Register Now: All-Ireland Student Sustainability Research Conference 2026
TU Dublin is hosting the inaugural Student Sustainability Research Conference on 31 March 2026 at the East Quad, Grangegorman.
This conference is an opportunity for students of all disciplines and levels of study from across Ireland to share ideas and best practice for sustainability-related projects with each other and to take part in student led sustainability activities.
If you have completed work or are working on research projects, this is a chance to present you findings and ideas to fellow students.
Key details:
- Presentation will be short (approx 7 minutes) and in a format you think suitable.
- The Irish Journal of Social Economic and Environmental Sustainability will publish a set of abstracts and summaries of the work presented at the conference.
- The morning is dedicated to presentations while in the afternoon the focus will be on activities.
- The Career Development Centre of TU Dublin will be providing information on careers opportunities in sustainability.
Apply
To apply, please fill out this form
When filling in the application form remember:
- Use a short and catchy title.
- Provide a clear outline of your project, its aims, any findings you have and the relevance to sustainability. Which UN Sustainable Development Goals relate to your research.
- Your project description should be a short (150 words) account of your project, as the audience will be from a range of disciplines you should keep text jargon-free and explain technical terms.
- Presentations of complete and ‘in progress’ research projects and assignments are accepted. Your work does not have to be finished or in its final stages, however it should have clear aims.
- Group work is welcome. Please note this in your application, name the researchers and only submit one application as a group.
- You do not need to include an academic poster as part of the application form; you will receive a poster template to complete in mid-March.
Sustainability Workshops
As part of the day's events there are five workshops running just after lunch. To book your place at the workshop of your choice, fill out this form and select your 1 to 5 choice of workshop in order of preference.
1. Coping with Climate Change: Climate Justice and Action in a World on Fire Facilitated by Dr Sinead Sheehan of University of Galway and Emer Manning of the National Youth Council of Ireland. To start we aim to empower students with knowledge about climate justice and climate actions, including both individual and collective actions that attendees may or may not already be engaging in. We then focus on how we acknowledge the extent of climate challenges and work towards solutions without falling into despair, using techniques and exercises which support people to sustain action and increase psychological resilience.
2. Sustainability Impact Workshop: Delivered by Dr Saoirse Cummins (SETU) Impact is the real-world change that research brings to society beyond academia. This interactive workshop will introduce the concept of research impact in the context of sustainability. Students will work in small groups and engage with practical tools and guided activities to understand, plan and strengthen the impact of their research. The session will explore how research outputs, stakeholder involvement, and collaborative approaches can contribute to meaningful and real-world change.
3. PlanIt Play: Facilitated by Dr Siobhán Enright, join us at a PlanIt Play Workshop where art meets science. Learn about the lifecycle of toys and the circular economy. How do we use toys? Why do we love them? What are our expectations from toy makers and sellers? What changes would we like to see? Can we change our habits? What can we ask our policymakers to do? What can we ask toy makers to do? PlanIt Play is a fun, educational workshop where we will investigate some of these questions. Become a toy designer! Making new toys from discarded toys that become climate action superheroes for change.
4. Step Into the Doughnut: Inspired by Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics and developed by the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), this a hands-on, movement-based workshop designed to help us reimagine what it means to thrive within the means of our planet. The workshop is co-facilitated by Dr. Olivia Freeman and Dr. Lucia Walsh (TU Dublin).
What to expect:
- Map the Challenge: Using ropes, we will physically construct the "ecological ceiling" and "social foundation" to visually grasp the Doughnut Model.
- Experience the Doughnut: You will move through key zones from "resource overshoot" to the "social shortfall" to find the sweet spot of a "safe and just space for all within the means of the planet." You will engage in short, paired reflections.
- Commit to Action: We will explore practical examples from business and local communities, leaving you with tangible actions for a regenerative future.
5. Beyond 2030, planning the future of the SDGs? Facilitated by Dr John Barimo, University College Cork. As we approach 2030 the time has come to consider how sustainability can be delivered into the future. The next set of goals needs to reflect the world as it is today, including new risks and emerging voices. This is particularly important given the widescale retrenchment of the United States from most UN agencies and commitments. This workshop is an opportunity to consider how the SDGs should evolve and what you think should be considered in planning for the future of the SDGs.
How to get to the venue/ registration
The conference is being held in TU Dublin Grangegorman in the East Quad Building. Registration will be in the main lobby of the East Quad and starts at 9.30.
Grangegorman is on the Green Luas line, the Broadstone University stop is closest to the East Quad.
Bus routes that stop near the Broadstone University stop include: 23, 24, E1 and E2 all these routes travel through the city centre.
From Heuston station the red line Luas to Smithfield is the most direct access. The East Quad is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Smithfield stop.
From Busáras and Connelly station the Luas red line runs to Smithfield, the East Quad is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Smithfield stop.
For more information, contact Dr Ken Boyle, Sustainability Education Lead at TU Dublin at ken.boyle@tudublin.ie
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