Special Interest Groups

The Child and Youth Participation Special Interest Group is an association of researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in developing and promoting theory, research, evidence-informed practice and policy in relation to child and youth engagement and participation. The group organises events, training workshops and publications and aims to bring together people who can collaborate to advance research actively engaging children and young people.

The Early Childhood Research Group (ECRG) supports, connects and informs the early childhood research community by building on experiences from policy, practice and research, by sharing knowledge, identifying opportunities and disseminating learning to an interested and wide-ranging audience. The Group consists of members of the Children’s Research Network who have an interest in research into early childhood.

Founded in 2017, the Outdoor Play, Leisure, Activity and Education Special Interest Group aims to identify and disseminate research into outdoor play for children and young people. The Group is interested in both academic and practice based research into outdoor play. In the context of this group, outdoor play refers to play in all settings including; playgrounds, parks, rural areas, urban neighbourhoods, schools, preschools, back gardens, and foot paths. The Group focuses the needs of all children and young people aged 0-18.

One of our more newly established SIGs, the Education, Care and Wellbeing Special Interest Group explores education as it relates to a lifelong experience, considering different types of learning (not only academic), and experiences. The SIG aims to bring together research, theory, policy and practice regarding the interrelationship of Education, Care and Well-Being for children, young people and their families, as it relates to the formal or alternative education systems in Ireland.

One of our more newly established SIGs, the Digital Technologies Special Interest Group explores the impact and interaction of digital technologies on the lives of children focusing in particular on those under 12 years of age.

The Child Rights and Wellbeing Special Interest Group has been newly established in May 2026. This SIG aims to establish a Youth Advisory Group to co-design and inform the network’s advocacy, engagement strategies, and research priorities. Working with other entities such as the All-Ireland Rare Disease Interdisciplinary Research Network (RAiN) and the UCD CHilD Research Centre, it is an example of interdisciplinary collaboration.