UCD Graduate Studies Scholarships
Student excellence and achievement are recognised in UCD, through a variety of scholarships and awards. Students are advised to contact the UCD School in which they are interested in studying to ask about current funding possibilities.
CONSUS PhD Position
A fully funded 4-year PhD is offered for a project entitled “The effect of tillage and traffic systems on soil conditions and crop performance”.
This is project is part of a large programme (CONSUS) supervised by UCD, in cooperation with Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, UK, where the successful scholar will be based. The fieldwork of the proposed study will be on an Agrii experimental farm in Cambridgeshire, UK. Agrii will establish this experimental site and the scholar will work closely with them in conducting the study. The work follows from on-going studies at Harper Adams University with similar experimental programs both in Zambia and Illinois. The PhD Scholar will be expected to continue this work in line with the aim and objectives outlined. Overall aim: To determine the effect of tillage systems and field traffic on soil structure/compaction, crop growth and yield. Specific objectives:1. To determine the effect of traffic and tillage systems on crop establishment, early growth and final yield. 2. To assess the effect of: soil texture, tillage systems, tyre inflation pressure and their interaction on soil physical properties. 3. To investigate the relationship between rut depth and underlying soil conditions using X-ray Computed Tomography scanning (with 2 other PhD students). 4. To investigate the potential gas assessment techniques for assessing macro porosity. 5. Working with the research team to provide recommendations on the traffic and tillage systems leading to the optimum crop establishment, growth and final yield.
To apply, please submit an electronic copy of Curriculum Vitae, a letter of interest and names and email addresses of two academic referees to Dr Kevin McDonnell electronically: kevin.mcdonnell@ucd.ie. For informal questions and queries please email Dr. Kevin McDonnell or Dr Paula Misiewicz pmisiewicz@harper-adams.ac.uk.
Closing Date for applications: Friday 17th November 2017
More Information: The effect of tillage and traffic systems on soil conditions and crop performance
PhD in Expert system modelling of cattle disease management in modern livestock populations, in the context of an Irish IBR eradication programme
The UCD Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, in collaboration with Animal Health Ireland and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, seeks a PhD candidate for a position within their extant collaboration.
The PhD studentship will be registered with the University of Leipzig and based at the UFZ in Leipzig in Germany, and the candidate will join a vibrant team of about 50 modellers in life science, including the EcoEpi lab which specialises in modelling for animal health. The candidate will develop the Irish IBR model from basic farm level towards a regional complex system model with fine-scale network interactions and social decision components.
Applicants are required to hold an excellent Master’s Degree or equivalent university degree in life science, geography, physics, social sciences, computer science or related fields, among other skills outlined in the IBR PhD Ad.
Stipend: €18,000 in year 1, rising by €500 per annum to €20,000 in year 4.
Registration fees in the University of Leipzig and project-related travel expenses are included in addition to this stipend.
For all information, please view the IBR PhD Ad.
Applications must include the following:
(i) A covering letter detailing their interest and reasons for applying for this position
(ii) A CV (including contact details of 2 referees)
(iii) A summary of any relevant research experience
(iv) A reference ‘PhD Studentship IBR’ on the subject line.
To apply, and for further information, please contact: nmorgan@animalhealthireland.ie
Newman Fellowship Opportunity: Baraka Iftekhar Khan Newman Fellowship in Lung Cancer
University College Dublin is pleased to announce the Baraka Iftekhar Khan Newman Fellowship in Lung Cancer.
The Baraka Iftekhar Khan Newman Fellow in Lung Cancer will be based in the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science and the Education and Research Centre in St Vincent’s University Hospital as part of a multi-disciplinary team including clinicians, pathologists and surgeons and will also have access to research facilities in the UCD Conway Institute.
The Newman Fellow is expected to contribute to the development and continuation of an active research programme which is focused on the analysis of EGFR and ALK mutations and exosomes in lung adenocarcinoma.
