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Research Themes
Our four thematic areas
UCC Futures - Children is organised according to four thematic areas
Health and Wellbeing
Research on children’s health and wellbeing encompasses the big issues in child health from conception to young adult life that ensure children thrive and develop. Including pregnancy, allergy, nutrition and growth and the disciplines of obstetrics, paediatrics, neuroscience, neurophysiology, psychology, engineering and bioinformatics. This theme includes research focused on prevention, detection and treatment of common childhood illnesses, examining the factors that influence children's growth and development, with a particular focus on the developing brain. The theme aims to make breakthroughs in the fields of assessment, prediction and detection of early brain injury, and the effect of this on lifelong health and wellbeing. It includes children’s experiences of healthcare, including their consent to medical treatment, and access to health information and education.
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Inclusion and Children
This cluster of research is focused on areas of inequality in childhood, child diversity and inclusion. It includes research which addresses the child in society, particularly those marginalised and on the periphery including children in poverty, refugee and migrant children, LGBTQ+ children and young people, children with disabilities, children and young people in the youth justice system. Children’s everyday informal experiences of inclusion (or lack of) in play, healthcare decisions, education, housing and planning etc. as well as their formal engagement in public decision-making and policy are all potential areas/themes.
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The child and the state
This cluster of research is focused on areas where the child interacts with the state (government or other public institutions). It includes research which addresses the child’s experiences in school and in other public institutions (such as residential care) as well as areas where children are engaged in public decision-making and/ or wish to influence law or policy through non-formal or child-led activism. Areas of cross-cutting interest might include themes such as public spending, democracy, political participation, accountability and redress.
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Children and their communities
This cluster of research is focused on areas concerning child engagement in their communities, including their home, families and wider community environments. It includes research which addresses the child’s rights and experiences in learning and development in home settings (e.g. migrant families, child and family health, mental health, nutrition, care, family support, health and wellbeing, play). Research concerning the influences of housing, social inequality, family law also fit within this cluster. In relation to child participation in learning, research is included that concerns educational contexts, as well as community contexts involving education, sports, recreation, play and cultural arts. Aspects of participation in civil society and citizenship, such as participation in urban planning, democracy, volunteerism and advocacy are also included. Areas of cross-cutting interest may address Intersectionality of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, age, religion among other elements.
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Our thematic area principles
Each of these thematic areas, or any additional thematic area that may be identified, should follow these overarching principles:
- Inter-disciplinary: Each thematic area should bring together researchers from different disciplines, promoting innovative inter-disciplinary work and research with and for children.
- Participation: Each thematic area should promote the participation of children as research participants, advisors or co-researchers, including PPI approaches.
- Impactful: Each thematic area should strive to conduct research that will be impactful for the body of knowledge on research with and for children, from the perspective of theory, law and policy or professional practice.
- Reach: Each thematic area should advance research with and for children at the national, regional or international level.
