Funded Postgraduate Research Positions

Current Postgraduate Research Vacancies are listed below.

Applicants interested in applying for a research masters or PhD should also check individual Faculty webpages for information on current research projects.

Date Published	Position	Description
16.01.12 16.01.12 15.05.12 29.03.12 02.05.12 11.05.12 23.05.12 16.11.12 8.3.13 8.3.13 13.3.13	PhD Scholarship in Dept of Life Sciences  PhD Scholarship- Teagasc Walsh Fellowship PhD Scholarship in Milk Peptides Two PhD Scholarships in Dept of Life Sciences PhD Scholarship in Education and Health Science Four PhD Scholarships Science & Engineering Four PhD Scholarships Science & Engineering                                     PhD Student Research Position in Reproductive Physiology PhD Scholarship: The Impact of Peer Learning on Developing Students Professional, Personal and Transferrable Skills in ICT-related Undergraduate Courses PhD Scholarship: An Investigation of the Use of Visualisation tools in Teaching and Learning Computer Programming AHSS Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Position Title	AHSS Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Project	A two year scholarship is available for an MA by research or PhD in any of the following schools/departments: * Department of History * School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication * School of Law * Department of Politics & Public Administration * Department of Sociology.
Faculty	Arts Humanities & Social Sciences
Entry Requirements	First Class Honours or 2:1 Honours degree in a suitable discipline such as History, Law, Languages, Politics and Sociology.
Salary/Stipend	The studentship is €12,000 per annum + 2 years EU fees
Closing Date	April 26 2013
Contact	Niamh Lenahan email niamh.lenahan@ul.ie
Additional Information	Applicants must include ALL of the following 1. A completed Postgraduate Studies Research Application  Form (www.graduateschool.ul.ie). 2. A research proposal (for guidelines see www.graduateschool.ul.ie). 3. Original transcripts for all third level degrees. 4. Two academic references. 5. A 200 word statement outlining reasons for applying for a scholarship

Position Title	PhD Scholarship: The Impact of Peer Learning on Developing Students Professional, Personal and Transferrable Skills in ICT-related Undergraduate Courses.
Project	The project aims to investigate the impacts, benefits and limitations of a number of different peer-learning models and paradigms on the development of practical and core professional skills of students of undergraduate ICT and engineering courses. The project will specifically focus on the development of software and hardware skills of these students, such as computer programming and electronic design and development.
Faculty
Entry Requirements	Essential * First or upper second class degree (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or equivalent) or a Master's degree in computer/electronic/software engineering, computer science or cognate discipline. * Strong computer programming skills and demonstrated experience in at least one high-level language, such as Java and C++. * An interest in learning support, student-centred learning and collaborative learning, particularly in relation to ICT teaching and learning. * Strong verbal and written communication skills * Ability to write concise and accessible reports for both specialist and non-specialist audiences. Desirable * Experience of research in an academic environment. * Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods. * Tutoring/mentoring/teaching experience in ICT related discipline. Personal attributes * A strong team player with good interpersonal skills able to build and sustain effective working relationships both with students and teaching staff. * A self-motivated researcher willing to develop their technical and analytical skills and to contribute to the overall aims of this ICT teaching and learning initiative in innovative ways. * Strong organisational skills with high level of attention to detail in working methods.
Salary/Stipend	The studentship covers a stipend of €16,000 per annum and tuition fees at EU rate.
Closing Date	April 30 2013
Contact	For further details or to apply please email Hussain.Mahdi@ul.ie. Applications should include a cover letter and a curriculum vitae giving full details of qualifications and experience, along with the names of two referees.
Additional Information	This project is part of our Research and Practice in ICT Teaching and Learning activities. The successful student will be joining UL's ICT Learning Centre and Regional Peer-Supported Centre team and will be supervised by the two directors of these centres: Dr Hussain Mahdi (ECE Dept) and Dr Michael English (CSIS Dept).