The successful candidate will have at least one year’s experience of respiratory medicine at specialist registrar level or hold a doctoral degree and have already published in high impact journals, with an interest in addressing important clinical issues using research methodology.
The Baraka Iftekhar Newman Fellowship in Lung Cancer is tenable for two years and comes with a generous stipend.
Informal enquiries regarding this Fellowship may be directed to Professor Michael Keane, Chair of Medicine and Therapeutics, UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science (michael.p.keane@ucd.ie ).
A completed Newman Fellowship Application Form 2017, a copy of your CV and two copies of the Newman Fellowship Referee Form should be returned to:
Dr. Meadhbh O’Halloran
UCD Graduate Studies
UCD Research
Tierney Building
Belfield, Dublin 4
T: 01 716 4047
E: graduatestudies@ucd.ie
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Thursday 30th November 2017.
PhD Studentship in Life Cycle Assessment
UCD and Bio-based Industries are seeking a PhD candidate for a four-year fully-funded programme.
AgriChemWhey - An integrated biorefinery for the conversion of dairy side streams to high value bio-based chemicals
Whey Permeate (WP) and De-lactosed Whey Permeate (DLP) are major side-streams of dairy processing and represent a key challenge for the dairy industry due to a lack of reliability in current disposal routes and represent a sustainability bottleneck for the expansion of milk production in Europe in the “post-milk-quota era”. AgriChemWhey will build a first-of-a-kind, industrial-scale biorefinery with integrated symbiotic industrial and agricultural value chains that will valorise over 25,000 tonnes (100% dry matter) per annum of excess WP and DLP to several added value products for growing global markets including lactic acid, polylactic acid, minerals for human nutrition and bio-based fertilisers. A Flagship plant, representing the first major industrial venture to convert residues from food processing, as second generation feedstocks, to value added bio-based products will be used to evaluate the techno-economic viability of the innovative WP/DLP-to-lactic acid biorefinery technology. AgriChemWhey will develop a blueprint for an economic sustainability concept and replication plans for other regions across Europe.
The PhD project will focus on developing a consequential life cycle asssessment model for the biorefinary products and their value chains, while enabling LCA to be used at design, implementation and testing phases of the overall project. There will be a specific focus on interacting with industry partners during all of these stages of the project to best understand the value chain and for on-site data collection.
The ideal candidate will have an excellent degree in a quantitative science-based discipline such as biosystems and food engineering, agricultural technology, environmental science, industrial ecology or similar. Some knowledge or experience of the dairy industry and life cycle assessment would be helpful. Excellent scientific, organisational and project management skills, a commitment to research, excellent problem solving skills, the ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team and excellent interpersonal and communications skills will all be necessary.
The Stipend will be E16,000 per annumn, plus up to E6900 per annumn in fees.
Closing date: 9th of October 2017.
Applications are to be sent to Professor Nicholas Holden: Nick.Holden@ucd.ie.
Informal requests for further details can also be made to Prof. Holden at the above address.
SFI Funded Bioinformatics Four-Year PhD studentship
NIBRT and the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin are seeking a PhD student for a four-year doctoral research programme. The successful candidate will focus on the study of the biology of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells during the industrial production of biopharmaceuticals.
Applicants should hold or expect to receive an upper 2.1 or 1.1 degree in a relevant discipline. The ability to work as part of a team, an interest in industrially focused research, motivation to learn new skills as well as excellent written and oral skills are all essential.
Please see the full advertisment.
Applicants should email a cover letter, a motivation statement, a CV and three academic referees to barbara.keegan@nibrt.ie.
Closing date: 1st of October 2017.
Medical Traineeship in Human Anatomy
UCD School medicine is offering MD and PhD scholarships to suitably qualified candidates in Neuroanatomy. The project investigates "immunomodulatory therapy for spinal cord injury via advanced cytokine delivery systems".
There is a Full-time scholarship available to EU students only. The scholarship provides an €18,000 tax-free stipend and 75% of EU fees. Scholarships are reviewed on an annual basis and may be extended based on satisfactory progress in teaching and research.
