USI-IRC Why Research Matters Video Competition Winners Announced

Congratulations to Lilian Nwanze (Maynooth University), who is the winner of the USI-IRC Why Research Matters 2021 video competition.

Now in its second year, Why Research Matters is a joint campaign by the Union of Students Ireland and the Irish Research Council that invites postgraduate students to submit a video explaining their research and why it matters. Video entries are judged on the communication of the research project, how they engage the viewer, and in the originality and creativity of their presentation.

Lilian Nwanze was judged the overall winner by Jim Carroll, editor of RTÉ Brainstorm. Lilian’s video, ‘The Invisible Burden: The Impact of Racism on Black Students in Irish Further Education,’ explains her doctoral project at the Department of Adult and Community Education, Maynooth University. The video weaves together Lilian’s formative early experiences of teaching practice with the personal stories of her students to argue for a more cultural inclusive and racially appropriate curriculum and pedagogy in Irish Further Education.

Congratulations also to the competition’s two runner-up prize winners Mary E. Davis and Niamh O’Callaghan.

Mary E. Davis, a PhD researcher at the Centre for Translational Pain Research, University College Dublin, has been awarded the ‘Most Informative’ prize. This prize is awarded by Peter Brown, Director of the Irish Research Council, to a researcher who has communicated the nature and aim of their research project in a clear and engaging manner. Mary’s project focuses on exercise in women with obesity with the aim of increasing their fitness by determining the most effective exercise prescription, comparing the varied effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and combined exercise.

Niamh O’Callaghan, a PhD researcher at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, has been awarded the ‘Most Creative’ prize. This prize is awarded by Lorna Fitzpatrick, outgoing President of USI, to a researcher who has demonstrated exceptional creative ability in presenting their research. Niamh’s video showcases her research into investigating the nutrition related life of Irish Cancer Survivors as part of ‘Project Nutrico.’ The project assesses the dietary quality, supplement use and residual nutrition impact symptoms in Irish Cancer survivors. It aims to better understand the relationship Cancer survivors have with food and nutrition, so to inform the future development resources and interventions.

The Irish Research Council and the Union of Students Ireland congratulate Lilian, Mary and Niamh on their exceptional videos and to all the entrants for their commitment to communicating why research matters in Ireland and in the world today.