The Department of Adult and Community Education fosters critically inclusive and transformative approaches to living which support greater inclusion and social justice. This includes developing key initiatives in adult guidance and counselling, recovery education, disability and independent living, crisis pregnancy and CPD for greater cultural and ethnic inclusion.
AONTAS Community Development (2018-2019)
This research is commissioned by AONTAS, the National Adult Education Agency to quantify and visually map the extent and impact of closures of services within the community education sector between 2008-2018.
For further information please contact: Camilla Fitzsimons, camilla.fitzsimons@mu.ie; Meliosa Bracken, Conor Magrath
CREATE – Competitive Regions and Employability of Adults through Education (2017 – 2019)
CREATE is an Erasmus+ project which contributes to enhancing policy formulation and promote evidence-based AL/VET policy and practice across the EU with the overall objective of reducing geographic disparities in AL/VET opportunities across and within EU regions.
For further information please contact: Michael Kenny, michael.kenny@nuim.ie
MICRO: Enhancing Competitiveness of Microenterprises in Rural Areas (2016-18)
MICRO is an Erasmus + project that supports the development of skills and work-based VET training amongst micro-craft enterprises and entrepreneurs in rural areas.
Project website: http://www.microsmetraining.eu/index.php
For further information please contact: Michael Kenny, michael.kenny@mu.ie
Review of the Certificate in Return to Learning (2016-2017)
This research, with Maynooth University Access Programme, narrates student and staff experiences of the Return to Learning (RTL) programme, its development within the structures of Maynooth University and its positioning within a broader landscape of access to higher education in Ireland
For further information please contact: Camilla Fitzsimons, camilla.fitzsimons@mu.ie; Jerry O’Neill.
EMPLOY: Enhancing the Employability of Non-Traditional Students in HE (2015-2017) is a European project which promotes the enhancement of the employability of students in higher education from a non-traditional background to identify best practices, policies and guidelines.
Project Website: http://employ.dsw.edu.pl/language/en/
For further information, please contact: Fergal Finnegan, fergal.finnegan@mu.ie; Jerry O’Neill.
DIMA - Adult Education Strategies (2015-2017)
The DIMA Project is an Erasmus+ project with a consortium of six European partners working on a practical and innovative toolkit for developing, implementing and monitoring Adult Education strategies, policies and practices.
See DIMA Project Newsletter and Facebook page
For further information please contact: Michael Kenny, michael.kenny@nuim.ie
Further Education teachers’ experience of assessment frameworks (2015-2016)
This research collaboration with the National College of Ireland explored Further Education teachers’ experience of QQI assessment frameworks using participatory workshops as ‘change laboratories’ which are designed to encourage cycles of reflective, iterative analysis driven by the practitioners’ own interests and insights.
For further information please contact: Fergal Finnegan, Fergal.Finnegan@mu.ie
Review of NUI Foundation Certificates in Science and Engineering (2014-2015)
This research, with Maynooth University Access Programme, offers an overview of the Maynooth University Foundations Certificates in Science and Engineering between 2002 and 2014. It measures characteristics and performance for FC students, exploring participation, progression pathways and experiences at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
For further information please contact: Camilla Fitzsimons, camilla.fitzsimons@mu.ie; Jerry O’Neill.
REGIONAL: Comparative analysis of Adult Learning policy formulation (2014-2015)
The REGIONAL project is a comparative analysis of Adult Learning (AL) policy formulation, implementation and financing in 16 regions in six countries across Europe funded by Grundtvig Lifelong Learning Project.
Project Website - REGIONAL Project.
For further information, please contact: Michael Kenny, Michael.kenny@mu.ie, Michelle Kinsella
TEN: Transformative Engagement Network (2012-2015) is a research project between Ireland, Malawi and Zambia funded through the Programme for Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes. It seeks to enhance the capacity of universities, policy and community partners to support the needs of smallholder food producers within vulnerable communities in the face of climate change.
Project Information: Masters Research Overview and ICARUS Blog
For further information, please contact: Bernie Grummell, bernie.grummell@mu.ie; Anne Ryan, Conor Murphy, Martin Downes, Maggie Noone
DIALOGUE (Opportunities for Dialogue between Researchers, Practitioners and Policy Makers (2010 – 2013)
The DIALOGUE project is a Lifelong Learner European research project which examined how closer links might be improved through the promotion of a dialogue between researchers, practitioners and policy makers to encourage knowledge exchange and to promote new ways of working.
See Research Report AdultEducation_EUCEN_PolicyReportDoc.
For further information please contact: Josephine Finn, Josephine.Finn@mu.ie; Maeve O’Brien, Fergal Finnegan
SIRUS Project (2009 - 2011)
SIRUS, Shaping Inclusive and Responsive University Strategies, was co-funded by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme (2009 - 2011). The project addressed various aspects of developing or reframing institutional lifelong learning strategies and their implementation in universities.
For further information please contact: Josephine Finn, Josephine.Finn@mu.ie.
Enhancing Knowledge Workers Adult Learning Solutions (EKWALS) Project (2009 - 2011)
Enhancing Adult Learners Workers Solutions (EKWALS) is an EU funded project which explored how adult learning can support the double challenge of Ageing Knowledge Workers (AKW) who tend to have lower education and engage in less training than younger workers.
Please visit the project website.
For further information, please contact: Michael Kenny, Michael.kenny@mu.ie,