Desirable areas of experience include cell culture, stem cell biology, molecular biology, histology, fluorescence/confocal microscopy or biomaterial development.
Research MSc and MCh programmes are also available.
Applications to Steven Masterton: anatomy@ucd.ie Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 16th of August.
For more details see the full advertisment:
UCD Anatomy Medical Traineeships (2017)
Research Fellowships
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is the leading research funding agency in Japan, established by the Japanese Government for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science. These Invitation Fellowships provide the opportunity for researchers based outside of Japan to conduct collaborative research activities with leading research groups at Japanese universities and research institutions for single visits of between 7 days to 10 months. Eligible applicants need to be established researchers with an excellent record of research achievements. Eligible research fields are not limited. These fellowships can be awarded to the same researcher multiple times.
*Please send applications to JSPS Tokyo via a host institution in Japan by 1 September 2017. Please be aware the internal deadline set by the host institution to collect an application and forward this to JSPS Tokyo will be earlier.*
** Japanese nationals who have lived outside of Japan for at least 10 years and have been actively engaged in research throughout this period are also eligible to apply ** Please visit this webpage for further information: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-inv/apply18.html
MSc/PhD Scholarships (x 4 positions):
Four fully funded MSc/PhD Scholarships are being offered on the “Collective Leadership and Safety Cultures” programme in the UCD Health Systems Research Group. The Health Systems team is an expanding, dynamic, inter-disciplinary group of researchers working across a broad range of health and social sciences disciplines. Our research approach is underpinned by rich contextual analysis, interdisciplinary approaches and co-design with healthcare professionals, patients and the public. We are currently recruiting for 4 MSc/PhD positions in the Health Research Board (HRB) funded Collective Leadership and Safety Cultures (Co-Lead) research programme to allow full-time research towards a Structured PhD. Co-Lead is a 5-year programme that will research the impact of an emerging model of leadership (collective leadership) on team performance and on healthcare safety. We are designing and implementing collective leadership interventions for different team types and testing the impact of these interventions on staff performance and patient safety. The overall aim is to support quality and safety cultures through the development of a new model of leadership that is associated with effective team performance.
We have MSc/PhD positions available in the following areas:
1. Implementation Science, Objective: to study the implementation and scale-up of the co-designed collective leadership intervention from an implementation science perspective. The student will work closely with the partner healthcare teams in the Ireland East Hospital Group.
2. Patient Safety Measurement, Objective: to adapt, develop and validate instruments to measure the key elements of patient safety at the individual, team and organisational level. The student will work closely with the Quality Improvement Division in the Health Service Executive.
3. Statistical Modelling, Objective: to develop a statistical model that explores the relationship between collective leadership and work engagement, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. The successful candidate will employ advanced statistical techniques, including structural equation modelling, to understand the relationship between collective leadership in teams and the measured outcomes of the programme.
4. Public and Patient Involvement (PPI), Objective: to explore different approaches to involving patients and the public in co-designing interventions to improve teamwork and quality in healthcare. The research team is working with patients and the public in the planning, design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination. The scale and complexity of the programme provides opportunities to experiment and develop new approaches and models for PPI.
PhD by publication is an option within this programme. Scholarships include fees plus €16,000 per annum stipend.
Start date: September 2017
For further information contact: Dr Aoife De Brún, Research Fellow, Health Systems, UCD. E: aoife.debrun@ucd.ie T: +353 1 7166582 or/and Prof Eilish McAuliffe, Professor of Health Systems, UCD. E: eilish.mcauliffe@ucd.ie T: +353 1 7166464
Application Process: Applicants should submit a CV and covering letter detailing which MSc/PhD Scholarship(s) they are interested in, and their qualifications and experience to Prof Eilish McAuliffe and Dr Aoife De Brún.
