How does an academic get started in podcasting? Why would they want to get behind the mic? How can it benefit their scholarship and career? Following on from a very busy academic podcasting workshop at SETU, Stacey Copeland of the University of Groningen joined Jenny O’Connor and Bruce Wardrop (both SETU) and 9plus host Rob O’Connor in studio to re…

What’s the difference between misinformation and disinformation? Where does it all come from? Why are we talking about it so much? What effect does it have on individuals and society? What can we do about it? All of these questions (and more) are explored in a fascinating discussion between John Balfe (SETU), Steph Hanlon (Carlow College) and 9plus…

Engineering lecturer PJ Cregg recently delivered a captivating talk exploring the intersection of science and art through photography. In this episode, PJ and Rob O’Connor delve into various physical laws depicted in photography, including light reflections and refractions, crepuscular rays (rays of sunlight), and rainbows. They also discuss PJ's r…

Led by the double-act of Dr. Tom Farrelly (MTU) and Ken McCarthy (SETU), we discuss the N-TUTORR project, which seeks to transform student experience of higher education in the Technological University sector nationally. We delve into some of Tom’s recent research around the use of Artificial Intelligence systems in education and also discuss the G…

Autonomous Systems are the jumping off point for this podcast episode with Indrakshi Dey of the Walton Institute at SETU. We talk about how computer science research is progressing in this area, encompassing the world of AI and forming links with partners across all disciplines. This leads on to a chat about how we (humans) tend to anthropomorphise…

As we approach International Women’s Day, we discuss the Roses From The Heart project which explores the stories of women and young girls forcibly transported to Australia from places like Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Artist Dr. Christina Henri describes how her project came about and the impact it has had over its 20 year life span. Chr…

We talk about all things “open access” with David Kane from the SETU library. David talks about how research was published in the past and explains why there’s been a shift towards open access publishing over the last number of years. He describes various models of open access publishing and talks about how your University’s library can likely help…

In this episode, we have an interview with Nick McCarthy and David Devaney about sustainability and land sciences. Both are members of the EIRC (Eco-Innovation Research Centre) at SETU. Nick’s specialist area is forestry and David’s is agriculture and soil science. They talk about some of the climate change challenges facing Ireland (and the world!…

Embarking on an educational journey as a 'mature' student (officially over 23 years old) can be a daunting experience. But how does this transition manifest in the postgraduate realm? In this episode, we feature two PhD students, Steve Daly and Nicola Briggs, who chose to return to education later in life. Both have progressed beyond their undergra…

In this episode we talk about Science Week and the SURE Network. Science Week is a European initiative supported by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to promote science and scientific enquiry among the entire population. The SURE Network is a group that enhances practice in scientific disciplines at Undergraduate levels across Ireland. Both of these…

For the first episode of the new series, we’re talking about the Portalis pilot project, led by SETU Humanities, which finished up in September 2023. Portalis mapped the story of the earliest connections between Ireland and Wales, dating back to the Mesolithic period (~10,000 years ago). The project explored how those first settlers adapted to thei…

PURE is a new Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) that has been rolled out in SETU. Anyone writing a funding proposal or managing a research project will be interacting with this system. Susie Cullinane and Jonathan Brazil from the Research Support Unit (RSU) sat down with Rob O'Connor to discuss what PURE is, why it's being used and the be…

Can you turn fish waste into something useful? Yes - by combining biochemistry and engineering! Adriana Cunha Neves and David Culliton talk about their work in creating sustainable bio-degradable plastics from the waste materials of other products, including fish, brewer's grain, leather and more. You can learn more about Adriana by visiting her pr…

Microscopic nematodes! Soil ecology! Environmental Science! Aristotle! It's all in in here, as Dr. Thomae Kakouli-Duarte spoke with Rob O'Connor about her professional career to date, starting out studying crop production in Greece, obtaining a post-grad in the UK and now the director of enviroCORE at SETU Carlow. Thomae's enthusiasm for science an…

In this episode, musician and SETU lecturer Mark Graham talks with Rob O’Connor about ethics in the music industry. Mark’s research into this topic is tying together his extensive experience as a professional musician and his academic role at SETU. During the podcast, Mark lays out some common music business practices that could be deemed unethical…

This episode of 9plus has been produced as companion piece for an upcoming special collection issue of the Journal of Research in Nursing which will focus on ‘Nursing during difficult times’. The podcast is a collaboration between staff and postgraduate students of SETU and Glasgow Caledonian University, in which they talk about how their PhD resea…

Two researchers from the designCORE group based on the SETU Carlow campus, sat down with Rob O'Connor to discuss the general topic of "design." What is design? Why is it important? How does it impact on research projects? What about the field of design research itself? PJ White and Brian Casey bring the conversation to life through their clear comm…

