New Faces: The Future of Open Research and Public Engagement
Workshop Abstract
What does meaningful public engagement in open research look like? And who gets to shape that engagement? ENGAGED, the NORF-funded project to create a national roadmap on public engagement in open research has, across 2025, been engaging in workshops to find the answer. Working with NGOs, community groups, academia, the civil and public service, researchers and citizen scientists, we have been co-creating the roadmap, which seeks to create greater access to research outputs as well as build partnerships for new research processes.
New Faces will premiere the results of nine participatory workshops, designed to spark conversation and creativity. From advocates to civil servants, participants have explored new ways of thinking about how open research infrastructure can be accessed, used and reimagined by wider communities and what new partnerships can be forged.
This upcoming workshop offers a dynamic mix of short provocations, table discussions, and a Zine gallery created by participants during the project. This is an invitation to add your voice, share your perspective, and help chart the course towards a more inclusive open research landscape on the road to 2030.
About
Dr Jo-Hanna Ivers, ENGAGED Project Lead
Jo-Hanna is the Associate Dean of Civic Engagement for Societal Impact at TCD. She is Associate Professor in Addiction and her research focuses on the biological, social and environmental factors that contribute to dependence and addiction. She has worked extensively with marginalised communities.
Dr James Brunton, ENGAGED Principal Project Partner
James is Assistant Professor and Programme Chair of the DCU Connected Psychology Major programme at DCU. This online, open education programme is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). He has worked extensively on inclusion processes for ‘off-campus’ students.
Dr Louise Hooper, ENGAGED Project Partner
Louise is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at DCU. She also Chairs the BSc in Psycholgy and Mathematics programme. Louise delivers courses in Psychology Research Skills on undergraduate psychology programmes which focus on wellbeing in the community.
Michael Foley, ENGAGED Co-ordinator
Michael is the Manager of the Civic Engagement for Societal Impact department at TCD. Previously Programme Manager for Trinity’s PPI Ignite Office, Michael has a substantial track record in the promotion of public and patient involvement in health-related research. Prior to his role in TCD, Michael worked extensively in the community/NGO sectors with an emphasis on ageing and intellectual disability.
Dr Autumn Brown, ENGAGED Researcher
Autumn is a Research Fellow at DCU, TCD and an Associate Researcher at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests include decolonial science learning, histories of scientific knowledge and STEM. Autumn holds a MSc in Science Communication and Public Engagement from the University of Edinburgh, and is an advocate of ensuring that science is accessible to all.
Kathyan Kelly, ENGAGED Project Manager
Kathyan is an independent researcher with a particular interest in social inclusion. She has worked with a wide range of NGO, community and voluntary organisations who support hard-to-reach populations. Kathyan is a strong advocate of engaging with people with lived experience to shape, formulate and conduct research outputs.
Tracey Jane Cassidy, ENGAGED Engagement Lead
Tracey Jane is a STEM education and public engagement professional with more than 15 years of experience in children’s STEM education and science communication. She is the Founder of Junior Einsteins Science Club, which delivers hands-on STEM programmes for primary school children. Tracey Jane’s work spans a number of countries as well as collaboration with the United Nations.