The Dept of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin invites applications for 3 fully funded 4-year PhD positions available at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland, to work on a research project related to assessing the efficacy of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) included in agri-environmental schemes. This project will focus on field monitoring and numerical modelling of low and high intensity agricultural study sites before and after the implementation of NbS to quantify the associated benefits for water quality and the aquatic environment. The successful candidates will join an active research group at Trinity College Dublin, working under the supervision of Prof. Patrick Morrissey together with Prof. Laurence Gill and Prof. Muhammad Ali. The environmental research group is a multidisciplinary team with experience and expertise in environmental engineering, hydrology, hydrogeology, numerical modelling, wastewater treatment, microbial ecology, and applied bioinformatics.
Post 1 will be focused in field monitoring of water quality and water quantity associated with the NbS measures including associated lab analysis.
Post 2 will be focused in numerical modelling of the study sites using hydrological and hydrogeological models together with more regional GIS models. Scenario analysis will also be carried out using high resolution climate data. Some limited field work will also be associated with this posy.
Post 3 will be focused on field monitoring of gaseous emissions and microbiology (abundance and processes) with associated lab analysis. Some limited modelling will also be involved including scenario analysis.
Funding Information
The project is sponsored by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Qualifications
The candidates should have a Honours Degree (minimum 2:1) in a relevant discipline (environmental or natural science, civil and environmental engineering, microbiology or another related discipline) from an internationally recognised institution.
A Masters level qualification in environmental science or environmental engineering would be desirable.
Knowledge & Experience (Essential & Desirable)
Essential
A strong motivation for research and be able to demonstrate ability in data analysis, statistics and programming (R and PYTHON) or demonstrate the capacity to develop such skills.
Demonstrated organisational skills, time management and ability to work to priorities.
Ability to write research reports or other publications to a publishable standard.
Specific to Post 1
Experience in instrumenting field study sites and field sampling for water quality analysis.
Experience in laboratory water quality analysis (chemical/microbial etc.).
Experience in hydrological flow gauging would be an advantage.
Specific to Post 2
Experience in either GIS, hydrological or groundwater modelling.
Experience in field studies and lab analysis
Specific to Post 3
Knowledge of environmental microbiology, environmental engineering or environmental science.
A strong experience in microbiology and analytical techniques such as DNA and RNA extraction, 13-C and 15-N isotope analyses.
Experience in laboratory microbial or gaseous analysis.
Desirable
Full clean drivers licence (preference will be given to applicants who can provide proof of a full clean drivers licence as this will be necessary to undertake the fieldwork).
Skills & Competencies
Candidates must possess strong analytical and communication (written and oral English) skills and work in a collaborative environment. In addition, the candidate will prepare manuscripts, and present results at national and international conferences.
We would offer:
Competitive stipend with tuition fees fully covered
Supportive research environment forming part of a dynamic research group
Multidisciplinary collaboration for convergence research
Professional development opportunities, including travel fund for attending conferences and workshops
Application Procedure
Applicants should send a cover letter describing their research experience and interests, a detailed Curriculum Vitae, names and contact details of 2 referees, and 2 representative peer-reviewed articles to:-
Name: Dr. Patrick Morrissey
Email Address: patrick.morrissey@tcd.ie
Please include the job title and which post the application relates to (e.g. PhD position in Monitoring NbS - Post 1) in the subject of your e-mail. Those who are shortlisted will be contacted for an interview.