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Short Course 2025

The University College Cork Palaeo Group is delighted to announce SAP 2025: Short Course in Analytical Palaeontology 2025. This is an intensive 5-day short course in analytical palaeontology for researchers at any career stage, and will run from the 24th – 28th November 2025.

Overview

• Duration: 5 days
  • Dates: 24th – 28th November
  • Venue: School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland
  • Cost: €1075.30 (including transaction fees)
• Cost includes lunch and refreshments each day, but does not include accommodation.
• Attendance strictly limited to 3 groups of 6 delegates due to the hands-on nature of the course.

Description

On the course, you will participate in full-day hands-on practical sessions using key laboratory analytical techniques for the analysis of fossil microstructure and chemistry: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-Raman spectroscopy (micro-Raman) and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). You will also participate in a practical laboratory session on sample preparation and a classroom session on experimental design. There will be an opportunity for you to prepare and characterize your own samples and have one-on-one discussion with a member of the UCC team. The aim of the course is to provide you with a clear, robust framework for how best to analyse fossil samples using the above techniques, and practical problem-solving skills that you can apply to diverse techniques and samples.

Provisional Programme

The course schedule may be subject to change.

• Monday: Sample Preparation, SEM
• Tuesday: SEM, FTIR
• Wednesday: FTIR, Experimental Design
• Thursday: Experimental Design, Sample Preparation
• Friday: Raman

Cost

The course costs €1075.30 (including transaction fees). This cost includes all beamtime and laboratory consumables, lunch and refreshments. The cost does not include accommodation.

Presenters

The course will be delivered by staff with over 75 years' collective experience in microbeam analytical work on geological materials:

• Prof. Maria McNamara, Professor of Palaeontology at UCC
• Dr Valentina Rossi, postdoctoral researcher
• Dr Richard Unitt, senior postdoctoral researcher
• Peter Chung, Experimental Officer

Registration

Registration is now open until Friday 14th November. We are more than happy to discuss the course with you in more detail and address any questions you may have.

Note on Bringing Your Own Samples to Ireland

Small rock and fossil samples should normally be carried in your carry-on bag. It is advisable to obtain written permission to travel with the material from your country, as you may be asked to show this during the security check at the airport.