Folúntais

 

ROSETTA - Marie Skłodowksa-Curie Fellowship Programme 2024 

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway 

Ref. No. University of Galway 002-25 

 

2nd Call – ROSETTA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoc Fellowships 

 

ROSETTA is an innovative fellowship programme co-ordinated by the University of Galway and will involve four other universities (Implementing Partners): University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin. The programme is co-funded by LERO, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, the Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions programme and the University of Galway. ROSETTA fellows will be provided with the highest quality research environment and a training programme where they will critically examine the development, use and regulation of technology from a time perspective across all aspects of life from children, people with disabilities, people in the workplace, to healthcare and social inclusion for older people. 

 

ROSETTA will be recruiting 19 fellowships, each with a duration of 2 years, providing an unparalleled opportunity for Postdoctoral Researchers to delve into the critical intersection of time and technology in our rapidly evolving digital landscape.   
 
We are seeking fellows with an interest in the broad research area of ‘the true impact of technology on our time’ to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to this research. Whether you're passionate about information systems, business, law, computer science, medicine, sociology, biomedical engineering, psychology, or any other related discipline, we want to hear from you! 

 

Applications are invited from suitable candidates for 19 full-time fixed term Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral Fellows (PFs) at University of Galway. Up to 9 fellowships may be awarded on the 2nd Call. 

 

ROSETTA Fellowships are open to applicants who have a PhD degree and comply with the programme’s eligibility criteria and mobility rule. Researchers at Risk are encouraged to apply. All candidates must discuss their research idea and proposal and seek the support of an eligible ROSETTA supervisor for their application. 

 

All fellowships will be based in Ireland where fellows will be hosted by their ROSETTA supervisor’s host institution. 

 

The programme aims to provide exceptional training and career development opportunities to postdoctoral researchers, fostering international mobility, intersectoral collaboration, and interdisciplinary exposure.  

 

Further information can be found in the Guide for Applicants to ROSETTA at https://rosetta.lero.ie/call-for-proposals/  

This project has received co-funding from Horizon Europe’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Grant Agreement No:101126578. 

 

 

Essential Criteria: 

As per the MSCA definition: 

• ROSETTA is open to applicants who have a PhD degree at the call deadline. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply. The successful defence must take place before the call deadline. 

• Applicants must comply with the MSCA mobility rule: have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Ireland for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the call deadline. Compulsory national service and short stays such as holidays are not considered. 

• Applicants must have working proficiency in English or be fluent in English. Applicants whose first language is not English may be required to provide evidence of their English proficiency. 

 

Please note: 

• ROSETTA Fellowships are open to candidates who meet the required criteria.  Please see Employment Permits - University of Galway for further information.  

• ROSETTA will support applications from those displaced by conflict or whose situation makes it difficult to pursue research careers. Researchers at Risk are encouraged to apply. Please see: Guidelines for Inclusion of Researchers at Risk | Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (europa.eu) for further information.  

 

Gross Salary: 

Remuneration is in line with EC rules for Marie Sklodowska-Curie COFUND grants. 

 

Level 1: €50,124 gross salary* per annum (excluding family allowance) or €57,252 gross salary* per annum (if conditions for family allowance are met). 

 

*Gross salary is inclusive of a mobility allowance of €6,480 annually payable as part of their gross salary which shall be fixed for 24 months during the fellowship period. 

 

Salaries are subject to taxes and deductions, e.g., deduction of PRSI (employee social security), and income taxes. For more information about tax entitlements, please go to https://www.revenue.ie/ 

 

The Fellowship includes an additional budget allocation for research and travel costs. 

 

Training and Career Development 

Fellows are encouraged to avail of training and development opportunities to support their career development plans. All fellowships will include a secondment period. Fellows will have the flexibility to select a secondment with the non-academic or academic sector to suit their research and career development. Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon employment. The RDC is an initiative of the offices of the VPR and Graduate Studies to support the continuing professional development of all our researchers at University of Galway. 

 

 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 

The University of Galway is committed to principles of equality and encouraging diversity and inclusion. Several of the participating academic Institutions and Schools are holders of Athena SWAN awards. We celebrate the diversity of our staff and students and work to support an inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment.  

 

 

To Apply: The application process should include an Online application + Administrative Proposal as follows:  

 

• Part A: Administrative Proposal: Max 2000 characters 

• Part B: Research Proposal (max. 10 pages)  

• Part C: Academic CV: Max 5 pages (With three references) 

• Part D: Ethics Issues Table and Self-Assessment Form 

 

Candidates must develop a project proposal in line with ROSETTA Research Themes and submit their complete application via the online application system. The system will remain open for applications until 23.59 (UTC) on the call deadline of 25th July 2025. 

