Hosted by Munster Technological University, Cork | 25–29 May 2026
Prepared by Dr Angela Palmer & Robert Ludgate, MTU Research Impact Coordinators

The INGENIUM Senior Summer School 2026 explores how research can create meaningful and lasting change in society, industry, public policy, health, and the environment. The programme introduces students to the concept of “research impact,” emphasising that impact is not simply academic outputs such as papers, datasets, or conference presentations, but the real-world difference those outputs make for people and communities. Through the “impact pathway” model, participants learn how research develops from inputs and activities into outputs, outcomes, and ultimately long-term impact. The guide also explains the importance of both the reach of impact — how widely change is felt — and its significance, meaning how deeply lives, systems, or behaviours are transformed.

The summer school encourages students to design research with impact in mind from the very beginning. Participants are guided to identify who their work is intended to benefit, what changes it could realistically achieve, how those changes can happen, and how success can be measured. The programme highlights scientific, societal, and economic or technological forms of impact, showing how projects can contribute across multiple areas simultaneously. Students will apply these ideas to INGENIUM challenge themes including last-mile healthcare, inclusive sport, smart electric vehicle technologies, and coastal water sustainability. Overall, the initiative aims to strengthen participants’ skills in interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical innovation, problem-solving, and communicating research in ways that deliver tangible benefits for society.