The aim of the Society's founders was to improve Ireland's economic condition by promoting the development of Agriculture, Arts, Science and Industry. The Council has delegated pursuit of the Foundation objectives to five Standing Committees: Agriculture & Rural Affairs; Science & Technology; Arts; Equestrian and Industry & Commerce. The sixth Standing Committee, Membership Affairs, has the brief to develop membership facilities and involvement. Below is an overview of the entire RDS Foundation activities programme.
The RDS is dedicated to attracting the best guest speakers to address not only the current and future issues facing forestry in Ireland but also lectures that will help illuminate the past and show how this area of Irish agriculture has changed over the centuries.
Designed to explain how our body seeks and destroys invaders, the RDS organises a series of short immunology lectures for schools every year which is aimed specifically at those in Transition Year and above.
The Royal Dublin Society Equestrian Committee and Committee of Arts have come together to launch an open call for submissions for the design of a feature show jump for the 2010 Dublin Horse Show.
Through the Speaker Series, the RDS hosts a diverse range of interesting and informative talks by noted speakers for Members of the Society and the general public. This continues a long established tradition of lectures at the Society reaching back over 200 years.
The RDS has established a fund to provide bursaries to educators to develop science demonstration lectures for primary and secondary school students.
Each year, over 3,000 students compete in the RDS Student Innovation Awards which have become an integral part of the Transition Year business programme. Schools throughout Ireland set up mini-companies and operate them as going concerns, with the ten best regional finalists competing for the RDS grand prize.
Challenging the 12 to 19-year-old age group to understand and explain some facet of science, this annual Competition is an opportunity for students to develop their communication skills and incorporate scientific topics into fresh and exciting literary work.
This annual event involves a postgraduate finalist from each of the Republic's seven universities presenting their research in an easy to understand manner to a lay audience. This is a competition that will test both their communication skills and their ability to make their research accessible to all.
In size and sheer scale alone, China is at the top of the business agenda for Ireland. The reasons are clear, China has a vast population and has experienced rapid growth in their economy over recent years which represents a vast opportunity for Irish exporters.
With a prize fund of €10,000, the RDS Music Bursary is one of the largest music bursaries in Europe. The Bursary is intended to enable the winner to further his/her studies at home or abroad to invest in sheet music or a musical instrument.
