The donation, which the university has welcomed as “significant”, has been made by the charitable trust established in memory of the founder of Ryanair, Tony Ryan.

Dr Ryan, who died in 2007, had already established a marine research institute at NUI Galway (NUIG), named after his father, Martin Ryan.

The new funding will support research scholarhips for five PhD students focusing on marine, environment and energy research programmes. It will also provide  financial assistance under the university’s access programme for students.

Priority areas for the funding include innovation in energy-efficient technologies and bio-energy, and research and development in aquaculture, fisheries, offshore and renewable energy resources.

Research on development of technologies for monitoring, modelling and mitigation of environmental pressures may also qualify.

“We are proud to support so many Irish and migrant students to access NUIG’s degree programmes with €125,000 per year for four years,” trust spokeswoman Emma Lane-Spollen  said.

An annual Ryan Institute Award over five years is also to be established which aims to nurture business ideas arising from research.

NUIG president  Jim Browne has paid tribute to the late Dr Ryan and his family for their “vision and enlightened philanthropy”.

The Tony Ryan Trust was incorporated on December 10th, 2009, with the core objectives of the advancement of education and religion, the relief of poverty and  other works of a charitable nature. Dr Ryan, former Guinness Peat Aviation chief executive, bequeathed €10 million to the trust.

Ryan Institute director  Colin Brown welcomed the donation, which would, he said, help to “realise the bright minds of the future”.

Pictured at the launch are, from left: Dr. Henrike Rau, Dr. Ricca Edmonson, Prof. Colin Brown, and Dr. Frances Fahy

Bringing together contributions from international social scientists, this is the resource for academics and practitioners interested in sustainability research. It will be a core teaching text for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in sustainability and sustainable development, geography, environmental sociology and the environmental sciences.

]]> http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/book-launch-methods-of-sustainability-research-in-the-social-sciences/feed/ 0 http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/international-conference-on-recent-advances-in-pollution-control-and-prevention-for-the-livestock-farming-industry-rapcp-2013/ http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/international-conference-on-recent-advances-in-pollution-control-and-prevention-for-the-livestock-farming-industry-rapcp-2013/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:22:20 +0000 Admin http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/?p=3738 Time: 25-26, October, 2013
Place: Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China

The economic development, population growth and demand for a better quality of life have resulted in the growth of the livestock farming industry. This industry generates a large amount of wastewater and wastes. It is one of the largest agricultural pollution sources. In China, it contributes to 96%, 38% and 56% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of the agricultural industry, respectively. Thus, pollution control and prevention for the livestock farming industry is critical in China and will be of increasing importance for the sustainable development of this industry.

Great efforts have been made worldwide to facilitate pollution control and prevention for this industry. Innovative technologies for pollution control have emerged in recent years, in addition with advanced management measures. Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University Zhejiang is organizing an International Conference on Recent Advances in Pollution Control and Prevention for the Livestock Farming Industry in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China in 25-26, October, 2013.

Jiaxing City, located in Zhejiang Province, has a land area of 3,915 km2 and population of 3.37 million. It is famous for its beautiful network of rivers and lakes, and it is known as the fertile land of fish and rice and a land of silk. It is close to Shanghai and Hangzhou. It only takes 20 minutes to travel from Shanghai to Jiaxing by train. Animal farming is a major agricultural sector in Jiaxin, up to 33.8% of the gross agricultural production. Pig farming is a traditional industry in Jiaxing. In 2010, the total amount of pigs raised were up to 7.7 million head with the breeding stock of 0.3 million head. Pig farming is highly intensive.

In Zhejiang Province, the livestock farming industry had an output of 54.6 billion Chinese Yuan ($ 9 billion) in 2011?equal to 21.6% of the gross agricultural production. Meat and egg production was increased by 23.3% and 36.7% in comparison with in 2006. The government of Zhejiang Province plans to build a sustainable livestock farming industry in the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period (2011- 2015), with an output of up to 61 billion Chinese Yuan ($9.7 billion) at the end of this period. This presents a challenge for environmental pollution control and prevention within this industry. Therefore, to have such an international conference in Jiaxing will not only benefit the local government, academics and farmers through the sharing of international experiences and best practices, but will also benefit international academic and industrial communities through the provision of practical applications and case studies (not to mention the chance to explore and experience the natural beauty of the Zhejiang Province and the eastern pearl that is Shanghai!).

Conference themes
The topics covered in RAPCP2013 will include:
1. Policies and regulations on management of animal waste
2. Technologies for animal waste prevention
3. Pollution control technologies
4. Resource recovery technologies and practice
5. Greenhouse gas emission mitigation for livestock farming

Conference proceedings
All conference presentations will be included in conference proceedings. Papers selected from the conference proceedings will be published on Waste Management and Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A.