 

See Guidance Documents, Terms & Conditions and https://rosetta.lero.ie/ for more information. 

 

For informal enquiries, contact the University of Galway programme manager at rosetta@lero.ie.  Please put reference number University of Galway 002-25 in subject line of all queries related to this post. 

 

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 25th July 2025 at 23.59 UTC. 

 

University’s Strategic Plan 

 

Working in Research at University of Galway 

 

Moving to Ireland (Euraxess) 

 

We reserve the right to re-advertise or extend the closing date for this post.  

 

The University of Galway is an equal opportunities employer.  

 

All positions are recruited via an internationally advertised open call for proposals. The evaluation and selection process will follow an Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency-based Recruitment process and will include an international peer review followed by an interview stage. 

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time, funded PhD scholarship starting in September 2025 in the School of Psychology at the University of Galway.

This position is funded by the European Commission.

University of Galway

Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence.

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie.

Detailed Project Description

This is an exciting opportunity to undertake a PhD as part of the EU funded program YOUTHREACH. This research project will focus on the field of digital mental health, and understanding how meaningful engagement with online interventions can improve mental health outcomes. Specifically, it will focus on evaluating the Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) platform developed by Orygen, Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, as a promising digital intervention for young people experiencing mental health challenges. While working as part of a cross-institutional team, the successful candidate will be affiliated with the University of Galway. The supervisory team will include Prof Gary Donohoe as primary supervisor, Dr. Maeve Dwan-O’Reilly and other members of the local YOUTHREACH team.

We (Dwan-O’Reilly et al., submitted) have recently reported evidence that participation in MOST as a digital intervention leads to a reduction in measures of loneliness. Building on this work, the overarching research question being addressed in the present study is ‘how does engagement with a moderated online youth mental health intervention contribute to a reduction in loneliness? Due to the multifaceted nature of this intervention - involving therapeutic content, peer and therapist support, and participation in an online community – further exploration is needed to understand the mechanisms driving these benefits.

Methodology

The theoretical/conceptual framework for this work will draw on the Digital Cumulative Complexity Model, which seeks to explain how users interact with digital interventions over time, and The Supportive Accountability Model which focuses on the role of human support figures (therapists, peer support workers) to enhances adherence to digital interventions.

A mixed methods analysis will be adopted, with quantitative data based on both our recently collected data, and prospective data collected as part of the EU funded YOUTHREACH project. The PhD will aim to produce four key papers: one systematic literature review, two empirical studies, and a qualitative study. The overarching aim is to examine how engagement and connectedness within digital mental health interventions contribute to observed reductions in loneliness. 

Proposed Research Plan & Timeline

The anticipated timeline for this project is: Year 1 – Systematic literature review on loneliness and connectedness in digital mental health interventions; Year 2 – Empirical study on whether reductions in loneliness are dependent/conditional on improvements in clinical symptom severity on measures of mood and anxiety; Year 3 – Empirical study on whether a reduction in loneliness scores is mediated by human engagement on the platform, and Year 4 – Qualitative study on participant’s experiences surrounding how digital mental health interventions benefit them to feel less lonely and more connected.

Living allowance (Stipend): €24,000 per annum [tax-exempt scholarship award]. Computer equipment and funding for travel (e.g. to conferences) will be provided in addition to the stipend.

University fees: €5,370 per annum [fees for EU students]. Non-EU students who are not in receipt of any other scholarship that supports the payment of full Non-EU fees are eligible to apply for the PhD International Merit Scholarship Scheme at University of Galway. If successful, this scholarship award reduces course fees from the full international level to EU level.

Start date: 1^st September 2025

Academic Entry Requirements: A Master’s degree in Psychology or a closely related discipline to at least a high 2:1 standard. Other evidence that signifies suitability for the programme (e.g. demonstrated interest in mental health and/or mental health research).

Candidates should demonstrate (essential requirements):

• Normally a Master’s degree to honours 2:1 standard (or equivalent international qualification) in a relevant area, such as Psychology, or Social Sciences
• Honours 1 undergraduate degree in a relevant area, such as Psychology, or Social Sciences
• Experience of independent research
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Highly self-motivated
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Willingness to travel

To Apply for the Scholarship: Expressions of interest comprising submission of a covering letter, CV, statement of personal research interests, evidence of performance or equivalent and the contact details of two referees, to be submitted via e-mail to Gary.donohoe@universityofgalway.ie .

Contact Name: Prof Gary Donohoe

Contact Email: Gary.donohoe@universityofgalway.ie

Application Deadline: Friday 27^th April at 17:00 GMT.

