48 TRINITY TODAY READING THROUGH THE RESEARCH LINES Reading through RESEARCH LINES Professor John Boland talks to Louise Holden B.A. (1995) about how the role of research has transformed Trinity’s relevance to students and Ireland. R esearch is changing. After years of increasing specialisation, closer inquiry into a host of micro- disciplines has yielded stunning discoveries across science, social science and the humanities. Now, however, there is growing realisation that the next generation of revolutionary ideas will spring up in the spaces between the specialisms. Enlightened universities are focused on breaking down the walls and finding common languages between areas that have grown apart. They are harvesting the uncommon value of the university in society – as a space where a geneticist and a historian can collaborate, where an astrophysicist and a computer scientist can approach a common problem. Trinity is leading the way in this new research paradigm. “Research has fundamentally transformed in Trinity over the past ten to 15 years,” says Professor John Boland, the newly-appointed Vice President for Research. “We have secured significant funding for the development of large research centres, like CRANN, Amber, Connect and Adapt. We are witnessing an evolution in the growth of these larger activities. This allows researchers to work across disciplines and solve bigger problems for society. “It’s an exciting time at Trinity. With the economy lifting, more potential sources of funding and burgeoning research connections
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