Important dates
• Abstract submission (2 page): Tuesday, 30 April, 2013
• Invitation of submission of full papers: Thursday, 30 May, 2013
• Submission of full paper: Saturday, 30 July, 2013

All submissions will be via email to: rapcp2013@gmail.com

Contact
Submission and queries are through:
Name: Mr. JinfeiLuo, Dr.Sulin Yu, Dr.Xinmin Zhan
Tel: (+86)0573-82582732
Fax: (+86)057382582727
E-mail: rapcp2013@gmail.com
Address: Department of Environment, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang, Jiaxing, China
Postcode: 314006

Conference registration
Conference registration will start from Monday, 1 April, 2012.

Thursday 20 June – Friday 21 June 2013

Whitaker Institute
Ryan Institute
School of Law 

National University of Ireland Galway

Keynote Speaker: Professor Bradley C. Karkkainen, University of Minnesota School of Law 

Papers are invited from scholars and practitioners across all disciplines for a workshop on the application of information and communications technology for environmental regulation. Abstracts (maximum 500 words) to be submitted by Friday 15 March 2013.

Enquiries to: ronan.m.kennedy@nuigalway.ie or to Rónán Kennedy at +353-91-495626

Environmental campaigner Tony Juniper pictured here with Professor Colin Brown, Director of the Ryan Institute (left) and Professor Martin Cormican, Director of the Centre for Health from Environment.

Juniper visited Ireland to deliver the conference’s keynote lecture on ‘Nature for Health – Opportunities for People and the Environment’. Protecting our environment from pollution, abuse and mismanagement, and providing a good quality natural environment can do more to benefit our health and well-being than many other measures, he told the audience.

In his new book released earlier this month, What Has Nature Ever Done for Us – How Money Really Does Grow on Trees, he highlights the potential economic benefits of working with nature instead of simply seeing it as a supplier of resources and a place to dump waste. According to Tony Juniper, nature provides the world economy with more than €100 trillion worth of goods and “natural services” every year. He explained how the loss of these “natural services” can trigger huge economic costs.

Tony Juniper is a campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser and one of the world’s most influential environmentalists. From 2003 to 2008 he was the Director in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of Friends of the Earth and from 2001 to 2008 he was the Vice Chair of the 70-strong network of national organisations that comprise Friends of the Earth International. For more than 25 years he has worked for change toward a more sustainable society at local, national and international levels. Juniper presently works as a Special Adviser to the Prince of Wales Charities’ International Sustainability Unit, having previously worked (2008-2010) as a Special Advisor with the Prince’s Rainforests Project. He is a Senior Associate with the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership working as a member of the teaching faculty.

During his visit to NUI Galway he also launched the Centre for Health from Environment at the Ryan Institute, which was established to encourage research and teaching on the ways in which the environment benefits human health and well-being. The Centre brings together interdisciplinary researchers from areas of medicine, science, engineering, political science, geography, and other disciplines who are all working together to place sustaining health through environmental stewardship at the centre of public policy.

The Centre’s on-going and planned research intersects four thematic areas: Air Quality, Water Quality, Public Policy, and Food and Soil. “We benefit much more from clean air, pure water, good food and exercise and strong communities than we do from hospitals, medicines and clinics,” said Professor Martin Cormican, Director of the Centre for Health from Environment at the launch of the centre this morning. He stated that “In recent decades we have seen major improvements in outdoor air quality through control of emissions from coal and motor vehicles, improvements in indoor air quality through changes in cigarette smoking, improvements in water quality through control of discharges into rivers and lakes and we’ve witnessed important social changes that promote acceptance of diversity in communities. The Centre seeks to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the principle that if we take good care of the environment, than it takes good care of us.”

Professor Colin Brown, Director of the Ryan Institute added: “The launch of the new Centre for Health from Environment is timely. Nature and biodiversity have often been considered only relevant to biologists or ecologists, but a growing body of research makes clear that it is equally relevant to health-related disciplines.”

At the launch of the Ryan Institute’s Centre for Health from Environment at ENVIRON2013 were (l-r): Prof. Colin Brown, Director of the Ryan Institute, Mr. Tony Juniper, sustainability advisor and author, and Dr. Martina Prendergast, Strategic Development Manager of the Ryan Institute.

Mr. Tony Juniper, sustainability advisor and author, and Dr. Martina Prendergast, Strategic Development Manager of the Ryan Institute. Mr. Juniper’s trip was sponsored by the Galway University Foundation. 

Mr. Tony Juniper delivers the keynote lecture at ENVIRON 2013.

The 23rd Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium, ENVIRON 2013, hosted by the Ryan Institute was held at NUI Galway from Wednesday to Friday January 30th to February 1st, 2013. The theme of this year’s colloquium was “Environment: From Ecosystem Functioning to Human Health”.

