History
The Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin, was established as a joint initiative between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Social Studies (now the School of Psychology and the School of Social Work and Social Policy) in 1995.
The Centre emerged at a time of unprecedented development in Irish policy, law and services for children. This provided a stimulating context and a challenging opportunity for the Centre to contribute to thinking about, and provision for, children and young people. The work of the Centre has been assisted by support from philanthropic, public sector, non-governmental and private sector sources.
Co-founders of the Children's Research Centre, Professor Sheila Greene (Psychology) and Professor Robbie Gilligan (Head of School of Social Work and Social Policy) now serve as Director and Associate Director respectively of the Centre.
Professor Sheila Greene is the AIB Chair of Childhood Research, co-endowed by the Atlantic Philanthropies and Allied Irish Banks.
Improving Research Capacity
The Centre has hosted PhD students since its establishment. Eight people have completed PhDs while based in the CRC and there are currently eight PhD Students based in the Centre, other than students who joined the CRC in October 2009 to participate in the new cross-institutional structured PhD in Child and Youth Research. The Centre staff have also supervised a large number of master's dissertations.
In 2009 the Children's Research Centre, with the National University of Ireland Galway launched a new full-time Structured PhD programme in Child and Youth Research, as part of an emerging Life-Course Studies research and education agenda.
The interdisciplinary four -year programme responds to an identified need for researchers with the requisite, high-level and wide-ranging experience and skills to undertake the kind of work that is needed in an evidence-informed policy environment. By pooling the expertise of both institutions and their international affiliates, the programme offers a doctoral degree programme leading to what will be a very valuable final qualification.
Unlike traditional, thesis-only PhDs, this programme incorporates a suite of taught modules in key areas of child and youth research. These modules will provide course participants with the opportunity to widen their knowledge and skill base as well as feeding into the development of their core thesis work.
15th Anniversary
