ICARUS PhD Funding: Understanding the role of the European Shelf Edge Current in a changing climate (ICARUS)

Outline

The Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (ICARUS) at Maynooth University are seeking to recruit a funded PhD student in the area of physical oceanography and climate. The student will work as part of the A4 project.

The A4 (Aigéin, Aeráid, agus athrú Atlantaigh—Oceans, Climate, and Atlantic Change) project is targeting three areas of physical oceanography and climate research: understanding Atlantic variability and its connection to the Irish shelf advancing knowledge of Irish sea-level change in an Atlantic context; and development of predictive capacity on decadal timescales.

Project title: Understanding the role of the European Shelf Edge Current in a changing climate (Supervisors: Dr Gerard McCarthy, Maynooth University and Dr Martin White, National University of Ireland, Galway)

This project will involve understanding the role of the European Shelf Edge current in climate, especially with regard to changing Atlantic ocean circulation and sea-level rise. The project will use autonomous ocean-going drones known as gliders to observe the shelf-edge current. The student will use these new data together with wider observations and model simulations of Atlantic circulation and climate to understand the changing Atlantic and its implications for climate, particularly in northwest Europe.

The candidate will work in Dr Gerard McCarthy’s research group in physical oceanography and climate at ICARUS, Maynooth University, with co-supervision from Dr Martin White of Earth and Ocean Science, NUIG. The position will be part of the wider group funded by the Marine Institute for the A4 project involving Trinity College Dublin and the Hamilton Institute in Maynooth University. The student will also work closely with international partners and spend at least on extended research visit to the glider facility at the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

The studentship is for 48 months and include a tax free stipend of €18,000 p.a. and the payment of academic fees up to a maximum of €6,200 per annum, as well as a computer and travel allowance.

Application Procedure: send a curriculum vitae and a cover letter to gerard.mccarthy@mu.ie with A4 PHD in the subject line

Duration

The studentship is for 48 months and include a tax free stipend of €18,000 p.a. and the payment of academic fees up to a maximum of €6,200 per annum, as well as a computer and travel allowance.

Eligibility

All applicants must have:

· Relevant 2:1 degree (or higher) in Geography/Geoscience, Environmental Science, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics, or similar qualification

· Experience of coding in one or more of Matlab, C, R or Python

· Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English

· Medical fitness sufficient to pass minimum requirements for seafaring (ENG1)