Position Title	PhD Scholarship: An Investigation of the Use of Visualisation tools in Teaching and Learning Computer Programming
Project	The project will investigate the usefulness of visualisation support tools in teaching and learning computer programming, a subject area that is accepted as difficult to teach and learn and that has historically resulted in high attrition rates from undergraduate ICT programmes. This project will enhance existing support tools or build new tools to support teaching and learning in this area. These tools will then be evaluated to determine their impact on student outcomes.
Faculty	Science and Engineering
Entry Requirements	Essential * First or upper second class degree (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or equivalent) or a Master's degree in computer/electronic/software engineering, computer science or cognate discipline. * Strong computer programming skills and demonstrated experience in at least one high-level language, such as Java and C++. * An interest in learning support, student-centred learning and collaborative learning, particularly in relation to ICT teaching and learning. * Strong verbal and written communication skills * Ability to write concise and accessible reports for both specialist and non-specialist audiences. Desirable * Experience of research in an academic environment. * Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods. * Tutoring/mentoring/teaching experience in ICT related discipline. Personal attributes * A strong team player with good interpersonal skills able to build and sustain effective working relationships both with students and teaching staff. * A self-motivated researcher willing to develop their technical and analytical skills and to contribute to the overall aims of this ICT teaching and learning initiative in innovative ways. * Strong organisational skills with high level of attention to detail in working methods.
Salary/Stipend	The studentship covers a stipend of €16,000 per annum and tuition fees at EU rate.
Closing Date	2013
Contact	For further details or to apply please email Michael.English@ul.ie. Applications should include a cover letter and a curriculum vitae giving full details of qualifications and experience, along with the names of two referees.
Additional Information	This project is part of our Research and Practice in ICT Teaching and Learning activities. The successful student will be joining UL's ICT Learning Centre and Regional Peer-Supported Centre team and will be supervised by the two directors of these centres: Dr Hussain Mahdi (ECE Dept) and Dr Michael English (CSIS Dept).

Position Title	PhD Student Research Position in Reproductive Physiology
Project	To conduct high quality research on evaluating the effect of reducing the sperm number per insemination dose on the function of fresh bull semen stored for up to 5 days post collection. The research will contribute towards the synthesis of a Ph.D. thesis, internationally peer reviewed scientific manuscripts and ultimately a standardised protocol for the use of fresh semen in the Irish dairy industry.
Faculty	Faculty Dept of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Engineering in UL in collaboration with researchers in UCD and Teagasc Grange and Moorepark
Entry Requirements	High honours grade in a Biological Science degree (e.g Animal/Dairy Science, Veterinary Medicine, Physiology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or Biomedical Science). Basic laboratory, computer, data handling skills. Knowledge of Agricultural/Dairy systems. Self motivated, Organised, Meets Targets
Salary/Stipend	The fellowship provides an annual stipend of €21,543. University fees are paid by the student from the stipend which is tenable for 4 years. The Fellowship will start as soon as possible after the 1st of January 2013.
Closing Date	30th Nov 2012
Contact	Dr Sean Fair, Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick Phone +353-61-202548 email: sean.fair@ul.ie
Additional Information	Submit an electronic copy of your CV, including the names and addresses of at least two referees as well as a letter of interest to: Dr S. Fair (sean.fair@ul.ie) Additional Information The use of fresh bull semen currently accounts for only approximately 5% of all dairy insemination doses used nationally, however, this may rise to approximately 20% during the peak breeding season in April and May. Given that over 60% of all dairy inseminations occur in a 6 week period in April/May, the increased usage of fresh semen is a viable option. The successful PhD candidate will work as part of a highly motivated internationally renowned team of scientists, on this Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded research project. They will conduct a series of experiments to (1) determine the optimum temperature for the storage of fresh bull semen 2. examine the effect of reducing the sperm number per insemination dose on the level of reactive oxygen species generated, lipid peroxidation and in vitro fertilising ability of sperm (3) investigate the role of seminal plasma as well as the addition of specific antioxidants on the inhibition of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in fresh stored semen and (4) conduct a large scale field trial to determine the effects of using low dose fresh semen at first AI on subsequent reproductive performance in Irish dairy cows managed under a seasonal-calving pasture-based system.

