AIREN Conference 2025: “Looking Ahead: The Future of Research Management and Administration on the Island of Ireland in an Era of Change and Disruption”
3rd April 2025, 10 a.m. – 4.15 p.m.
The Convention Centre Dublin

AIREN Conference 2025_Agenda

Conference Overview
The AIREN Conference “Looking Ahead: The Future of Research Management and Administration on the Island of Ireland in an Era of Change and Disruption” was successfully held on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, at The Convention Center Dublin. The event brought together research management professionals from across the island of Ireland to discuss future challenges and opportunities in research administration.

About the Conference
The 2025 AIREN Conference represented a collaborative effort between three key organizations: the All-Island Research Excellence Network (AIREN), the Irish Research Managers & Professionals Association (IRMPA), and the Northern Ireland Research Professionals Network (NIRPN). The event was supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The conference focused on preparing research administrators and managers for navigating an evolving research landscape characterised by technological advancement, changing funding frameworks, and new approaches to research governance. The conference was attended was attended by approximately 180 registered delegates from across the island of Ireland.

Conference Report: A full report of the conference is available here: AIREN Conference 2025 Report

Privacy Statement: The AIREN Conference Data Privacy Statement is available here: AIREN Conference 2025 DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT

Acknowledgments
The AIREN Conference 2025 was made possible through the support of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the collaborative efforts of AIREN, IRMPA, and NIRPN. The organizers would like to thank all speakers, panelists, moderators, and attendees for their valuable contributions to this important gathering of research management professionals.

 

AIREN Conference Event: ‘Research for the Future’
8th September 2022, 10 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.
Titanic Hotel Belfast

AIREN Conference Programme

UCD, Ulster and QUB join forces to connect Research Managers and Administrators across the island of Ireland.  

The inaugural AIREN Conference ‘Research For the Future’ took place in-person on 8th September 2022 at the Titanic Hotel Belfast. 

Inaugural AIREN Conference: The All-Island Research Excellence Network (AIREN) project, established by University College Dublin (UCD), Queens University Belfast (QUB) and Ulster University (Ulster) held the inaugural AIREN Conference entitled ‘Research for the Future’ as an in-person event on 8th September 2022 in the Drawing Offices at the Titanic Hotel Belfast, the legendary location where the headquarters of Harland & Wolf shipbuilders were based.

Research for the Future: The Conference  brought key stakeholders together to discuss all-island collaborative research and how to further develop and enhance the AIREN all-island network of research support staff. The diverse range of sessions also addressed research culture and shared career development inspirations for research support professionals.   The Conference opened with Welcome Addresses by Minister Gordon Lyons, MLA, and Minister Simon Harris, TD, and the day was moderated by Sarah Travers, Journalist, TV Presenter & Event Host.  The conference programme included two excellent keynote addresses by Dr Deirdre Lillis (Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science) and Dr Simon Kerridge (University of Kent),  and a range of stimulating and interactive sessions, and panel discussions, on topics covering:

  • Vision and strategy for research collaboration
  • Funding programmes to support North South collaboration, including an overview of the new Peace Plus Programme and insights on the HEA North-South Research programme and Interreg
  • Continuing to develop and enhance the AIREN Network
  • Research culture and what research integrity means to / for research support professionals
  • Sharing career development inspirations.

AIREN Conference Programme:
The full Conference Programme Agenda is available here.

Attendance: There were 157 registered delegates with attendance from research professional staff from academic and research organisations on the island, as well as representatives from Government departments, the Higher Education Authority, InterTradeIreland, and funding bodies. The conference  provided opportunities for delegates to meet and network with each other, and to link with colleagues working across the research ecosystem in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

Conference Support: The AIREN Conference was delivered by the AIREN Project, supported by InterTradeIreland’s Synergy Programme – a cross-border cluster initiative which aims to scale cross border collaboration among SMEs and other players such as universities, third sector organisations and government agencies using cluster and networking supports.

Conference Report: We thank each of our Speakers for their contributions and for giving their time to participate at the inaugural AIREN Conference.  A report on the Conference is also available here.

AIREN Conference Data Privacy Statement: The AIREN Conference Data Privacy Statement is available here.

The AIREN Project Team thank all who attended and participated at the inaugural AIREN Conference for their contributions.