Researching the competition

Mood monitoring, population genetics of the zebra mussel, the recycling of biosolids and gamma-ray astronomy were just a few of the research topics presented during the seventh annual Institutes of Technology Science and Computing Research Colloquium.

The School of Science and Computing at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, hosted the event, the largest yet held, with 160 delegates and 113 research submissions. The annual event gives the IT research community an opportunity to get together and showcase its work, explains Dr James Walsh, an IT Tralee chemistry lecturer and colloquium coordinator for 2003.

The big turnout illustrates the increase in research activity in the institutes prompted by the increase in funding from bodies such as IRCSET, Enterprise Ireland, the HEA and Science Foundation Ireland, Walsh suggested. The number of submissions was up 45 per cent on 2002.

In past years guest speakers were organised, but this year, with the extra submissions pressing to be heard, the Tralee planners decided to go with a research-only format. "We took the view we would give the floor to the researchers," says Walsh.

The event is really a head-to-head competition, with presentations and posters, the majority from postgraduate students. Submissions fall into a range of categories and the students are given 20 to 25 minutes to present their work and then field questions from the audience.

They are judged on a number of criteria, says Walsh. "The awards acknowledge excellence in research," he says, but participants are also assessed on the quality of their presentation, the relevance of their research work and their ability to handle the tough questions afterwards.

The main sponsor of the event since its inception in 1996 is AGB Scientific. There was also support this year from Shannon Development andthe Kerry Technology Park.

More information about the event is available at www.ittralee.ie/sciencecolloquium

• The prizewinners by category included: Physics/computing: John Culloty, Cork IT; Carol O'Shea, IT Tralee; Environmental: Sarah Brennan, Athlone IT; Aoife O'Connor, IT Sligo; Chemistry: Sinead Kelly, IT Tallaght; Lynda Phelan, Galway-Mayo IT; Biochemistry/

biotechnology: Eilish Broderick, IT Tralee; Poster session-winner: Valerie Dobbyn, Waterford IT; runners up: Aisling Olwill, Waterford IT; Louise Colgan, IT Tallaght.