Position Title	Postgraduate Masters/PhD Research Positions Dell/University of Limerick
Project	Research Project with Dell's European Service Parts Division based in Limerick.
Faculty	Science & Engineering
Entry Requirements	First  or 2:1 Honours degree in a suitable discipline such as Business, Engineering or Computer Science
Salary/Stipend	PhD Stipend
Closing Date	30 September 2012
Contact	Dr. Cathal Heavey , DMT Cathal.heavey@ul.ie
Additional Information	The candidate should have experience of applying quantitative models (spreadsheet, mathematical modelling, and simulation) and have studied or have an interest in supply chains.

Position Title	PhD Research Positions
Project	EU Funded project simulation based application Decision support in Real time for Efficient Agile Manufacturing (DREAM)
Faculty	Science & Engineering
Entry Requirements	First or 2:1 Honours degree in a suitable discipline such as Business, Engineering or Computer Science
Salary/Stipend	PhD Stipend
Closing Date	30 September 2012
Contact	Dr. Cathal Heavey , DMT Cathal.heavey@ul.ie
Additional Information	The position will suit graduate students with skills in programme (for example python), simulation modelling, decision support application development and business analytics. Flexibility and ability to work within a team is important.

Position Title	Four PhD Scholarships
Project	Attribute Grammatical Evolution
Faculty	Science and Engineering
Entry Requirements	MSc or First Class Honours Batchelors in Computer Science or Maths
Salary/Stipend	Salary: EUR 18,000 + EU fees paid
Closing Date	21 July 2012
Contact	Conor.Ryan@ul.ie
Additional Information	The BDS group is a multi-disciplinary research group composed of researchers from Computer Science, Engineering, Biology, Medicine and Mathematics, and is the group that introduced the popular Grammatical Evolution automatic programming system.   All four positions will be in a major new Evolutionary Computation to produce the next generation of grammar based evolutionary systems, and offer the candidates to work with some leading edge technology companies partnering the group.   Areas of interest include: Foundations of Evolutionary Computation o Grammars o Parsing o Compiler Design o Image Analysis o Data Mining o Formal Methods o Parallel Computing (both OpenMP and MPI) More information is available from: Grammatical Evolution : http://bds.ul.ie

Position Title	An investigation into the utility of a computerised device for the detection of cognitive failure and delirium in patients from various healthcare settings
Project	Delirium is a medically urgent acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality and poor prognosis in the elderly for longer term medical and functional outcomes. It affects 11-42% of medical-surgical inpatients and as many as 80% of intensive care and nursing home patients. Improved management of delirium is thus a key challenge for healthcare services. However, poor detection results in about 50% of cases being missed in real-world practice. The lack of an automated, objective and valid instrument for convenient assessment by non-specialists contributes to the challenges of delirium detection. A series of studies by our group over the past few years have identified a combination of symptoms of delirium that can be used to distinguish it from other neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression and dementia.   The aim of this project is to develop and validate a number techniques and related devices (such as touch-sensitive screens and eye trackers) that can allow for the systematic assessment of key cognitive functions (attention, working memory, comprehension and vigilance) relevant to delirium detection.
Faculty	Education & Health Science- (Medical School)
Entry Requirements	As part of the project, you will be required to work with a selection of devices and their related software systems, thus a familiarity with technology is a central requirement. In addition candidates should hold, or expect to obtain, a first class honours BSc and/or MSc degree in a relevant computer science or psychology based subject and have a demonstrable interest in, and qualifications for, conducting scientific research. Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous, but is not essential eye tracking systems, software development and psychology testing. High proficiency in English (in order to be able to work with individuals with delirium) is an essential requirement as well as excellent writing and data-analysis skills.
Salary/Stipend	The studentship will be valued at maximum of €21,000 p.a. (this includes fees (for candidates eligible for EU tuition fees) and stipend of €15,500 p.a.)
Closing Date	29 June 2012
Contact	Dr Chris Exton, Dept of Computer Science and Information Systems chris.exton@ul.ie (Tel +353 61 213108)
Additional Information	Please send a cover letter outlining your suitability for the position and a CV along with contact details of two academic referees to Dr Chris.exton@ul.ie,  (Tel +353 61 213108 before Friday June 29th  2012

