Doctoral College Events for Research Week 25

The Doctoral College has organised a number of events for Research Week 2025. 

• On Tuesday, April 29, the Doctoral College presents, 'UL PhD candidate experiences of doctoral education'', which will incorporate three parts: 

  Part 1: A presentation on data from a UL study that explored doctoral education experiences of UL candidates and interrogated the extent to which their experiences reflect the principles of the Irish National Framework for Doctoral Education. 

  Part 2: A panel of PhD candidates and PhD supervisors who will respond to the presentation of data 

  Part 3: An open discussion on how to heighten the doctoral experience at UL

• On Wednesday, April 30, the UL Sustainability Challenge 2025 reaches its conclusion. This is an inspiring showcase of innovative, student-led sustainability projects! The Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation (CSFI) in partnership with the Doctoral College and industry sponsors Bidvest Noonan and Kirby Group Engineering launched this challenge which empowers UL students to develop impactful sustainability solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

  Five shortlisted teams will present their final projects in what is a fantastic opportunity to see fresh ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world solutions to pressing sustainability challenges. 

• Also on Wednesday, April 30, we present Prof Donald P.McDonnell, of Duke University School of Medicine for a talk on 'Communicating Your Research to the World'. 

  In 2022, Prof McDonnell was awarded the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) St Patrick's Day Science Medal, which recognises outstanding contributions to science and technology from the Irish diaspora in the USA. 

  He has also been elected to the National Academy of Medicine in the USA and the Royal Irish Academy, reflecting his global influence in cancer research.

  A former Irish and European Young Scientist of the Year, Prof McDonnell currently has 43,000 + citations on Google Scholar, including 9,000+ citations since 2020. 

• Later the same day (Wednesday, April 30), the Doctoral College presents Picture This! exhibition, view the pictures and meet the finalists

  Picture This! is a competition for UL PhD candidates to communicate their research in picture format with a 60-word caption detailing how their photo represents their research. After an initial judging round, involving a public vote and an external judging panel the top ten entries that have qualified for the final of “Picture This!”  will be exhibited in The Globe (Millstream Courtyard). The finalists will be on hand to talk about how their picture and associated caption represent their research.  

• On Thursday, May 1, we present what for many is the highlight of Research Week, the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Grand Final , in which the twelve UL doctoral researchers who have qualified for the Grand Final, are required to present a captivating summary of their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.
  
  The competition helps to develop and refine presentation and communication skills of the contestants and develops their ability to describe their research to a non-specialist audience.
  
  An external judging panel will assess the presentations made by the finalists using two criteria: Comprehension and Content, and Engagement and Communication
  
  The winner of the competition will win €750 and will represent UL in the Vitae 3-Minute Thesis competition and in the IUA National 3-Minute Thesis Final. A prize of €500 will be awarded to the runner-up and the 3rd prize winner will receive €250.
   

  You can attend any or all of these events by clicking on the links below.