Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science – James Lawless TD, has recently announced details of Science Week 2026, the theme of which is Water: From Molecule to Ocean.
Coordinated annually by Research Ireland and running this year between 8-15 November with hundreds of events nationwide, Science Week encourages everyone to think more about and celebrate science in our everyday lives.
The initiative directly engages an audience of approximately 200,000 people each year through in-person events and online engagement.
“Science Week is an opportunity each year for a national, intergenerational conversation on a topic of relevance to research and innovation,” Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, said.
This year’s theme of water is an invitation to look afresh at the substance that connects every aspect of life on Earth.We drink it, depend on it and are surrounded by it, yet water is far more than something that falls from the sky or flows from the tap.
For Science Week 2026, Research Ireland is encouraging people to explore water – from the remarkable behaviour of a single molecule to the power of oceans, rivers and wetlands.
Science Week will reflect on how water supports life, how climate change is altering the water systems we rely on, and how science can help us protect this vital shared resource for the future.
“Science Week takes big scientific ideas and brings them into communities in ways that feel simple, relevant and engaging. The range of events and festivals inspired by this year’s theme does exactly that,” Dr Ruth Freeman, director of Research for Society at Research Ireland, said.
Patryk Goron