The theme challenged 250+ delegates to consider how their research can contribute to providing a healthier planet and thereby a healthier society. The conference began on Wednesday, 30th January 2013 with a number of workshops during the day on offer to delegates.

On Wednesday evening a Question and Answer session and panel debate was held in the Bailey Allen Hall in NUI Galway on the theme, “Securing Ireland’s Energy Future”. Over 150 people attended to hear the panel, moderated by architect and TV personality Mr. Duncan Stewart, and made up of Eamon Ryan, Leader of the Green Party, Brian Barrett, Senior Executive with Galway County Council, Chair of the Galway Renewable Energy Enterprise Network (GREEN). Prof. Phillip Walton, Professor of applied physics, NUI Galway until retirement & one of the founding members of the Better Environment with Nuclear Energy Group (BENE) and Dr Eimear Cotter, Senior Manager, Environmental Protection Agency. The debate covered issues such as renewable energy policy, energy technologies, fossil fuels, opposition to new renewable technologies, nuclear energy, etc.  Main points from the debate and ensuing discussion were collected as a mind map, available here.

The keynote lecture on Thursday morning was delivered by Mr. Tony Juniper who is one of the top ten international environmental figures of the last 30 years. Juniper is a British campaigner, writer, sustainability advisor and leading environmentalist recognised among other activities for his work as Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International from 2000-2008.  He presently works as a Special Advisor to the Prince of Wales Charities’ International Sustainability Unit, having previously worked (2008-2010) as a Special Advisor with the Prince’s Rainforests Project. He is a Senior Associate with the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL), working as a member of the teaching faculty and contributing to several programmes. His new book “What has Nature ever done for us?” was published in January 2013.

The first annual ESAI Environ Career Expo took place on Thursday afternoon. Attendees met representatives from NGOs, environmental consultancies, research institutes, and semi-state bodies to discuss job opportunities; internships; post-doctorate and Ph.D. programmes; and receive career advice.

For more information and the full book of abstracts, please visit http://www.environ2013.org

One of the first activities of the €0.5 million project is the creation of the first database to contain details of all the known properties of Irish-grown timber. Secondly, the research will attempt to re-engineer timber to produce products with enhanced strength and durability.

The demand for increased use of sustainable materials in areas such as construction has led to a demand for innovative timber products, which can replace more traditional materials that have poor environmental performance. Dr Annette Harte, a senior lecturer in Civil Engineering and member of the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway, will lead the research into methods for engineering Irish timber to produce high-performance construction products.

The project will utilise the latest technologies at the University’s timber research laboratory, which is the primary timber and engineered wood products testing facility in Ireland. Dr Harte will test the feasibility of using novel technologies such as cross-lamination and internal reinforcement of the timber components with fibre-reinforced polymer rods and plates to manufacture advanced construction products from Irish timber.

“This funding will help us to develop a world-class competence to exploit Ireland’s natural resource of wood. We aim to identify the potential for producing added-value timber products for construction applications from Irish timber resources. These products will allow Irish timber to be used in more demanding applications than before, such as long-span and multi-storey construction”, explains Dr Harte.

The project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine under the FIRM/RSF/COFORD scheme, and Queens University Belfast is a collaborating partner in the research, giving the results all-island impact.

Professor Colin Brown, Director of the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway added: “In the context of pressures on resources and the environment, innovation and resource efficiencies can go hand-in-hand with steady economic growth. Dr Harte’s work is helping to create better conditions for timber products and services that should have lower impacts across their life-cycles, and are durable, repairable and recyclable.”

According to Dr Martina Prendergast, Strategic Development Manager of the Ryan Institute: “As a result of securing the significant grant from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine, we are in a much better position to attract European funding from the EU Horizon 2020 programme to develop high quality forestry products which will be recognised around the world.”

The ANDROID Network invites applications to its Online Doctoral School which is to be held on the 18th and 19th of March, 2013 and the Residential Doctoral School which is to be held in Cyprus in October 2013. The number of places available is limited to 30 and will be based on selection criteria identified in the network web.

Please note that students from eligible (ANDROID member) institutions can also apply to a scholarship in the value of €750 to attend the Residential Doctoral School. There are 15 scholarships available in total and NUI Galway is an ANDROID member institution. The Online Doctoral School programme is offered free for all selected candidates while candidates not receiving the scholarship will be required to pay a registration fee of €250 for the Residential School Programme. The network gives preference to doctoral students in European institutions affiliated to ANDROID but applications are welcome worldwide. The closing date for applications for the doctoral school is: 18 February 2013

The programmes are carried out as two separate but interlinked events. Doctoral students are requested to make applications for the programmes using the application form provided herewith (or downloadable for web).
Full details are available on the Network website:
http://www.disaster-resilience.net/index.php/doctoral-workshops

Sincerely

ANDROID DOCTORAL SCHOOL TEAM
==============================================
Alexandra Revez
(Irish Research Council Scholar)
Room 114
Department of Geography
National University of Ireland, Galway

Mobile: +353 (0)877799434
Email: a.limarevez1@nuigalway.ie

Pictured (l-r) Dr Barry Fennell of Enterprise Ireland, Minister Sherlock, President of NUI Galway Jim Browne and Professor Colin O’Dowd, Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies, NUI Galway.

