Eight years of Fulbright-GSI Awards

Geological Survey Ireland is pleased to continue the partnership with Fulbright Commission of Ireland through Scholarships and Studentship awards for Irish based researchers visiting the US, and US-based researchers visiting Ireland. The worldwide purpose of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual respect and understanding between people of the United States and people of other countries through educational and cultural exchange.

The Fulbright Commission in Ireland annually awards grants for Irish citizens to study, research, or teach in the U.S. and for Americans to do the same in Ireland.The Fulbright-GSI collaboration awards offer travel and subsistence to geoscience researchers hosted by a geoscience institute to carry out research and develop trans-Atlantic partnerships.

Since the partnership was established in 2015, Fulbright and GSI have granted eleven (11) geoscience Scholars and Students Awards, six (6) incoming and five (5) outgoing _{(see table below)}.

Outgoing	Incoming
Ms Saskia Ryan, TCD > Harvard University Strontium Isotopes: A detailed assessment of element cycling through the biosphere	Dr Andrew Pilant, US EPA >TCD Environmental Remote Sensing and Satellite Image Analysis Using Deep Learning
Dr Helen Lewis, UCD > University of Washington Geoarchaeology and traditions of practice in the EU and USA: gaps in (inter)national standards and training in cultural resources management	Dr David Moecher, University of Kentucky > TCD & UCD Beyond Zircon – Developing Novel Methods for Assessing Sedimentary Recycling Using Detrital Minerals.
Dr Aggeliki Georgiopoulou, UCD > USGS Woods Hole Submarine Landslide Scar Investigations using Diving Equipment and Structure for Motion Techniques (Slidesee)	Dr Jennifer Jones, East Carolina University > GSI Documenting archaeological sites affected by coastal erosion/CHERISH
Mr Gavin Kenny, TCD > Boise State University Understanding the role of impact cratering in Earth's evolution through high-precision geochronology	Prof. Tracy Frank, University of Nebraska-Lincoln > NUIG Paleoclimate archives in Irish limestone*
Dr Brenda McNally, TCD > Arizona State University Advancing Public Perceptions of Geothermal Energy in Ireland*	Prof. Kamini Singa, Colorado School of Mines > UCC Peering Into the Black Box of Surface Water-Groundwater Systems: Distinguishing Controls on Arsenic Transport with Electrical Geophysics*
	Nancy Riggs, University of Arizona > TCD & GSI Leveraging Technology and New Geophysical Data to Address Long-Standing Geologic Controversies and Providing New Opportunities in Volcanology to Irish Students

^{*Visit cut short/delayed due to Covid restrictions}

"The GSI-funded Fulbright has two main important contributions. Firstly, it promotes cultural exchange that is incredibly valuable to all parties. Secondly, it exposes Irish or Ireland-based researchers to a whole new geoscience community, bringing skills and knowledge that we would otherwise lack back to our host institutions. (…) I benefitted from seeing how a high-calibre scientific laboratory operates (…) perhaps more importantly, seeing how a driven but also happy research group operates. These are skills that cannot be taught but can only be gained through scholarships/studentships such as this, which give us exposure to different approaches positions."

Gavin Kenny, GSI-Fulbright awardee 2018

"This scheme is an excellent way to spark international collaborations that would be unlikely to occur otherwise. There are very few ways to fund such collaborations."

Tracy Frank, Fulbright-GSI awardee 2020

The application period for 2024-2025 Fulbright Geoscience/Earth Science Scholar Awards (incoming) in now open. These are grants for U.S. citizens to undertake research or lecturing in Ireland over a period of six to ten months. Applicants should hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Geoscience or a related subject, teaching experience at a third-level institute, a proven track record in research activities, and a minimum of three peer reviewed publications independent of their PhD supervisor.

Although Covid provided some additional strains to the project in terms of getting to meet people in person initially, all in all, GSI and associated collaborators made it all work. The professional and personal support afforded to me during this time but was extraordinary and helped me follow through with finishing the project and working on ideas after its conclusion. "

Jennifer E. Jones, Fulbright-GSI awardee 2022

More information on the application for the Fulbright-GSI award here (Geoscience/Earth Science | Fulbright Scholar Program (fulbrightscholars.org))