Crawford Hayes PhD Position, Dept of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science

The Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, part of the new School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland, is offering a four year PhD position financed by the Crawford Hayes Fund.  This award will be for €28,000 per annum, providing a yearly stipend of €17,000 (year 1), €17,500 (year 2) and €18,000 (years 3 and 4).  In addition, European Union PhD fees will be paid for the four years and the balance of funds for each year will be available for consumables, travel and subsistence and minor specific items of equipment.  Minimum requirements for applicants will be an upper 2^nd class Honours degree in Zoology, Ecology, Plant Science or other relevant area.  Relevant professional experience or relevant MSc degree experience will be an advantage.  While this PhD programme will be largely research based, various graduate courses will be available.  The successful candidate will be required to undertake 50 hours of undergraduate demonstrating each year, which will constitute teaching experience but will not be paid separately. 

The subject of this PhD study will be one of the ten projects detailed in the attached material.  Suitably qualified persons are asked to submit a complete CV with transcripts of their previous degree/s, names and contact details of two professional referees and a choice of three of the attached projects, in order of priority.  In addition, applicants should also explain in a cover letter why they have chosen these particular projects.   If further details of specific research projects are required, other than those given in the linked notes, then the specific proposers should be contacted by email.  

Applications should be sent to Ms. Marian Murphy, Departmental Manager, Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, UCC, Enterprise Centre, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork. E-mail address: marian.murphy@ucc.ie; FAX 353-21-4904664 to arrive by 19 July 2010.  Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by a panel chaired by Professor P. Fitzpatrick, Head of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, UCC and including an Extern from another Irish University.  These interviews will be conducted during August 2010 with a latest starting date of 1 October, 2010.  Following the interviews, the leading applicant will be asked to decide which project they choose.

The Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science graduates more than 50 students each year in three degree streams, Zoology, Ecology and Environmental Plant Biotechnology, and has a graduate school of approximately 50 PhDs and research MScs, in addition to taught MSc students in Marine Biology and Ecological Assessment and 20 Post Doctoral Fellows. The Department has a strong research ethos while also being dedicated to delivering high quality teaching.  Details of the Department and of research interests can be found at http://www.ucc.ie/academic/zeps.