Postgraduate Research

Postgraduate Opportunities

Here you will find a number of postgraduate research opportunities which are funded through the Irish Research Council (IRC) or directly by SETU Carlow.

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme Who is this funding targeted towards? The Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship supports suitably qualified Research Masters and Doctoral candidates pursuing or intending to pursue full-time research in engineering.

SETU President’s Research Fellowships Who is this funding targeted towards? The SETU Carlow President’s Research Fellowship Awards support suitably qualified research Masters candidates intending to pursue full-time research in an engineering related discipline.

Industry Based Postgraduate Opportunities

IRC Employment Based Postgraduate Scheme Who is this funding targeted at? The scheme supports Masters and Doctoral applicants who will complete their industry based research within a wide variety of sectors and types of organisations: SMEs, large Irish companies, MNCs, NGOs, social and cultural organisations, charities and government agencies.

Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgraduate/Postdoctoral Scholarship  Who is this funding targeted at? The scheme supports postgraduate and postdoctoral applicants who will complete their industry based research in collaboration with an Enterprise Partner. This Irish Research Council Scheme funds two thirds of the cost of the postgraduate Scholar or postdoctoral Fellow to undertake the research project which is conceived with the Enterprise Partner.

Thinking about Applying?

Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research at SETU Carlow are advertised on the SETU Carlow website and on social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Research opportunities will also be promoted at postgraduate fairs in Ireland and abroad.  It is advisable for an interested candidate to consult with the engCORE director or one of the engCORE researchers prior to submitting an application. Applicants who have an idea for a research topic should consult with the engCORE Director or one of our Principal Investigators to assess its suitability and whether engCORE has the capability and capacity to facilitate the completion of the proposed research project. engCORE supervisors are happy to provide this type of advice to prospective postgraduate students when contacted.

Current & Previous Postgraduate Projects

engCORE aims to provide our postgraduate researchers with a conducive environment to attain the skills and experience necessary to develop their research careers. It has authority to confer both Master of Engineering (MEng) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) awards to its postgraduate candidates. Here is a selection of recent and current applied engineering research projects:

• Acoustic source localisation of autonomous robotic agents for disaster response
• CRBN 3D modelling analysis of an urban environment with emphasis on vapour cloud movement and dispersal
• Comparative study of the relative economics of energy production from lignocellulosic and grass biomass fuel in Ireland
• Co-ordinated development of leading biomass pre-treatment technologies for the generation of bio-products from Irish crops
• An investigation into the provision of transitional shelter as a response to the effects of hydrological disaster on informal urban settlements
• Non-domestic heat provision from solid biomass in Ireland – an analysis based on miscanthus X giganteus
• An investigation of the economic and policy factors affecting energy production from lignocellulosic & grass biomass in Ireland as implemented in agri-business scenarios
• Low-cost wireless energy performance monitoring system for small buildings
• Development of a lightweight vehicle add on armour system utilising shear thickening fluid

Postgraduate Fellowships @ engCORE

There are currently a number of funded PhD and Masters by research opportunities at engCORE. Please contact the engCORE Director at [email protected] to enquire further about these opportunities.

Recently Funded Postgraduate Projects:

PhD Fellowships

• Use of photoacoustic spectroscopy for detection of heavy metals in waste water
• Densification of bulked materials to value added product
• Thermo-mechanical stress analysis of electromagnetic coils in electric machines with applications in renewable energy systems
• A binary weighted current steering digital to analog converter employing amplitude calibration and sampling instant correction
• Using infrasonics to detect deleterious blade oscillations present in wind turbines

MEng Fellowships

• Development of a 3D printed miniature force sensor with embedded fibre Bragg gratings for CT and MR-guided radiological interventions
• Simulation, analysis and testing of an innovative method of stent manufacture

Further detail on these Postgraduate opportunities can be found here.

How to Apply

If you are applying for a funded engineering research project that has been advertised on the engCORE webpage or SETU Carlow website then please apply by emailing the engCORE director or emailing [email protected] with the title(s) of the project being applied for, a CV and a statement as to why this project is of interest to you. Interviews will be held for these scholarships at a later date.

If you have a research idea and are looking to apply for funding then please contact the engCORE director or one of the engCORE researchers to discuss and assess the proposed idea.