Jobs

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 [email protected].  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 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: [email protected]

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

Primary Supervisor name: Dr Paul Sheridan

Application(s) are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time, funded PhD scholarship in the Discipline of Journalism and Media within SEMCA at the University of Galway.

This position is co-funded by Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Met Eireann, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

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 a Research Ireland Project addressing the emerging and urgent challenge of climate policy misinformation. The project, entitled Tackling Climate Misinformation in Ireland: An Evidence Base and Novel Resources for Journalists and Communications Professionals (CLiME) examines how misleading claims, delay discourses, and climate-sceptic arguments — particularly in relation to decarbonising agriculture — are reproduced and normalised within Irish news media and public discourse.

The PhD candidate will play an important role in the project working collaboratively with the PI and a postdoctoral researcher, and there will be excellent training and travel opportunities. The candidate will also have opportunities to gain teaching experience. The supervisory team will include Dr Brenda McNally (PI) and co-supervisor Professor Karyn Morrissey. The project is also supported by an advisory board of international experts in the field.

CLiME’s overarching aim is to shed light on the evolving forms of climate misinformation, to provide an evidence base of climate policy misinformation in Ireland and to raise awareness of the discursive strategies used to mainstream climate policy misinformation, while also interrogating the political and institutional power structures that enable their mainstreaming. The successful PhD candidate will conduct foundational research by identifying misleading and climate sceptic claims in news media coverage about decarbonising agriculture – a key area of climate policy contestation in Ireland and contribute to knowledge of the influence of journalistic news routines and production practices on the reproduction of misinformation in Irish news media. The findings of the PhD research will be used to inform the development of evidence-based tools and resources to support journalists and communication professionals.

The post will also provide the opportunity to develop a range of highly transferable skills, including policy translation, stakeholder engagement, public communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and project management — all of which are relevant for academic careers as well as roles in the public, non-profit, and media sectors.

The ideal candidate will have a background in qualitative research, news media analysis, or misinformation studies, with an interest in strategic political communication. This is an opportunity to contribute to current debates on climate action, public trust, and media responsibility, while also advancing scholarship in climate policy misinformation, journalism studies, and environmental communication.

The successful candidate will be based in the Moore Institute for the Humanities and Social Studies (MI) at the University of Galway and will be a registered student within SEMCA. MI provides a particularly supportive environment for early career researchers and is a first port-of-call for collaborators working in academia, the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), government, and industry. They will also have access to the Researcher Development Centre, which supports researcher training, researcher career development and the integration of researchers into University of Galway’s community.

Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum [tax-exempt scholarship award]. Computer equipment and funding for travel (e.g. to conferences) as well as attendance at international summer schools will be provided in addition to the stipend.

University fees:  Funding support is in place for 4 years of fees.

Start date: 1^st September 2025.  

Academic Entry Requirements: An MA/MSc in any of the following areas: Media and Communications; Journalism Studies; Political Science; Social Sciences; or a related area to at least a high 2:1 standard. Other evidence that signifies suitability for the programme (e.g. demonstrated interest in misinformation studies, journalism studies and/or climate communication research).

Essential Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree to honours 2:1 standard (or equivalent international qualification) in a relevant area, such as Media and Communications or Social Sciences
• Evidence of an ability to carry out independent research
• Highly self-motivated
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• High level of spoken and written English. Please see link for details entry requirements

Desirable Selection Criteria

• Professional experience in environmental/climate communication or misinformation studies
• Experience of working as part of a research team

To Apply for the Scholarship: Email a cover letter and CV with TWO references in one PDF File with your name and CLiME as the file name to [email protected]

The cover letter should include the following information:

1. i) Academic Awards or Scholarships received (max 300 words)
2. ii) Details of your previous research experience (max 500 words)

iii) Personal statement on your motivation for pursuing a PhD on this research topic and why you are particularly suited to the CLiME research project (max 1000 words).

1. iv) Please provide any other relevant information (max 500 words).
2. v) TWO academic references with full contact details. References listed as ‘available on request’ will not be accepted.

PLEASE SUBMIT ALL INFORMATION IN ONE PDF DOCUMENT

Contact Name: Dr. Brenda McNally

Contact Email: [email protected]

Application Deadline: 6^th June, 2025, 17:00 hours

Primary Supervisor name: Dr Brenda McNally

Application(s) are invited from suitably qualified candidates for full-time funded PhD scholarship(s) starting on 1^st September 2025 affiliated to the 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

The miRNA biogenesis pathway and the associated regulation of gene expression has been highly characterised in the free-living worm C. elegans. Our evidence to date suggests that the same pathway in parasitic worms (helminths) is more similar to that found in mammalian cells, suggesting an adaptation to mediate the long-term survival of helminths in their hosts. Through bioinformatics, recombinant technology, enzyme cleavage assays, miRNA characterisation, and cellular analysis, this project seeks to advance understanding of the miRNA biogenesis pathway in helminths and explore how components of this pathway are involved in cross-communication with host immune cells.

The successful candidate will work under the primary supervision of Dr Sheila Donnelly with additional supervision from Prof. John Dalton (University of Galway) and A/Prof Nham Tran (University of Technology, Sydney). 

Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum, [tax-exempt scholarship award]

University fees: Covered by scholarship

Start date: 1^st 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, biochemistry, biotechnology, or similar). The successful candidate should be highly self-motivated and be prepared for a combination of laboratory-based studies for cellular, molecular and biochemical analyses and the application of bioinformatics for the analysis of ‘omic’ data sets. International applicants require a minimum score of IELTS 6.05 in English for entry into postgraduate programmes.

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. Informal enquiries about the PhD are welcome. Please put the reference descriptor miRNA-PhD in the subject line of any email communication.

Contact Name: Dr Sheila Donnelly

Contact Email: [email protected]

Application Deadline: 20^th June 2025 at 17:00 (Irish time 24hr format)

Primary Supervisor name (: Sheila Donnelly