Gender Arc is a gender-focused research network initially set up as an inter-institutional collaboration between researchers on gender-related topics at UL-NUIG in response to the research alliance established in the same year between the two institutions. Since then we have held numerous research network meetings, seed-funding intiatives, collaborative conferences, symposia and public lectures and forged inter-institutional research collaborations. Research projects in the first five years addressed gender and sexualities in relation to:

1. Work and new economies
2. Discourse and identities
3. Public sphere and religion
4. Health, bodies and culture
5. Law, equality and rights, and
6. Education

In 2017 we decided that while continuing to encourage cross-institutional collaborative initiatives (research projects, joint funding applications and events), we would organise as two independent networks: Gender Arc @ UL and Gender Arc at NUI Galway. The purpose of Gender Arc @ UL is to:

• Foster cross disciplinary gender-focused research
• Promote a of a vibrant research culture in this field
• Support communication, exchange and collaboration among researchers at UL and NUIG and with external research partners
• Provide a strong academic research context for our Gender, Culture & Society postgraduate students and researchers
• Promote the visibility of the research projects and outputs of Gender Arc members and affiliates
• Contribute to public debate and community outreach on gender issues and research
• Provide a research context for, and facilitate members and affiliates to develop, research projects and to seek external research funding