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Engineering and Computing Academy Speaker 2018

12 June 2017

Applications for the 2018 Engineering and Computing Academy Speaker now open.

The Speaker

The committee wishes to identify a candidate with exceptional communication and public outreach skills who will be invited to develop a lecture which will be initially delivered in Academy House Dublin, before being toured around Ireland to four national venues commencing in Spring 2018.  

The Lecture

The lecture can be on any topic of the candidate’s choosing within the disciplines of Engineering and Computer Science.  Candidates may, for example, highlight their research or teaching interests or perhaps address a subject of public concern or interest.  It should be 45 minutes in duration and broadly accessible to a wide audience. The lecture may also have reference to the Academy's theme for 2018, 'Diversity'.

Call For Applications

If you are interested in applying, please complete the online application form here.  The closing date is Monday 30 October 2017.

You will be asked to provide:

  • Your current academic and employment status
  • The title of your proposed lecture
  • A brief outline of your proposed lecture with three/four slides
  • A profile of relevant communications skills and public outreach
  • An updated CV (3 pages maximum)
  • Additional uploaded materials (as appropriate)

As we are keen to identify candidates with exceptional communication skills the application form specifically requests details on the candidate’s achievements in this area (for example teaching awards, examples of public outreach, media appearances etc). Similarly, the lecture description should contain enough detail to allow the selection panel to assess its quality, novelty and accessibility.

Applications are sought from academics and researchers as well as engineers/computer scientists working in industry or other enterprises based on the island of Ireland.

Selection Process

There will be a two-stage selection process. An initial review will identify a small number of candidates who will be invited to give a fuller description of their proposed lecture by way of a brief presentation (to allow the committee to assess their presentation skills).

Lecture Tour

The precise dates of the lectures toured around the country will depend on the availability of the Academy Speaker, but it is envisaged that the lectures will take place in Spring and Autumn 2018.

A recorded version of the lecture will be made available on the Academy’s website.

2016-17 Speaker

The 2016-17 speaker was Dr Brian Mac Namee, UCD who toured the country with his very well-received lecture ‘Show me your data and I’ll tell you who you are: an exploration of data-driven prediction’. His lecture can be listened to here.


Please direct any queries to engineering@ria.ie  

With thanks to the 2018 Engineering and Computing Academy Lecture Series sponsor Hewlett Packard Enterprises

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