Student Prizes

Student Prize Competition at Environ 2025

Growing from strength to strength over the years the ESAI run student competition at Environ is a great opportunity for students to gain recognition for their presentation skills. This year we have €2,750 in prizes to award for the best student presentations at the Environ Colloquium to date.

Prize winners will be announced at the close of conference ceremony taking place after lunch at Environ 2025 on Wednesday March 12th. Along with their award each winner is invited to submit an article on their research project to the ESAI Website and the ESAI Newsletter, and receive publicity from their sponsor.

Environ 2025 Prizes To Date:

The prizes so far this year are listed below:
• ESAI Best Oral Presentation (€500) sponsored by Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland
• ESAI Best Poster Presentation (€250) sponsored by Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland
• Best Social Engagement Presentation (€250) sponsored by Environmental Services Ireland
• Best Natural History Presentation (€250 & 2024 subscription to INJ) sponsored by Irish Naturalist Journal
• Best Analytical Chemistry Poster (€250) sponsored by Eurachem Ireland
• Richard Fitzgerald Prize for Best Aquatic Environment Poster (€250) sponsored by Eirinn Innovation
• Best Organic Wastes Recycling Presentation (€250)
• Best Water Related Presentation (€250)
• Best Biodiversity Presentation (€250)
• Best Wastes & Resources Management Presentation (€250)

Richard Fitzgerald

Richard was an exemplary fisheries zoologist. He was an excellent researcher and a gifted and inspiring lecturer. A UCC graduate [BSc and PhD], Richard was involved research and development in Aquaculture for almost 30 years in a variety of roles and posts in UCC, AquaTT and NUIG. He was also extremely interested in natural freshwater and marine fish populations, with a rare and extensive knowledge in both aquatic environments developed over the span of his career. He published over thirty peer reviewed publications, which are widely cited. Until the end of 2015, he was Research Co-ordinator and manager of the NUIG aquaculture research lab at Carna.
Richard was blessed with an insatiable curiosity about all research, particularly in the aquatic environment and the highlight of his annual visit to Environ was the poster sessions. His rule of thumb for all his students and employees was that they could go to any relevant conference as long as they produced a poster! Richard sadly passed away on December 5th 2016. Thank you to AquaTT for sponsoring the Richard Fitzgerald prize for best poster in Aquatic Environment.