Please see below for details of currently advertised PhD and Research Master's funding and scholarship opportunities offered at UCD or by funding agencies.
Please note that this does not represent an exhaustive list and students are advised to contact the UCD School in which they are interested in studying to ask about current funding possibilities. You can also find helpful guidance on PhD applications in the 'Planning' phase of the UCD PhD Lifecycle.
Project title: Targeting mucin-mediated mechanisms to protect the intestinal barrier
PhD supervisor: Dr Carol Aherne
Start date: September 2023
Location: Conway Institute, UCD
Stipend: €18,500 per annum and PhD fees paid by funder
Application deadline: 5pm Wednesday 28 June 2023
About the project
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic relapsing, remitting conditions of the gastrointestinal tract affecting approximately 21 per 100,000 individuals in Ireland, with rising incidence worldwide. Current therapies targeting the immune response revolutionised IBD treatment. However, up to 50% of patients fail to respond. Therefore, there is critical need for alternative treatment strategies in at least 50% of patients.
IBD is thought to occur due to intestinal barrier disruption leading to increased bacterial contact with the local immune system and uncontrolled inflammation in a genetically predisposed individual. As part of this barrier, the mucus gel layer (MGL) lining the intestinal epithelial surface plays a vital role in controlling tissue homeostasis, partly through exclusion of bacteria. The MGL is more porous, allowing bacteria to contact the underlying tissue in all IBD patients, but mechanisms that support MGL function are poorly understood. We recently defined an important role for the secreted mucin Muc5ac in limiting contact of bacteria with the intestinal surface and reducing intestinal damage in mouse models of IBD. In this project that is funded by an SFI Frontiers for the Future grant, we seek to investigate mechanisms by which we can boost Muc5ac expression or function to protect the intestine as a novel therapeutic strategy in IBD.
Role of the PhD student and knowledge gained
Formal module-based training is available in the first years of the PhD as outlined here. The PhD student will be trained by the lab group to perform in vitro cell culture assays and work with mouse IBD models to study the role of Muc5ac in intestinal barrier function. The student will be expected to participate in written and oral presentation of their project at lab meetings and conferences.
Candidate attributes
The PhD candidate should:
How to apply
Applicants should send a cover letter highlighting their suitability for the role and a detailed CV that includes the contact details for two referees to Dr. Carol Aherne (carol.aherne@ucd.ie) by the deadline (Wednesday 28 June).
Dr Aherne can be contacted for informal enquiries or further information.
Applications are invited for a 4-year doctoral scholarship in the School of Archaeology, UCD under the supervision of Dr Jess Beck. The PhD studentship is funded as part of Dr Beck’s Ad Astra Fellowship at the UCD School of Archaeology. The award includes a stipend of €18,000 per annum (potentially subject to revision, for a maximum of four years, renewable each year subject to satisfactory progress), the full cost of fees, and a bursary of €4,000 per annum to cover research and conference expenses. For further information, visit the School of Archaeology website.
Please note: The successful candidate must be able to commence the PhD programme no later than 1 September 2023.
The ideal candidate will pursue an osteoarchaeological research project that integrates skeletal analysis of human remains with archaeological understandings of past social organisation and mortuary practices. Candidates with any geographic or chronological research focus will be considered, though strong preference will be given to scholars focused on European late pre-history. The candidate will complete an osteoarchaeological research project of their own design. Possible research topics should take an osteoarchaeological approach to integrating understandings of identity (e.g. age, sex, kinship), lived experience (e.g. disease, diet, trauma, mobility) and mortuary treatment to understand the organisation of past societies.
UCD School of Archaeology is the largest archaeology department in Ireland, and the successful candidate will join and contribute to a vibrant interdisciplinary research community. The candidate is expected to take part in seminars, workshops and events organised within the School and across UCD that are relevant to their research interests. The post-holder will be expected to contribute to the intellectual life of the School and University, and participate in research activities to the level and extent of their qualifications. The post-holder will be expected to write and successfully defend a PhD thesis focused on the areas listed in the description of the post and meet the degree requirements set by UCD to advance through the PhD programme. The post-holder will work closely with their supervisor to produce outputs on their combined research areas. The candidate will ideally produce single-, first-, and co-authored research by the end of the post
Selection criteria
Mandatory:
Desirable:
How to apply
Please send the following by 2 June 2023 to Dr Jess Beck (jess.beck@ucd.ie):
A shortlist of candidates will be invited for an interview by Zoom in the week beginning 12 June 2023. The selected candidate will be required to submit a formal application to UCD School of Archaeology subsequent to the interview. Once again, please note: the PhD must be able to commence no later than 1 September 2023.
For further information, contact jess.beck@ucd.ie.
The iCircular3 (Intelligent circular lifecycles of industrial robots, outdoor power products, and electric vehicle)project involves a consortium of seven partners, four industry partners (KUKA Robotics, Ireland; IOTA Stiftung, Germany; Future Mobility Campus, Ireland and Husqvarna, Sweden) and three academic partners (University College Dublin, Ireland; Imperial College London, UK; Jönköping University, Sweden), who together, will host 9 PhDs. iCircular3 will recruit and train 9 Researchers to conduct sector-specific projects related to circular lifecycle perspectives; combined, the projects will contribute to the development of new guidelines and digital tools for the integration of circularity in industry, as well as the identification of cross-sector commonalities. The strong academic/industry interaction in iCircular3 will ensure the relevance of each research project. Researchers will receive high-level industry-led research training and professional development courses, with a view to opening their career perspectives. Funding for these projects has been provided by the EU under their competitive HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01 (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks) programme under Grant Agreement No. 101073508.
The consortium is now inviting applications for up to 9 highly motivated and talented PhD candidates (Researchers) for these fully-funded positions, as summarised below. Recruitment will remain open until all positions are filled in and as soon as possible. The target start dates for the positions will be in May-June 2023 or sooner. Researchers will be employed on a full-time basis and based at one of six particular host institutions. They will also spend up to 6 months on secondment at either beneficiaries or associated partners, thereby ensuring that all Researchers will spend time in both academia and industry, and in at least two different countries.
Please read the details of each project description and further instructions on 'How to Apply' for these PhD positions at this link.
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