Underlined author denotes designated speaker. | *Candidates for the President’s Prize are marked with an asterisk. | †Lightning talks.
The full schedule for the meeting is as follows:
Monday 18th July: Public fossil expo
The meeting will begin with an interactive public fossil exhibition at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences from 16:00 – 19:00 on 18th July. The core of the exhibition will be several exhibits delivered by staff and students of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UCC. Meeting delegates are very welcome to participate in the exhibition, either by contributing to the UCC exhibits or by bringing a fossil or other prop(s) of their own. The number of delegates who can be accommodated is limited; slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested delegates should e-mail annualmeeting2022@palass.org for further details and to reserve a slot.
| 16.00 – 19.00 | Family Fossil Expo. Room BB1, Butler Building, Distillery Fields campus. Delegates are free to visit the expo; pre-registration not necessary. |
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Monday 18th July: Royal Irish Academy Discourse Lecture
The exhibition will be followed at 20:00 by a public lecture that forms part of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) Discourse Lecture series (https://www.ria.ie/public-engagement/royal-irish-academy-discourse-series). The discourses are the oldest and most renowned series of talks in Ireland, with the first discourse presented in 1786. The RIA discourses were traditionally occasions reserved for the most distinguished academics to first present and discuss new work in public, and today aim to bring thought leaders to the Academy to discuss important contemporary issues. Historical discourses of note include those by Robert Mallet on his pioneering work on earthquakes, and by Sir William Rowan Hamilton on quaternion algebra. Recent speakers include various Nobel Laureates, former president of Ireland Mary McAleese and former Secretary General of the European Commission Catherine Day.
The July lecture represents the first time that the discourses will be associated with a major scientific meeting. The discourse lecture will be delivered by Prof. Larisa de Santis from Vanderbilt University, USA, who will speak on the themes biodiversity and environmental change; the title of her lecture will be announced soon.
Tuesday 19th July: Early-career researcher event - Career Links workshop
There will be a full-day early-career researcher (ECR) event, “Career Links workshop”, on 19th July at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The event will run from 09:00 – 17:00 and will focus on networking. For more details, see the Early career researcher event page.
Wednesday 20th July: Workshops, lab tours and Symposium
On the morning of 20th July delegates have the option of participating in one of several workshops held in the Áras na Mac Léinn building on main campus. Several classrooms have been booked for the workshops from 09:00 – 12:00. Concurrent with these workshops, there will be tours of the palaeontology/taphonomy and microbeam laboratory facilities at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Places on the tour and woirkshops are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis at time of registration. Full details are as follows:
Statistical analysis workshop
We will review basic concepts in statistics, from hypothesis testing and falsifiability to the power of the analysis. This workshop aims to facilitate critical thinking when developing statistical analyses on paleontological data.
Getting funded
Finding and securing funding is one of the most important aspects of an academic career and also one of the most challenging. In this workshop we will cover topics such as funding strategies, what funders want, and the elements of a successful proposal.
Public engagement
Many funding agencies actively encourage – if not require – researchers to engage with the public. But where do you start? In this workshop we will cover different types of public engagement, how to develop an effective public engagement strategy, and how to deal with ethical approvals, safety and evaluation.
Bias, discrimination and decolonizing palaeontology
The impact of colonization is still being felt across the world and within the field of palaeontology. Please join us to discover, engage and discuss on what can be done to remove the bias and discrimination, how palaeontology is currently portraying a skewed narrative, the solutions to making palaeontology more equitable and the best way to decolonize palaeontology for current and future generations. Additionally, practical activities and practise will be available for all those that wish to participate to put some of the solutions and ideas discussed into action.
Lab tours
Are you interested in experimental taphonomy, microbeam analyses (SEM, FTIR, Raman) or in setting up your own lab? Join us on a tour of the palaeontology laboratory facilities at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UCC and speak to members of the Cork palaeo group about the various equipment available.
Symposium
In the afternoon, the Annual Symposium will run from 13:00 – 17:00 with the theme “Chemical fossils”. The full schedule and list of speakers and talk titles will be published on the website in May.
Delegates may opt-in for a packed lunch; delegates may select options for different dietary requirements at time of registration.
Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd July: Talks and posters
Thursday 21st July will feature a full day of talks and posters, followed by the Annual Address given by Prof. Daniela Schmidt from the University of Bristol, UK (further details will be announced soon). The Annual Dinner will be subsidized thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. Attendance at the dinner is capped so places will be allocated at time of registration on a first-come, first-served basis. It will be held in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, a state of the art stadium with a capacity of 45,000 people and the home of Ireland’s national sports hurling and gaelic football in Cork. Delegates will be treated to a live match on the all weather pitch followed by dinner and a céilí (music and dancing). The dinner is subsidized thanks to the generosity of our sponsors; coach transport will be provided.
Friday 22nd July will again be a full day of talks and posters.
On both days delegates may opt-in for a packed lunch. Delegates may select options for different dietary requirements at time of registration.
Saturday 23rd July and Sunday 24th July: Field-trip
A two-day post-conference field-trip will visit the Carboniferous rocks of North Clare on Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. Delegates will visit several Lower Carboniferous (Viséan) sites in the remarkable Burren region and Upper Carboniferous (Namurian) sites along the coast, including the Cliffs of Moher. The Burren is the largest glaciokarst in Europe and is celebrated for its spectacular scenery but also its unique flora and archaeological heritage. The visually stunning Cliffs of Moher, which rise to over 200 m above sea level, are the longest sea cliffs in Europe and host internationally important seabird colonies. The fieldtrip will visit various sites of palaeontological and geomorphological interest and will include several short hikes on uneven terrain.
The trip will depart Cork at 08:00 on the 23rd, returning ca. 19:00 on the 24th. The fieldtrip fees will include overnight accommodation, transport and all meals; there will be two tiers of accommodation options (i.e. with one less expensive option). The number of participants will be limited due to coach capacity so places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis at time of registration.