Position Title	Teagasc Postgraduate Walsh Fellowship
Project	Reduced fat/salt cheeses with improved texture and flavour'
Faculty	Science and Engineering, Dr Martin Wilkinson, Dept of Life Sciences
Entry Requirements	The candidate should possess at least a Second Class Honours degree in Food Science, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Food Microbiology, Biochemistry, or related discipline. A strong knowledge of cheese chemistry, cheese technology and analyses are desirable
Salary/Stipend	The current Walsh Fellowship rate, to cover postgraduate stipend and all fees, is €21,000 per annum. 4 years of funding are available
Closing Date	April 23 2012
Contact	Send applications with CV to Drs Tim Guinee or Martin Wilkinson at the following respective email addresses: Martin.Wilkinson@ul.ie  Tim.Guinee@teagasc.ie
Additional Information	The candidate will be based at Teagasc Food Research Centre Moorepark (TFRCM) where he/she will be involved with a project team in: designing and implementing cheesemaking experiments; analysing the resultant cheeses; data acquisition, statistical analysis and interpretation;   preparation of reports and presentations as required; preparation of scientific papers for   publication.  Techniques involved in cheese analysis will include: composition using standard methods, minerals using atomic absorption, sugars using enzymatic assays and/or HPLC, protein hydrolysis using soluble N indices and electrophoresis, free amino acids using cation exchange chromatography, texture/rheology analysis using large strain compression, and low amplitude strain oscillation (LASO), functional analysis using a combination of empirical tests and LASO, microstructure using confocal laser scanning microscopy, and microbiology using standard plating techniques. The successful student will be based at Teagasc Food Research Centre Moorepark (TFRCM) and will register for a postgraduate degree at the University of Limerick (UL). The TFRCM supervisor is Dr Tim Guinee and the Academic supervisor is Dr Martin Wilkinson, UL.

Position Title	PhD Scholarship-Dept Life Sciences
Project	Project involves a study of the Interactions between cheese matrix physico-chemistry, microstructure and microbial metabolic activity for cheese diversification. The candidate will be part of a project team developing new microscopy techniques to determine localised variations in cheese microstructure and physicochemistry and the influence of such variations on bacterial cell growth, distribution and metabolic activity and thus on cheese quality . The project will encompass confocal scanning laser microscopy and associated staining techniques   will utilise model system and cheesemaking experiments incorporating process interventions  and will require analysis during ripening for a range of compositional, microbiological , biochemical and microstructural changes.  The student will analyse and prepare data for statistical analysis and interpretation. Input will be required for reports and undertaking of presentations as required; and finally compilation of scientific papers for publication and a thesis for award of a higher degree
Faculty	Engineering & Science-Life Sciences, Dr Martin Willkinson in collaboration with Dr(s) Diarmuid Sheehan and Mark Auty, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co.Cork.
Entry Requirements	Candidates should possess at least a Second Class Honours degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biochemistry or a related biological discipline. Techniques include: composition using standard methods, soluble N indices, lipolysis by GC, free amino acids, texture/rheology analysis, Raman spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy for microstructural analysis, flow cytometry and standard plating techniques for microbial population profiling
Salary/Stipend	€21,000, less fees, 4 year funding
Closing Date	1st May 2012
Contact	Dr Diarmuid Sheehan, Diarmuid.Sheehan@teagasc.ie Phone 025 42232 Dr Martin Wilkinson, Martin.Wilkinson@ul.ie Phone 061 213440 Dr Mark Auty Mark.Auty@teagasc.ie Phone 025 42442
Additional Information	The successful student will be based at Moorepark Food Research Centre Fermoy, Co Cork and will register for a postgraduate degree at the University of Limerick under the joint supervision of Drs. Diarmuid Sheehan and Mark Auty at TFRCM and Dr Martin Wilkinson at UL.