More Information: Collective Leadership and Safety Cultures (Co-Lead) Programme
PhD Position:
This PhD Fellowship is a joint research project between Teagasc, Moorepark; Teagasc, Johnstown Castle and University College Dublin (UCD) on “Optimising soil fertility for grass production on dairy farms with heavy soils”
Increased nutrient efficiency is a key requirement on farms in order to meet the environmental sustainability and production growth targets in the FoodHarvest2020 and FoodWise2025. Fertilisers are one of the single biggest inputs to grassland farming systems contributing massively to increased grass yields and output per hectare. However, nutrient application rates and nutrient-use efficiency vary widely across soil types and production intensities. Heavy soils with high proportions of fine soil particles tend to offer particular challenges in terms of nutrient-use efficiency. Accounting for varying quantities of nutrients supplied/sequestered in the soil would help to increase the effectiveness of the fertilisers applied and help to aid better distribution of nutrient resources within the farm, thus minimising nutrient loss risks. Over the past number of years, Teagasc have generated new knowledge on nutrient dynamics in different soil types which has been aimed towards identifying the drivers of nutrient fluxes in the soil and native soil nutrient supply. To build on this work, the influence of fertiliser additions needs to be investigated in order to develop further knowledge in this area. A particular focus is needed for those heavy soils which require intensive and specific fertiliser application strategies to achieve their full agronomic potential. The ultimate aim of this work is to develop soil specific nutrient management recommendations for heavy soils farms. The adoption of scientifically validated technologies and nutrient advice will help to minimise nutrient losses and associated negative environmental impacts. New nutrient advice developed through this work has the potential to deliver significant production, cost saving and environmental benefits.
For further information, please contact: Dr Pat Tuohy, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland; Phone +353 (0)25 42366; email: Patrick.tuohy@teagasc.ie or/and Dr David Wall, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland; Phone +353 (0)53 917 1319; email: David.wall@teagasc.ie or/and Dr Bridget Lynch, School of Agriculture & Food Science, UCD, Dublin, Ireland; Phone +353 (0)1 7167769 email: Bridget.Lynch@ucd.ie.
Applicants should submit a CV and covering letter detailing their qualifications and experience to Dr Pat Tuohy, Dr David Wall, and Dr Bridget Lynch.
Closing Date for applications: Friday, 28th July 2017 at 5pm (Irish time)
More Information: Optimising soil fertility for grass production on dairy farms with heavy soils
PhD Position
A fully funded 4-year PhD is offered for a project entitled “Investigating the role of belowground biotic interactions with root system architecture in cereal crops”.
This PhD is part of a larger research project looking at crop establishment, soil nutrients and crop management. For this PhD, laboratory and field experiments will be carried out that will investigate the impact of biotic interactions (namely endophytes, humic acids and mycorrhizal fungi) on root system architecture and the influence this has on cereal crop improvement. The technique X-ray CT will be employed to enable a non-destructive view of root:soil interactions. Xray CT is a 3D non-destructive technique that can be repeatedly undertaken on the same soil core; allowing soil structure, soil pores and root system architecture to be simultaneously visualised and quantified at scales relevant to root:soil interactions. Objectives: 1. To determine the impact of endophytes, humic acids and mycorrhizal fungi on root system architecture. 2. Obtain a mechanistic understanding of how soil properties and soil biota interact with root systems. 3. To study the interaction between multiple belowground biotic interactions on crop establishment, development and yield.
To apply please submit an electronic copy of Curriculum Vitae, a letter of interest and names and email addresses of two academic referees to Dr Saoirse Tracy electronically: saoirse.tracy@ucd.ie. For informal questions and queries please email Prof. Jimmy Burke or Dr Saoirse Tracy.
Closing Date for applications: Monday, 24th July 2017
More Information: PhD Studentship
PhD Position
This PhD Fellowship is a joint research project between Teagasc Moorepark, Co. Cork, Ireland and the Animal Production Systems group of Wageningen University, the Netherlands on “The welfare of dairy cows in grass-based systems”.