Primary Supervisor name Professor Gary Donohoe

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time position as PhD Student at the University of Galway, Ireland.  This position is funded by Research Ireland and is available from 1 September 2025 to contract end date of 28 February 2029.

University of Galway

Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence.

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie.

Detailed Project Description

This project is a Research Ireland-funded collaborative investigation including teams with expertise in cell biology, molecular biology, biomedical engineering, clinical medicine and computational biology.  The team aim to create a novel, targeted therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced osteopathy.  T2DM involves a paradoxical osteopathy where an increase in bone mineral density results in fragility fractures.  Fractures in individuals with T2DM take longer to heal, reduce mobility and elongate hospital stays.  This team will molecularly characterize the osteogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells from people living with or without T2DM, then correlate those changes with biomechanical changes in the bone.  We will then create molecular therapies to mediate the impact of T2DM on bone and assess its efficacy.

The successful candidate can expect to work closely with a research assistant, two PhD students and their co-supervisors, Dr. Cynthia Coleman, Dr. Kasia Whysall and Dr. Linda Howard.  This individual must be 1) highly motivated with strong technical skills and 2) have an interest in applied molecular biology.  Applicants should have the capability to work both independently and collaboratively to design and execute an experiment, analyze experimental outputs and to collaborate with the greater project team. 

The aim of this PhD Project is to perform in vitro screening of potential molecular therapeutics followed by in vivo evaluation of their efficacy to mitigate the negative impacts of T2DM on osteoprogenitors.  The PhD candidate will establish and validate an in vitro model, screen new therapeutics using that model, then perform an in vivo assessment of therapeutic efficacy.  They must be engaged and dedicated to meet project deadlines and produce high-quality reliable data.  This is a structured PhD and will require formal modular training in parallel to research activities in years 1 and 2. The duties associated with this post include:

• Liaising between the cell biology and molecular biology teams
• Establishing an in vitro model for therapeutic screening
• High throughput screening of several promising molecular therapeutics
• Conducting an in vivo study to evaluate the molecular therapeutic’s efficacy
• Culturing primary human cells and cell lines
• Conducting molecular biology assays
• Creating and validating viral delivery systems
• Optimizing protocols and SOP writing
• Maintaining organized records of experimental design and outputs
• Supporting the My Green Labs initiative
• Participating in all health and safety related activities, including writing risk assessments and record keeping
• Adhering to project timelines
• Report writing
• Manuscript and thesis writing
• Presenting findings at professional society meetings
• Working closely with other team members as part of a laboratory community

Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum paid for by Research Ireland [tax-exempt scholarship award]. 

University fees: Research Ireland funding support is in place for 4 years of fees.

Start date: 1 September 2025.  This is not negotiable.  Please consider your own personal requirements to give notice to a current employer and/or time required to relocate before applying.

Academic Entry Requirements:

Essential Requirements:

• BSc or MSc qualification in the biologic sciences, preferably cellular biology, graduating with high honours (1.1 or over 70%)
• High level of spoken and written English and English comprehension
• Experience with molecular biology
• Willingness to participate in in vivo experiments
• Experience with adherent cell culture
• Evidence of qualitative and quantitative skills
• Evidence of capacity to learn technical skills, then perform the same tasks independently, reproducibly
• Evidence of highly detailed, accurate record keeping
• Excellent time management, written and oral communication skills
• Evidence of interpersonal skills
• Capacity for creative, lateral thinking, problem solving and troubleshooting

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience with mammalian tissue culture
• Experience with RNA or viral technologies
• Experience with biochemical assays, molecular biology skills
• Experience with in vivo models and output measures
• LAST Ireland certification or EU equivalent demonstrating knowledge of best practice in in vivo research
• Evidence of proactivity and ownership over a lab-based project
• Prior knowledge of osteogenesis, bone composition
• Strong motivation to work in the field of orthopaedics

To Apply for the Scholarship: Email a cover letter and CV in one PDF file with your name as the file name to cynthia.coleman@universityofgalway.ie.  Your CV must include the contact details of 2 referees.  A statement similar to “references furnished upon request” only delays processing of applications and will not be accepted.

Contact Name: Dr. Cynthia Coleman

Contact Email: cynthia.coleman@universityofgalway.ie

Application Deadline: 23 May 2025 at 17:00 (Irish time 24hr format)

Primary Supervisor name: Dr. Cynthia Coleman

Co-Supervisor names: Dr. Linda Howard and Dr. Kasia Whysall

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time funded PhD scholarship starting in September 2025 affiliated to the College of Science and Engineering, at the University of Galway.

