Looking to do a PhD or MSc?

If you're interested in pursuing a PhD in one of our research areas, I would love to hear from you. A member from the group can share their expereince with you and I'd be happy to have an initial conversation about studying here. We may have a position or we can apply for funding from:

• Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Fellowship
• Marine Institute Funding Opportunities
• Geological Survey, Ireland

Alternatively you may wish to consider a taught programme to prepare you for postgraduate research. Please check out our MSc in Applied Coastal and Marine Management. There are a number of other programmes available here also. 

Joining us as a Postdoctoral researcher

If you're interested in joining the team as a Postdoctoral researcher, I would love to hear from you. UCC is a great place to work and has links to ERI and MaREI. Cork Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world and has unique access to the North Celtic Sea and NE Atlantic and is the hub for offshore renewbale energy developers in Ireland. If you have an idea for a project or would like to discuss an on-going project please get in touch.

We may have a position or we can apply for funding from:

• The Marine Institute
• Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Royal Society Fellowships
• Maria-Sklowdowska Curie Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships

For collaborators

If you're interested in joining us for a short project, fieldwork or to discuss a proposal, please get in touch. Funding for travel or collaboration may be available from various sources including:

• The Marine Institute
• Research Professional 

Current opportunities

2 fully-funded PhD positions. A stipend of €25,000 pa with EU Fee's covered. To be part of a larger team with a start date of October 1st, 2025. To apply, send a CV and 2 page cover letter outlining which PhD you are applying for, your suitability for that specific PhD and how this aligns with your longer term career plan. Send applications to the PI of the Earth and Ocean lab via email by 5 pm (Irish local) on Friday, 18th of July. 

PhD Student 1 – Marine Geoscience

Duration: 4 years
Role Summary:
PhD1 will focus on developing and validating methods for mapping sediment transport and seabed dynamics using UAVs, AUVs, and ADCPs. Their work will contribute to understanding sediment movement and bedform evolution in shallow marine environments in support of offshore windfarm development especially in areas of cable routes.

Key Responsibilities:

• UAV- coupled with AUV- derived bathymetry 
• UAV-based sediment plume mapping – mapping sediment plumes with the drones and ADCP
• Coupled SSS and photogrammetry for seabed classification – RGB image data to infil the SSS nadir and groundtruth/train the SSS
• Integration of UAV and ADCP data
• Development of a shallow water bedform velocity matrix

Expected Skills:

• • BSc or MSc in marine (geo)science, sedimentology, or physical geography
  • Interest in fieldwork, remote sensing, and seabed mapping
  • Willingness to learn data processing and GIS tools, do fieldwork

PhD Student 2 – GIS/Geomatics Focus

Duration: 4 years
Role Summary:
PhD2 will lead the development of tools for processing and classifying magnetometry data, and optimize offshore survey strategies using geostatistical and machine learning methods.

Key Responsibilities:

• Magnetometry data processing, classification, GUI development, and national map creation
• Bathymetric shelf life mapping (what is the shelf life of INFOMARs repository considering date of mapping and seafloor variability) – thus, where is now outdated
• Optimized survey design – IHO require 100% coverage for 1a order, but how much is actually required to achieve 95% confidence for site characterization? What is the best survey approach using AUVs?
• Application of developed tools to South Coast DMAP – apply survey design and mag strategy to the SC DMAP with the AUV

Expected Skills:

• Background in GIS, geomatics, geophysics, or computer science
• Programming experience, desirable
• Interest in marine data, machine learning, and software development

Upcoming opportunities:

1 x 3.5 year post-Doctoral Fellowship: suspended sediment concentration from ADCPs

Duration: 3.5 years 
Role Summary:
The PD will take a lead technical role in the project, working closely with the PI and collaborators. They will be responsible for developing and validating methods for sediment transport monitoring, integrating UAV and ADCP data, and supporting the implementation of workflows in the field. The PD will also contribute to stakeholder engagement, reporting, and publications. Their main responsibility will be to create a method that allows to determine suspended sediment concentration from ADCPs using flume tank and real deployments. They will contribute to admin, fieldwork (offshore) and other activities deemed suitable by the PI. 

Key Responsibilities:

• ADCP derived suspended sediment transport method development (with lab and field validation)
• 3D sediment transport mapping - drones coupled with ADCPs
• Stakeholder engagement and reporting
• Support implementation of field deployment and data analysis
• Lead and Co-author peer-reviewed publications and end-user reports

Expected Skills:

• PhD in marine geoscience, oceanography, or related field
• Experience with ADCP data, marine data processing, and fieldwork
• Strong writing and communication skills

1 x 3 year Research Assistant: administrative and technical support for the Earth and Ocean Lab

Duration: 3 years 
Role Summary:
The RA will support fieldwork, data processing, and stakeholder engagement. They will play a key role in logistics, equipment deployment, and data management, especially during intensive field phases. They will support the PI in admin and teaching support

Key Responsibilities:

• Organize workshops, liaise with stakeholders
• Field logistics and data acquisition (coastal and offshore)
• Data reprocessing and field deployment
• Maintain project documentation and assist with reporting
• Admin and teaching support where required

Expected Skills:

• BSc or MSc in marine science, geography, or related field
• Experience in field data collection and geospatial data handling
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Full driving license preferred but not essential

Dr Aaron Lim 

Department of Geography (School of the Human Environment)

Principal Investigator (Environmental Research Institute)

University College Cork (UCC)

Ireland

Tel: +353 21 490 3870

Email: aaron.lim@ucc.ie