Dairy cow welfare is becoming an issue of increasing importance globally. It is imperative to ensure the welfare of Irish dairy cows is of a high standard for ethical reasons, to optimise cow productivity, and to maintain a positive image of Irish dairy production to address growing consumer concerns. Dairy herd expansion post-quota abolition has the potential to increase risks to dairy cow welfare, as a result of larger numbers of cows per farmer and a lack of infrastructure. It is vital that the issue of cow welfare is addressed proactively so that herd expansion may be achieved without compromising dairy cow welfare. The aim of this project is to investigate the current welfare status of Irish dairy cows in grass-based systems, establish risk and protective factors for dairy cow welfare, and develop strategies to improve the welfare of Irish dairy cows. The successful PhD candidate will work as part of a collaborative team, which includes internationally renowned experts in the field of animal welfare, and will have access to some of the best (experimental) facilities for grass-based and confinement dairy systems research. The student will have the opportunity to develop his/her skills in a broad range of areas, including animal welfare assessment, data management and analysis, writing and publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers, and networking with experts in the field. The student will also have the opportunity to attend and present research findings at (inter)national conferences. This position will allow the candidate the opportunity to work at Ireland’s leading agricultural research organisation, attain a PhD from one of the top-ranked Universities in the world, to gain a skillset and qualification which will equip them for a wide variety of future careers, and to significantly contribute to the improvement of dairy cow welfare in Ireland.
To apply, please submit an electronic copy of Curriculum Vitae and a letter of interest detailing your motivation, qualifications and experience to: Dr. Muireann Conneely. For informal enquires and further information regarding the position, please contact: Dr. Muireann Conneely and/or Dr. Eddie Bokkers
Closing Date for applications: Thursday, 22th June, 5:00pm (Irish time)
More Information: The welfare of dairy cows in grass-based systems_June 2017
Flaherty Research Scholarship
These awards will support up to six Canadian research scholars travelling to Ireland, and up to six Irish research scholars travelling to Canada, for visits of between 4 and 6 weeks in duration.
With this strand, it is the aim of the Foundation to support individuals who are future leaders in their academic or post academic field, whose work will fulfill one or more of the following; 1. contribute to greater collaboration between both countries in areas of public service, economics and trade 2. contribute to a greater shared cultural understanding between countries 3. explore areas of strategic importance to both countries, such as energy, transport, communications, health, natural resources and environmental sustainability 4. open ways in which the Irish diaspora in Canada, and the Canadian diaspora in Ireland can deepen their engagement with their country of origin.
Enquiries should be submitted by email to scholarships@icuf.ie, or via the contact page.
More Information: Flaherty Research Scholarship
PhD Position
This is a fully funded four-year PhD is offered for a project entitled “The impact of cultivation system and sowing date on the establishment, root development and growth of field beans in a temperate climate”. This project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) and feeds into a larger collaborative project between University College Dublin (UCD) and Teagasc entitled “Optimising production technology in Ireland for break crops”.
Times of sowing and cultivation strategy are key related components in bean production. Seedbed preparation is crucial for crop establishment, growth and ultimately, yield; however, different crops require differing soil physical properties for successful establishment. Crop establishment is a particular challenge for bean production as it is considered optimal to sow either in November or February, which can prove challenging on medium to heavy textured soils. There is a need to investigate reduced or low disturbance techniques and their capacity to reduce establishment costs, increase sowing capacity and facilitate earlier sowing. The interaction between sowing date and cultivation/sowing system and its effect on soil and root structure needs to be determined. However, direct visualisation of root:soil interactions has been impossible due to roots growing in opaque soil. This task will assess the impact of cultivation systems, sowing times and soil types on the soil structure and bean root systems and ultimately crop yield. It will utilise X-ray CT scanning of soil cores taken from the field plots. X-ray CT is a 3D non-destructive technique that can be repeatedly undertaken on the same soil core; allowing soil structure, soil pores and root system architecture to be simultaneously visualised and quantified at scales relevant to root:soil interactions. In this task X-ray CT will be used to directly visualise soil-seed contact and obtain data regarding the effect that different cultivation methods have on soil structure to gain information regarding the optimum seedbed for bean establishment.
