasc’s researchers attend many events throughout the year, sharing the findings from their research with national and international audiences. Here, we capture the take-home messages – key pieces of information that our researchers want people to remember – from recent events. In this issue we focus on science communications and engaged research.
Playing for science
Event: Play for the Planet 2
Date: 25 April 2025
Marta Niedzicka (left) and fellow delegates discuss using play to drive public engagement with science. Photo credit: University of York
Effective science communication is essential to facilitating understanding among scientists, stakeholders, and the wider community, building trust within society. Researchers should seek innovative ways to engage their audience.
Marta Niedzicka, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie post-doctoral researcher in plant virology in Teagasc’s Crop Science Department, participated in the ‘Play for the Planet 2’ event, organised by the University of York’s York Environmental Sustainability Institute.
Marta explains: “The event explores the role of games in environmental education: focusing on how to design and use games to raise awareness of environmental challenges through all kinds of games.”
Through her participation in various activities, Marta presented her research on aphid-transmitted plant viruses, discussed how to use and adapt games, and presented her own game prototype, which focuses on the connection between insects, viruses, and plants.
Participants shared their experiences using different kinds of games (board games, card games, role-play games, or even video games) as teaching tools across different levels of education and as extra activities to engage diverse audiences.
“Through the presented talks, open discussions, and feedback from other researchers and game developers, I felt inspired to diversify ways of engaging with the public at different events and workshops,” Marta concludes.
Engaging farmers for sustainable solutions
Event: European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) annual conference, Gran Canaria, Spain
Date: 13-15 May 2025
Engaging minds at EUSEA 2025. Photo credit: EUSEA.
EUSEA is a European network of public engagement professionals in the fields of research, innovation and education. This year’s conference, attended by Catriona Boyle, Senior Science Communication Officer at Teagasc, focused on challenging stereotypes in STEM, providing real science experiences for audiences, and supporting teachers with resources.
Catriona reports on a presentation by Georgia Mitrousia, Engagement Officer, Rothamsted Research, UK. Georgia works with scientists to help facilitate engagement with farmers by involving them in all stages of the research project, from project design up to reporting on final results. Catriona found it particularly interesting to hear Georgia’s explanation that the organisation uses engaged research particularly in those projects of strategic importance, covering topics such as biodiversity, climate change, and food security: “Farmers are crucial in tackling global challenges like food security and sustainability, offering valuable real-world insights that enhance scientific impact. Farmers can accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices.”
Georgia works with researchers to help support the translation of research outputs into forms accessible to the farming community. She also facilitates engagement and dialogue through a variety of channels including industry events, farmer networks and relationships with key stakeholder organisations to help maximise research impact.
Don’t miss Teagasc’s upcoming events! Join us at the National Ploughing Championships, Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, 16-18 September 2025. Visit our website for more information on this and all our upcoming events: www.teagasc.ie