BLOG: Women in Research Ireland Annual Research Day – International Women's Week

Women in Research Ireland (WIRI) supports women and under-represented groups in academia through advocacy, networking, and collaboration. Here’s how WIRI is driving change.

By Joanne Kenney | Research Fellow at the Usher Institute | Co-founder and current Chair of WIRI

In 2017 I co-founded Women in Research Ireland (WIRI); a volunteer-led charity based in Dublin, Ireland. WIRI’s mission revolves around advocacy of academic researchers and provides a supportive platform for women and under-represented groups in research and academia. After facing challenges in my own career, I realised the urgent need for a supportive environment for women and under-represented groups in academia, especially for early career researchers.

As an organisation dedicated to empowering and advocating for diversity in research, WIRI brings together researchers at all career stages to network, collaborate and support one another. The charity aims to drive meaningful change in academia by hosting free events covering a wide range of critical topics, including mental health, disability rights, racism, bullying and sexual harassment in academia as well as academic precarity, fostering important conversations and advocacy within the research community. We have collaborated with the Department of Higher Education on several important topics. WIRI has a vibrant group of around 40 volunteers, with an Executive Committee of six members. As well as being a co-founder, I am also the Chair of WIRI and continue to drive WIRI's mission forward together with WIRI Director, Eva Woods, PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin.

Photograph showing from left to right: Dr Joanne Kenney, Professor Pat O’Connor, Eva Woods, Julianna Aitken, Dr Cathy Corcoran, Danielle Briody - all speakers at the Women in Research Ireland 2025 Annual Research Away Day
Left to right: Dr Joanne Kenney, Professor Pat O’Connor, Eva Woods, Julianna Aitken, Dr Cathy Corcoran, Danielle Briody

As part of International Women's Week, WIRI held our Annual Research Day at Trinity College Dublin on 07 March, celebrating the diverse contributions of WIRI’s community with 15 speakers from various disciplines including science, arts and humanities. Thought-provoking topics included sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease, the legal status of embryos after divorce, and insights into Early Modern Dutch Art, highlighting the depth and breadth of researchers within the WIRI network.

Keynote speaker, Professor Pat O’ Connor from University of Limerick, drew on her 46-year career in academia and spoke of her memoir ‘A ‘Proper’ Woman? One woman’s story of success and failure in academia’. She shed light on the challenges, progress and persistent barriers for women in research.

WIRI continues to advocate for cultural change in academia, providing a supportive platform for underrepresented groups and fostering important conversations within the research community. At a time when Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives are facing pushback worldwide, WIRI’s work is more crucial than ever. By championing inclusive practices and amplifying diverse voices, we help ensure that academia remains a space where all scholars can thrive, regardless of background.

More information

Visit the Women in Research Ireland website at www.womeninresearch.ie 

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