SFI Discover award for Institute art/science collaboration between researchers, patient partners and women from minority communities.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, and Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, have announced a €5 million investment in 38 projects to create greater public awareness of the impact of STEM on society and everyday life, generate opportunities for dialogue and encouraging diversity in STEM-related disciplines.

Research should be shaped by the many diverse voices in Ireland today. Cut from the Same Cloth is a two-year project with textile artist, Lorna Donlon that is led by Conway Fellow, Professor Amanda McCann, UCD School of Medicine and Chair of The Patient Voice in Cancer Research initiative. 

The project will establish connections between communities, researchers and patient partners. It will build trust in an open, equitable and accessible way through community-based events centred around textiles and experiences of health research.

Textiles trace the shapes of individual lives. They invoke memories, embody emotion, create connections and provide a sense of continuity. Each textile holds a story. 

Lorna Donlon is passionate about how textiles connect us to place, our sense of self, and our past. She is also fascinated by patterns that she sees within cells of the body. Lorna is keen to enable scientists to visually represent the microscopic patterns in their research. 

Through a series of 10 workshops, 15 biomedical researchers along with patient partners and 200 women from minority communities, will share personal stories of the textiles that resonate with them and will co-create an exhibition about these connections, curated by Lorna Donlon. The exhibition will include a large hand-woven tapestry by Donlon to be inspired by these textiles. 

Dr Sara Dakir, PhD student and SpR Pathology, UCD School of Medicine & UCD Conway Institute; Elaine Quinn, Institute Manager (Communications & Education), UCD Conway; Lorna Donlon, artist and Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland. (Photography: Jason Clarke)

The project team also include Conway Fellow, Dr Arman Rahman from UCD School of Medicine and Precision Oncology Ireland who is passionate about involving ethnic minority cancer patients in public and patient involvement. Community partners include the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, Venezuelan Community in Ireland, Muslim Sisters of Eire, Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation, Bangladeshi community, Department of Global Health in Children’s Health Ireland, Southside Travellers Action Group, Balseskin Reception Centre, Kilkenny Integration Forum. The exhibition will tour nationwide in collaboration with The Hunt Museum, Limerick; Roscommon Arts Centre; Kilkenny Arts Council; An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk and the National Museum of Ireland.

Communities will be invited to attend this celebration of Irish society and research today, to see and hear about the common threads that bind us and that, as a human race, we are all ‘cut from the same cloth’.

In announcing the funding, Minister Harris TD said: “These initiatives, involving the general public and our communities across primary, secondary and third-level education, are essential to fostering curiosity about science, technology, engineering and maths. 

“This investment will help to broaden participation in STEM – both geographically and amongst less represented voices – and inspire all generations to deepen their understanding of what learnings, studies and careers in these fields entails. 

In turn, the next generation will be better engaged and empowered to share their ideas and solutions to societal challenges.”

Welcoming the announcement, Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland, said: “SFI is very proud of the Discover Programme and we are delighted to support these 38 projects to expand the reach of STEM and broaden participation and engagement. This programme is a key part of our education and public engagement strategy. Increasing engagement among less represented voices in STEM is vital to providing the diverse talent needed to take on societal challenges and to shape our future in Ireland. SFI are passionate about removing barriers to participation in STEM and providing learners with opportunities to engage. I look forward to seeing the achievements of these projects over the coming months.”