Position Title	PhD Scholarship in 'Milk Peptides'
Project	The University of Limerick is a partner in a FIRM-funded project entitled 'Protection of bioactive peptides using novel encapsulation technologies'. A 3 year PhD studentship is currently available to study the generation and characterisation of bioactive milk protein hydrolysates. The work will specifically involve elucidation of parameters which may modulate the bioavailability of hydrolysate peptides during gastrointestinal transit. The work will incorporate exposure to a range of protein/peptide and cell culture techniques. Interest and experience in the general area of food and health is desirable.
Faculty	Engineering & Science-Life Sciences
Entry Requirements	Applications for the above studentship position are invited from suitably qualified graduates with a good honours degree (minimum 2.1 honours or equivalent) in food chemistry, food science, nutritional sciences, biochemistry, biotechnology or related disciplines.
Salary/Stipend	The studentship will be valued at maximum of €21,000 p.a. (this includes fees (for candidates eligible for EU tuition fees) and stipend of €15,500 p.a.).
Closing Date	31 November  2012.
Contact	Prof, Dick Fitzgerald, Dept of Life Sciences  dick.fitzgerald@ul.ie (Tel +353 61 202598)
Additional Information	The project will have direct collaboration with the Food and Nutritional Sciences group of Prof. Nora O' Brien at UCC and will contribute to encapsulation and in vivo studies with Teagasc, Moorepark. This position is available immediately. Please send a cover letter outlining your suitability for the position, a CV along with contact details of two academic referees to Prof Dick FitzGerald, Department of Life Sciences at dick.fitzgerald@ul.ie (Tel: +353 61 202598)

  

Position Title	PhD Scholarship-Dept Life Sciences
Project	Understanding the physiology and flavour formation properties of starter cultures in reduced fat/salt Cheddar cheese.
Faculty	Science and Engineering, Dr Martin Wilkinson in collaboration with Prof Tim Guinee ,Teagasc, Moorepark
Entry Requirements	Candidates should possess at least a Second Class Honours degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biochemistry or a related biological discipline.
Salary/Stipend	€21,000, less Annual fees
Closing Date	Feb 10 2012
Contact	Dr Martin Wilkinson, Martin.Wilkinson@ul.ie Tel 061 213440
Additional Information	Will involve the use of Flow cytometry and Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) along with traditional microbiological enumeration and biochemical assays. Candidate will be based at UL under the direct supervision of Dr Martin Wilkinson. The student will be expected to occasionally travel to Moorepark Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork for participation in trials and undertaking specialised analyses.

Position Title	PhD Scholarship/Studentship Teagasc Walsh Fellowship
Project	The Project will involve studying the effects of reducing salt/fat on the chemistry, physics, microbiology , and sensory properties of Cheese. The candidate will be involved with a project team in: designing and implementing cheesemaking experiments; analysing cheeses; data acquisition, statistical analysis and interpretation;   preparation of reports and presentations as required; preparation of scientific papers for publication
Faculty	Science and Engineering, Dr Martin Wilkinson in collaboration with Prof Tim Guinee ,Teagasc, Moorepark
Entry Requirements	Candidates should possess at least a Second Class Honours degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biochemistry or a related biological discipline. Techniques involved will include: composition using standard methods, atomic absorption, enzymatic assays and/or HPLC, protein hydrolysis using soluble N indices and electrophoresis, free amino acids using cation exchange chromatography, texture/rheology analysis, functional analysis and, microstructure analysis using confocal laser scanning microscopy, and microbiology using standard plating techniques
Salary/Stipend	€21,000, less Annual fees
Closing Date	Feb 10 2012
Contact	Prof Tim Guinee, Tim.Guinee@teagasc.ie Tel 025 42204 Dr Martin Wilkinson, Martin.Wilkinson@ul.ie Tel 061 213440
Additional Information	The succesful applicant will be based primarily at Moorepark Food Research Centre, Fermoy Co.Cork and will register for  a postgradute degree at the University of Limerick, under the joint supervsion of Dr Martin Wilkinson UL and Prof. Tgim Guinee TMFRC

 

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