RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences & Foras na Gaeilge

Licensing – RCSI & Foras na Gaeilge

 

Lead Researcher(s):

Prof. David Cotter, Prof. Mary Cannon, Dr. Helen Coughlan, Dr. Lorna Lopez, Dr. Eoin Kelleher

 

Foras na Gaeilge An Gúm was set up in 1926 to provide Irish language publications for schools and the general public An Gúm today publishes primarily for the Irish-medium education education sector and younger readers. Foras na Gaeilge is one of the North/South implementation bodies and focuses  on the promotion of the Irish language and Irish-medium education, facilitating and encouraging its use in speech and writing in public and private life in the South and in Northern Ireland

In 2015, Professor David Cotter of RCSI was awarded a grant from the HRB Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme (KEDS) to develop an innovative educational tool in the form of an adult colouring book to introduce young people to the complex world of the human brain. Bringing together a collaborative team of clinicians, researchers and artists, the book, entitled ‘Journey through the Brain’, uses text, images, brain maps and cartoons to increase our understanding of the brain in a succinct, engaging way and how research in neuroscience can expand our understanding of mental illness.

Licences to the Italian and Finnish translations of the book were subsequently negotiated by the RCSI Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) and an outreach campaign was launched by the RCSI ORI in 2018 through which several Irish publishers were contacted.  Interest was expressed by Foras na Gaeilge in collaborating on an Irish translation and the RCSI ORI negotiated an exclusive copyright licence with Foras na Gaeilge in the field of Irish translation which included an upfront payment and a royalty on sales. 

Driven by the need to have the book on the shelves in time for the Christmas sales, the licence was turned around in just 7 days from draft to execution followed by a high-profile launch at RCSI which attracted national media coverage.   As well as negotiating the copyright license for the translation the ORI at RCSI supported the researchers throughout the licensing process by ensuring clear communication and actively managed the relationship with the company to ensure alignment on project timelines.

As a result of the licence, the book was published in Irish in December 2018 as ‘Aistear tríd an Inchinn’. The licence from RCSI has provided the company with access to an expanded product range and access to new markets.  Through this engagement, RCSI’s reputation has been enhanced for delivering innovative approaches to medical education.  This was the first time the Department of Psychiatry at RSCI has engaged with the ORI on an IP transaction and the experience has resulted in further interaction on a range of projects. Both RCSI and Foras na Gaeilge have indicated an interest in working together again in the future. 

 

Underpinning Funding Sources Include:

HRB Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme (KEDS) 2015