The humanities are human-centred disciplines that are engaged in the study of how people process and document the shared human experience through culture, history and language. The humanities offer a long-term historical perspective fostering the growth of self-aware, outward-looking, and creative societies. Across the island of Ireland the humanities have been central to creating and maintaining Ireland’s significant cultural reputation at home and abroad, evidenced through the events, surveys and research conducted by our Working Groups.
IHA Working Groups
Background
IHA Working Groups are an important aspect of our Work Programme. The IHA establishes WGs in response to current issues and/or trends in the arts and humanities. In this way, position papers, reports and public seminars are employed to inform the arts and humanities community and the wider public while contributing to HEI and the national research policy agenda in Ireland.
The IHA also hosts interdisciplinary WGs to expand knowledge and further enable cross- and transdisciplinary networking. Membership of IHA WGs is open to researchers from any of our member institutions. WGs are usually led by two Co-Chairs, supported by the IHA Coordinator and report directly to the IHA Board.
The IHA’s Working Groups are constantly evolving. The Higher Education & Research Strategy WG came to a natural conclusion on publication of ‘By imagination we live’: A strategy for the humanities, 2020–2030. The Funding for Early and Mid-Career Academics in Ireland WG disbanded on publication of their position paper in June 2022. There are currently six active IHA WGs.
Environmental Humanities
Co-Chairs: Dr Marc Caball - marc.caball@ucd.ie and Dr Leah O'Hearn - Leah.OHearn@mu.ie
Established in 2020 to advocate and mediate on the importance of arts and humanities disciplines in understanding environmental challenges such as climate change. The WG examines significant topics through open dialogue including Humanities for the Anthropocene in May 2021 which sought to galvanise conversations and collaborations between humanities researchers across Ireland. Co-organised with the Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork.
Reconstituted in 2023 with a renewed focus to advocate and mediate for the importance of arts and humanities disciplines in understanding environmental challenges such as climate change. The WG organised a public symposium Irish Environmental Humanities: An Interdisciplinary Conversation at the Royal Irish Academy on 30 May 2024. The workshop explored the role of the Arts and Humanities in shaping research, teaching and public policy in relation to the climate and environmental emergencies of our times. A report from this workshop is available here.
Medical Humanities
Co-Chairs: Prof Desmond O'Neill - doneill@tcd.ie and Prof Des Fitzgerald - desfitzgerald@ucc.ie
Reconstituted in 2024, the WG organised a Medical and Health Humanities Research Survey that year, to provide insight into the breadth and depth of Irish humanities research related to the areas of health and medicine. Download the final report which is based on responses to a call from WG members and includes details of publications, research grants and work in this area from 138 scholars in this field. The research report notes that, ‘Medical and health humanities scholarship is a vibrant and growing area of research across the island of Ireland. Our universities on the island have considerable research activity in this area while this is also a growing field in other institutions.'
As a direct follow on from this research, the WG organised a Doctoral Training Workshop in May 2025. Boundary Objects & Collaborative Working - aimed at those pursuing, or planning to pursue, doctoral research in Medical and Health Humanities. Experts in the field of medical and health humanities discussed this growing and vibrant area of research, outlining opportunities in academic publication and development.
Legal Humanities
Co-Chairs: Prof. Eugene McNulty - eugene.mcnulty@dcu.ie and Dr Adam Hanna - adam.hanna@ucc.ie
Established in November 2024, the Legal Humanities Working Group aims to provide a connective forum for encouraging interdisciplinary and inter-institutional scholarly collaboration; gather information on activities in the Legal Humanities conducted in HEIs across the island; gather expertise and resources; and provide a network to be drawn upon in the design and preparation of funding bids.
The WG organised a one-day symposium Antigone and Ireland: A Symposium in the Legal Humanities at the Peacock Stage, exploring the enduring influence of this ancient Greek heroine in Ireland. Since the play was first performed, Sophocles' Antigone has raised vital and troubling questions regarding the law and its limits. This one-day event brought together academics, jurists and practicing artists - including Justice Brian Cregan, Marina Carr, Carlo Gébler and Darren Murphy - to explore Antigone's continuing ability to provoke, disturb, and inspire.
Research Ethics and Integrity
Chair: Dr James Kapalo - J.Kapalo@ucc.ie
Formed in 2024 to address the distinct and rapidly evolving challenges, both national and global, confronting arts and humanities research. Amongst the diverse areas that the WG aims to respond to are the role of AI in humanities research, including copyright and publishing, research ethics review processes within and beyond the university, and ethics and integrity training for graduate students.
The WG responds to challenges by encouraging transdisciplinary humanities engagement and leadership in the development of national policy and guidelines; sharing experience of engagement and leadership in university-led integrity initiatives such as data management, the application of FAIR principles, and ethical review processes.
Research & Innovation
Chair: Prof. Marie-Louise Coolohan - marielouise.coolahan@nuigalway.ie
Established in June 2023, in response to the announcement that the Government of Ireland would amalgamate the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland to create a single funding agency for research in Ireland. The WG was to the forefront in organising a workshop in collaboration with the Royal Irish Academy on 15 May 2024. This was the first of two consultation events convened by the RIA to consider the corporate plan and future funding portfolio of the new funding agency , Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland. See here for a full report on workshop findings.
Horizon Europe WG
Chair: Mr Allen White - allen.white@ucc.ie
The Horizon Europe WG responds to calls for comments/feedback on aspects of draft Horizon Europe work programmes. WG members are tasked with responding to upcoming calls issued by the Irish National Delegate. Calls often have short deadlines for response and this work is efficiently conducted in the interest of the Arts and Humanities community in Ireland.
