Dublin to get annual science festival

Dublin is to host an annual three-day science event, the Festival of Curiosity, with the first set to take place next July.

The festival arises as part of the legacy from the public science events that took place during the year-long City of Science programme.

More than 600,000 people participated in these events which took place in Dublin and other centres around the country throughout 2012.

Support for the event has come from Dublin City Council, legal firm Matheson, the RDS and Science Foundation Ireland.

The event will rival similar international science festivals as those in Cheltenham and New York, according to the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation.

The City of Science programme was a "remarkable success" and captured the public imagination,  Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton said tdoay.

The City of Science events had a major impact in raising science awareness, said Minister of State for Science Sean Sherlock.

The festival of curiosity would keep science "firmly in the public consciousness", he added.

Meanwhile, details were announced today of a separate conference on scientific research collaboration in Brussels next year which, the event organisers said,  should afford Ireland a platform to forge international links. It will also help Irish researchers to access funding provided through the EU's new science budget, Horizon 2020.

Details of the event, EU Science: Global Challenges, Global Collaboration were announced today at the European Parliament offices in Dublin. It takes place in Brussels from March 4th to 8th. 

It takes place during the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU and has attracted country participation from five continents, the organisers said. Its theme focuses on how international science collaboration can be used to tackle global issues such as health care, agricultural production and energy.

"It is an opportunity not to be missed," said Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly, who is one of the organisers of the meeting.. "This conference is going to be a major one for us."

It would help Irish researchers align their own research agendas with those of the EU science budget, Horizon 2020. It should also enable them to maximise the drawdown of funding from Horizon 2020.