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. Through our established network, 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 in addition to contributing to HEI and the national research policy agenda in Ireland.
The IHA also hosts WGs with an interdisciplinary focus 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 at the four Board Meetings each year.
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
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
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 WG is planning to organise a Medical and Health Humanities Doctoral Training Workshop in 2025.
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. We hope that this overview will be a catalyst for further development of joint working between academics in Ireland, provide an information resource for further development of networks and wider research opportunities, and provide insights into the potency of this approach to health and well-being to those leaders and bodies directing strategies for research and development in Ireland.’
Legal Humanities
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 is planning to organise a public event including a range of speakers: creative writers / performers, academic scholars, and legal practitioners in 2025.
Research Ethics and Integrity
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
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
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.