To apply please submit an electronic copy of Curriculum Vitae, a letter of interest and the names and email addresses of two academic referees to saoirse.tracy@ucd.ie. For informal queries please email Dr Saoirse Tracy or Dr Kevin McDonnell.
Closing Date for applications: Monday, 31st July 2017 (extended)
More Information: PhD Sholarship Opportunity
Universities Ireland North/South Postgraduate Scholarships
The aim of this scheme is to encourage outstanding students from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to cross the border to undertake postgraduate study and experience life in the other Irish jurisdiction. Each year, Universities Ireland offers four scholarships, each worth €15,000, to students who have been accepted to undertake a recognised Master’s Degree or are entering the first year of a PhD programme at a university in the island of Ireland that is not in the same jurisdiction as the university where they have previously studied.
Application forms are available on the Universities Ireland website. Contact Details: crossborder@qub.ac.uk
More Information can be found here. Strict eligibility rules apply – please read the Guidance for Applicants carefully.
Universities Ireland History PhD Bursary
In 2017 Universities Ireland will award four bursaries to students undertaking post-graduate study on a topic relating to the 1912-1923 period in Ireland, the decade of the First World War and the division of the island into the states of Ireland (Irish Free State) and Northern Ireland. Applications in 2017 are particularly welcome from students undertaking work on the impact of the events in 1917 on this island.
Applicants are required to write a short essay of 2,000 words outlining their proposed research topic in an area related to the 1912-1923 period in Ireland. The bursaries are worth €6,500 and were open only to students commencing post-graduate study at an Irish or British university.
Application forms are available on the Universities Ireland website. Contact Details: crossborder@qub.ac.uk
More Information can be found here. Please see the Guidance for Applicants.
Intel Masters Student Scholarships
This sponsorship programme sees up to 16 UCD students selected each year each to receive a monetary grant as well as ongoing support and mentor provision by Intel. The eligible students are those beginning full time Masters programmes in Science and Engineering related disciplines. The programme provides each participant with €3000 to support their academic studies and also ensures that students have the opportunity to experience practical learning which is aligned to the needs of industry. The provision of employee mentors by Intel provides students with a direct relationship to the world of work.
More Information can be found here.
PhD Studentships in Reproductive Medicine (x2 positions)
Two four year PhD studentship are available at the UCD School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre. The successful applicants will work on a project aimed to establish new methods to accurately predict bull fertility with or without semen sorting. The project will analyse the behaviour of bovine spermatozoa in the female genital tract and characterize sperm-oviduct interaction by using live cell imaging and probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE). The project includes travelling and gaining additional experience in labs in Germany. These posts are part of a collaborative project between Prof. Dr. Sabine Koelle (UCD) and Dr. Stephen Butler (Teagasc, Moorepark) and are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine through the Research Stimulus Fund. The successful candidates will have a research focused role, where he/she will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of the Principal Investigator. The PhD student will engage in the reporting and dissemination of the results of the research as directed by the Principal Investigator including presentation at national and international meetings and publication in peer-reviewed academic publications.
Formal queries relating to research content are to be directed to: sabine.koelle@ucd.ie. Interested candidates should send a copy of their CV including the names of two academic referees and a personal statement outlining their interests and reasons for applying to: anatomy@ucd.ie
Closing Date: Monday, 17th July 2017
More information on this course: PhD Studentships in Reproductive Medicine 2017
Medical Traineeship Physiology
This is an one year (or possible extension for the duration of research degree) full-time scholarship programme which is available to EU students only and offers an €18,000 tax free stipend along with payment of 75% of EU student fees covered. Successful candidates will undertake a graduate research degree programme and gain experience teaching in small groups along with adding to their research portfolio. Strong academic skills and competency in Physiology are desirable as part of the selection criteria, along with clinical training and proficient communication skills.
For September 2017/18 applications, please contact the Course Administrator Mr Steven Masterton by sending an e-mail to physiology@ucd.ie or call +353 1 716 6634