SETU’s Vice President of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Allison Kenneally and Susan Flynn (Head of Dept. of Arts) join Rob O'Connor to talk about the topic of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research and university practice. They talk about the importance of EDI with respect to gaining a wider perspective on research works, as w…

Prof. John Nolan is the founder and chair of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI based in Waterford. His research group studies the role of nutrition in vision health and the prevention of blindness, particularly around age-related macular degeneration which is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. John spoke candidly about h…

SETU researchers Dr. Una Kealy and Dr. Kate McCarthy have been involved in research around early 20th century Irish playwright and author Teresa Deevy or some time. Most recently, they are running a project Lyrical Bodies which involves a collaboration with visual artist Amanda Coogan and the Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. Dr. Jenny O'Connor is involv…

Noel Richardson from the SETU Carlow Campus talks about his research around the broad area of Men's Health and how his work is shaping national (and international) policy. He talks about projects that target hard-to-reach populations with positive health activities, such as On Feirm Ground, which is directly concerned with Irish farmers and agricul…

For the first episode of the 2nd season, Rob O'Connor sat down with the new President of the South East Technological University (SETU), Professor Veronica Campbell. They talked about her research journey as a cell biologist, from an 11-year old looking at samples under the microscope in Scotland, through to undergraduate and postgraduate study, on…

The podcast guest for this episode is Dr. James O'Sullivan, the Technology Transfer manager at SETU. James is responsible for shepherding research activities from the theoretical to commercial stage. The term "technology transfer" might also be a misnomer, as commercialisation is open to all disciplines, not just technology or science. James also t…

The OTRG are researching non-invasive ways to treat sight-loss and other eye conditions. Three members of the group (Larry Fitzhenry, Niall O'Reilly & Tess Ames) sat down in the studio to chat with Rob O'Connor about the motivations behind their research, what's involved and the potential impacts of their work. You can learn more about the Pharmace…

Following on from the previous episode about Agricultural Technology, in this episode we dig a bit deeper in the use of robots in agriculture by speaking with two Irish members of AgRoboFood cluster. Christine O'Meara specialises in commercialisation and innovation and is with SETU's Walton Institute and Kieran O'Donoghue is a robotics researcher b…

Hazel Peavoy of The Walton Institute joined Rob O'Connor in the virtual studio to provide an overview of some of the agri-tech projects that have been undertaken at SETU. These have massive potential impacts in terms of food quality and efficiency, as well as food security. Climate change is also a major theme of the research. More information on T…

Bernadette Flanagan and Paul Cloger are directors of the SpirSoP research group at SETU (Spirituality in Society and the Professions). They spoke with Rob O'Connor about some of the fundamental questions around spirituality, how their work is applied in certain areas (including tourism and technology). Finally, they engaged in a discussion around o…

Ahead of International Women's Day 2022, three female researchers in the final stages of their PhD studies joined the podcast to talk about their work, describe their motivations and chat about issues affecting women in the research world. Aisling McGrath is involved with the Men's Sheds' "Sheds for Life" project. Madhuri Dandamudi is with the Ocul…

Dr. Geralidine Canny (Head of Research) and Josephine Holohan (Project Manager) spoke with Rob about the Research Unit Unit (RSU) at SETU. They talked about Local, National and European funding streams that are available to researchers as well as detailing some of the supports the RSU provides to assist researchers in applying for funding. They als…

Professor Niamh Murphy recently co-authored a paper which was published in The Lancet, one of the highest-impact research journals in the field of health and medicine. “An evidence-based assessment of the impact of the Olympic Games on population levels of physical activity” was concerned with the legacy of large-scale sporting events on the health…

Dr. Ramesh Raghavendra relaunched the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) group in 2009 which has become one of the leading material science & engineering research outfits in Ireland. Ramesh and his colleague Eoghan O'Donoghue spoke with Rob O'Connor about 3D printing, additive manufacturing, simulation and analysis. They talked about its applic…

The GROWTH HUB's mission is to encourage growth and entrepreneurial mindsets among students at SETU. School of Business Faculty Dr. Margaret Tynan and Prof. Felicity Kelliher spoke about the research which informs the GROWTH HUB, as well as describing some activities occurring within the space such as LEGO SERIOUS PLAY. The spoke about some project…

Dr. Evan Matthews has been involved in a pilot project - The Exercise Effect - studying the impact of physical exercise on patients suffering from severe mental health issues. Evan and Rob discussed the research informing the project, the findings from the initial study and how it might progress in the future. They also spoke about Evan's backgroun…

For the first episode, Rob spoke with the Head of Research at SETU, Dr. Geraldine Canny to talk about her own research journey from NUIG, to Harvard, then Switzerland and now the South East of Ireland. Geraldine describes some of her own research into treatments for endometriosis and briefly talks about the Research Support Unit at the University. …

Trailer for the forthcoming series 9plus from Waterford Institute of Technology