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February Science on Screen Information Day

Science on Screen Information Day

Feb 11 2020 Posted: 08:55 GMT

Science on Screen, run by CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices at NUI Galway and Galway Film Centre are once again offering funding to filmmakers interested in producing a short scientific documentary focused on cancer research.

Collaborating with thescheme this year are Precision Oncology Ireland (POI), a consortium aiming to develop new diagnostics and therapeutics for personalised cancer treatment, and the Patient Voice in Cancer Research, with financial supportthrough the Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund at UCD and other philanthropic funds. Precision (or ‘personalised’) medicine uses data about a person’s genes (genomics), along with additional information on their cancer, to understand the unique pathways of a disease or treatment response in that person. With this new science, doctors can prescribe the right treatment in a timely fashion, saving the wasted resources and time our current ‘trial and error’ method incurs, while greatly improving response rates.

The ‘Science on Screen’ scheme, a funding strand for creative documentaries set in the world of science, is now in its fifth year. The scheme will fund one 26-minute film with a budget of €35,000 that promotes the public understanding of science. The scheme forms part of CÚRAM’s public engagement programme which supports the Science Foundation Ireland objective of having the most scientifically informed and engaged public. Please note that teams who have been in receipt of Science on Screen funding previously are not eligible to apply in 2020.

Science on Screen is a Galway City of Film initiative between Galway Film Centre and CÚRAM. Since 2016, five Science on Screen films have been produced. All have been broadcast on RTE and or TG4, screened at numerous international film festivals and scooped six international awards. The documentaries are used throughout the country at schools, for community screenings as well as at academic conferences and have reached an audience of over a million people to date.

The Science on Screen Information Day will take place on Wednesday 26^thFebruary 2020 at the Druid Theatre in Galway City for filmmakers and producers. Both researchers and patients will give an overview of their research and involvement, followed by a Q&A and opportunities to discuss ideas with the speakers.

The schedule for the day will include:

10.30: Welcome by CÚRAM
10.45: Speaker 1 Professor Walter Kolch, Director, Precision Oncology Ireland
11:05: Speaker 2 Dr Roisin Dwyer, NUI Galway & POI Investigator
11.25: Speaker 3 Professor Maeve Lowery, Trinity College Dublin & POI Investigator
11.45: Patient/Lived Experience Panel [Perspectives from several cancer patients/family members] – chaired by Professor William Gallagher and Professor Amanda McCann
12.25: Speaker 4 Professor William Gallagher, Deputy Director, Precision Oncology Ireland
12.45: Speaker 5 Professor Amanda McCann, Chair, The Patient Voice in Cancer Research
13:05: Galway Film Centre – Application Guidelines & Q&A
13:30: Close

For interested filmmakers, a limited number of places will also be made available to attend a separate event the evening before the Information Day, the ‘Patient Voice in Cancer Research’ Dragons Den workshop on Tuesday, 25^th February from 4pm-7pm, which is being held in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill.

For more information on this separate event, please contact Claire Riordan at CÚRAM on Claire.riordan@nuigalway.ie to book a place.