Sean Sherlock, Minister of State for Research and Innovation today (Wednesday) announced NUI Galway has secured funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) for a new ash cloud research project. 

ESA has invested €2.1 million in an ash cloud detection and forecasting system led by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and involving NUI Galway and the Irish Aviation Authority Irish Aviation Authority’s Volcanic Ash Detection and Forecasting Initiative. The funding was secured with the aid of Enterprise Ireland, which is the co-ordinating body for ESA in Ireland.

The project, which uses satellites and forecast models to detect ash clouds and forecast their movements, came about following the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption, which resulted in more than 100,000 flights being cancelled, affecting 10 million passenger journeys during the first week of the eruption alone.

Announcing the investment, Minister Sherlock said; “The Action Plan for Jobs 2012 puts innovation and technology at the heart of enterprise and jobs policies and working with the European Space Agency is an integral part of driving innovation and research in Ireland.”

“NUI Galway’s commitment to developing new environmental monitoring techniques is impressive. This is a significant win for NUI Galway and clearly indicates that Irish Research Institutes have the capability and expertise to significantly contribute to these pan European projects.”

The Minister added ‘Ireland’s membership of the European Space Agency is having a direct and positive impact for the research and SME community. There are over 40 Irish companies that are active in ESA programmes. These companies, through their involvement with ESA Earth observation programmes, are also directly impacting on global threats such as climate change, ozone depletion, maritime surveillance, flooding and forest fires’.

In addition to ash detection via satellite platforms, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), in collaboration with NUI Galway, is deploying an ash cloud detection network composed of four ground-based LIDARS (dust or haze RADARs) located strategically at north, south, east and west perimeters in Ireland. ESA have invested in NUI Galway’s School of Physics and Centre for Climate & Air Pollution studies to use the LIDAR data for ash detection.

In total, ESA have invested €2.1 million in the Volcanic Ash Strategic-initiative Team (VAST). VAST is a consortium led by NILU and comprises teams from Finland, Austria and Ireland with NUI Galway being awarded €500,000 to further develop and evaluate their ash forecast model, to develop real-time ash detection software and techniques for the LIDAR network, and to conduct the validation of the detection and forecasting aspects of the project.

Professor Colin O’Dowd, the Director of the Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies, based in the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway, said: “The VAST detection and forecasting system is especially designed to facilitate the aviation industry and represents a major technological step forward in combing space-borne and ground-based remote-sensing platforms with sophisticated ash forecasting models and will put Europe in poll position in terms of ash cloud detection and forecasting.”

He went on to say “ESA’s investment in NUI Galway’s research and research support staff for the IAA’s LIDAR network is a reflection of how important ESA views the Irish contribution to ash cloud detection and prediction. The initiative will provide more accurate information to the aviation industry which is expected to result in reduced disruption of air travel as ‘fly’ or ‘no-fly’ decisions will be based on more accurate predictions of ash plume location and density.”

Dr Barry Fennell of Enterprise Ireland and National Delegate to ESA’s Earth Observation Programme Board said “Ireland’s unique geographical position on the western fringes of Europe makes it an ideal and much sought after international partner when developing early detection environmental warning systems whether focused on the atmosphere, on land or on the marine environment.  Many more business opportunities for Irish Industry will become available over the coming years through increased availability and access to data collected in-situ and from Earth Observation satellites.”

“Ireland’s recent renewal of its membership to the ESA Earth Observation programme with a subscription of €5 million will secure the position of our SME’s, Academic and Public Sector institutes at the heart of the latest technological developments in this rapid advancing area of service development.”

5 of these 15 finalists are members of the Ryan Institute, who succeeded in getting through in various heats. They are:

Maja Fabeta, Earth and Ocean Science “Estimating seabed texture and composition using multibeam echosounder data”

Shane Fox, Civil Engineering “Remote control of several wastewater treatments plants by a single operative”

Dr. Rónan Hennessy, GIS Centre, Ryan Institute “Making Time for Old Lines”

Dr. Jessica Pape, Geography & Archaeology “Sustainable Food Consumption in Ireland: Applying ‘Visioning’ Methods to Develop Creative Solutions for 2050”

Sandra Raimundo, Botany & Plant Science “Composition and localization of algal cell wall composition”