2008 Press Releases
14.07.2008
Rathnait Long, a second year PhD student in the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork has been awarded the Fulbright - Enterprise Ireland Award in Science, Technology and Innovation.
Rathnait receives the award as a result of being ranked 1st place in the Science and Technology Category of the Fulbright Awards.
The Fulbright Program was established in Ireland in 1957 and in 1991, the Fulbright Commission was established by legislation as a public body supported by the US Department of State and the Department of Foreign Affairs to operate this official educational exchange Programme between Ireland and the United States. Each year, the Commission awards scholarships for Irish citizens to lecture, research or study in the United States and for U.S. citizens to lecture, research or study in Ireland.
Rathnait began her PhD with Dr Paul Hurley in the Tyndall National Institute in October 2006. The focus of her PhD study is on the formation and characterization of high dielectric constant thin films (high-k) on high mobility III-V substrates. The application of this research is to achieve higher switching speed and reduced power consumption in the critical semiconductor based switching elements which are at the heart of most electronic components. The research project is in close collaboration with INTEL.
Winning the Fulbright Scholarship enables Rathnait to spend eight months of her PhD in Stanford University, California, in the research group of Professor Paul McIntyre. Combining the technical capabilities of both the Tyndall Institute and Stanford University will enable alternative aspects of the high-k/III-V system to be investigated. The Fulbright Scholarship will broaden the scope and impact of Rathnait’s PhD as well as developing a longer term collaboration between Tyndall and Stanford University.
About Tyndall National Institute
The Tyndall National Institute is one of Europe's leading research centres, specialising in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hardware. It was established in 2004, bringing together researchers from the NMRC, UCC and CIT. Tyndall has a critical mass of over 350 researchers, engineers, students and support staff placing a particular emphasis on quality, accomplishment and the delivery to Ireland of value from research. Tyndall’s areas of expertise range from micro-nanolectronics, microsystems, and photonics to theory modeling supported by a central fabrication facility.
About Fulbright
The Fulbright Program (http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/) was established by the U.S. Congress in 1946 under legislation sponsored by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program currently operates in over 155 countries. The purpose of the Program is to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange.
Picture shows: Rathnait Long, PhD student, Tyndall National Institute, UCC (left) receiving the Fulbright award from Professor Therese Fahy, President of the Irish Fulbright Alumni Association.
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