University of Galway:

Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, with over 18,000 students and more than 2,400 staff, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence (https://www.universityofgalway.ie/our-research/)

Project Description:

Modern agriculture relies heavily on rock phosphate-based fertilizers. However, the European Commission considers rock phosphate a "high supply risk" due to Europe’s limited reserves and reliance on imports, primarily from Morocco and Russia, which hold much of the world’s supply. This dependency poses a significant threat to European food security. Phytate, a naturally occurring phosphorus compound in soils, is not directly usable by plants. However, certain microbes can degrade phytate into plant-available forms. This project will determine the mechanisms of microbial phytate degradation in soil and develop microbe-enhanced biofertilizers to reduce dependence on rock phosphate.

The successful candidate will undertake training and research using a combination of genomics, DNA sequencing technologies, microbiology and molecular biology techniques to understand the mechanisms of bacterial phytate utilisation in soils.

Project Objectives

1. Investigate the genetic mechanisms of phytate utilisation in soils
2. Identify the importance of different phytate utilisation systems in different ecosystems
3. Develop bacterial phytate-utilising biofertizers that reduce dependence on rock phosphates in agricultural

The project’s supervisor, Dr Paul Sheridan, leads the Microbial Genomics Laboratory and has produced world-leading research in genomics, physiology and genetics of microbes.

Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum (tax exempt)

University fees: Covered by scholarship

Start date: 1^st September 2025

Academic Entry Requirements: Applicants should have, or expected to obtain by September 2025, a minimum of an upper 2^nd class (2-1) honours BSc degree, or equivalent, in Microbiology or a related discipline.

To Apply for the Scholarship: Applications should include a cover letter explaining your motivation to pursue a PhD in this area and highlighting the reasons for your suitability, as well as short CV summarising your qualifications and relevant experience. Please also include the contact details of two referees. Applications, or requests for further information, to be submitted via e-mail to:

Contact Name: Dr Paul Sheridan

Contact Email: sheridanlabrecruit@gmail.com

Application Deadline: 30th May 2025 and time 17:00 (Irish time)

Primary Supervisor name: Dr Paul Sheridan

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for full-time funded PhD scholarship starting in September, 2025 affiliated to the College of Science and Engineering and School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the University of Galway.

University of Galway

Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie

Detailed Project Description:

Ruminants (cattle and sheep) can successfully produce value edible products (such as meat and milk) for human consumption from inedible low value forage and contribute to food security. They house a unique complex rumen microbial community that enables the host to digest their plant feed through microbial-mediated fermentation. However, the rumen microbiome is also responsible for the production of one of the most potent greenhouse gases, methane. Under recent national legislation, Ireland has committed to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture by 25% by 2030. Strategies to lower methane production by ruminants have proved challenging with often having a only temporary mitigation effect. An increased understanding of the host–microbiome interactions in the rumen is required for the development of novel mitigation strategies and to monitor mechanism of action of novel dietary and genetic approaches. In this studentship, in collaboration with Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, rumen host-microbiome interactions will be investigated in high compared to low methane emitters and in response to both feed additive supplementation and breeding strategies across different diet types. Specifically, the successful candidate will learn state of the art animal science, methane measurement and laboratory based scientific approaches such as rumen microbiology, next generation sequencing and bioinformatics skills to provide a fundamental understanding of mechanism of action of breeding strategies and feed additives employed to reduce methane emissions from agriculture.

Living allowance (Stipend): €22,000 per annum, [tax-exempt scholarship award]

University fees: Covered by the scholarship

Start date: September 2025

Academic Entry Requirements: Applicants should have a primary degree (First or upper Second Class Honours) or M.Sc. in an appropriate discipline (e.g. microbiology, biological science, animal science, biotechnology, or similar). The successful candidate should be highly self-motivated and be prepared for some animal-based studies and biological sample collection, laboratory-based studies for microbiological and molecular analyses and apply bioinformatics and biostatistics. International applicants require a minimum score of IELTS 6.05 in English for entry into postgraduate programmes.

To Apply for the Scholarship: The PhD Scholarship funded by the University of Galway, in collaboration with the MAGS project which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM; project contract number 2023RP904). The student will be registered at the University of Galway in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences but may spend some time at the Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc, Grange, Co. Meath or at the ICBF, Tully, Co. Kildare, collecting biological samples for their project. The student will be under the supervision of Dr. Sinead Waters (University of Galway). To apply please send a cover letter and Curriculum vitae to Dr. Sinead Waters (sinead.waters@universityofgalway.ie).

Contact Name: Dr. Sinéad Waters

Contact Email: Sinead.Waters@universityofgalway.ie

Application Deadline: 30th April, 2025 and time 17:00 (Irish time 24hr format)

Primary Supervisor name: Dr Sinead Waters