Education and Training

DCU Water Institute Graduate Programme

DCU Water Institute Graduate Programme will commence in the Academic Year 2017/2018.

In a world faced with the demands of a growing population, increased urbanisation, and climate change, the  world’s water resources are under threat , with Global water demand set to increase by 22% by 2030.  This highlights the urgent need for increased water research, and the finding of technological solutions to combat our growing water problems, national and internationally.  Therefore there is a huge need for PhD graduates trained in water research and technologies. DCU Water Institute will build on existing water research within the university. DCU Water Institute spans all faculties of the university and therefore is not only cross faculty but also extremely multi-disciplinary in nature.

DCU Water Institute Graduate Programme is an integrated, flexible and student-centric programme which will enable students to broaden their skills base and career opportunities through participation in high quality research, advanced training, personal and professional development, and exposure to an innovative, translational research environment.

This collaborative 4-year structured PhD programme  is an integrated, flexible and student-centric programme which will enable students to broaden their skills base and career opportunities through participation in high quality research, advanced training, personal and professional development, and exposure to an innovative, translational research environment.

We are currently accepting applications from students with genuine interest and commitment to performing innovative translational research. Full details of how to apply can be found below.

  • Training in cutting-edge technologies
  • Supervision by internationally renowned researchers
  • Personalised professional development programme
  • Travel to international laboratories and conferences
  • Emphasis on translational research with industry

For further information please contact Fiona Farrell, Administrator, DCU Water Institute Director, 01-7005765, or Fiona.farrell@dcu.ie

Objectives of DCU Water Institute Graduate Programme

The overall objective of DCU Water Institute Graduate Programme  is to train and develop the participating students to become world-class researchers with the leadership and innovation skills required to underpin the continued growth and sustainability of these industries in Ireland. The specific objectives are:

  • To provide a personalised PhD programme, designed to optimally enhance graduate training with specific emphasis on transferable and research-focused competencies of direct relevance to the career destination of Bio-AT graduates, including academia, industry and the clinical environment.
  • To deliver collaborative multi-disciplinary PhD projects across our wide range of
  • Choice of inter-institutional PhD projects from an extensive range
  • Training in cutting-edge technologies
  • Supervision by internationally renowned researchers
  • Personalised professional development programme
  • Travel to international laboratories and conferences
  • Emphasis on translational research with clinicians and industry

Faculty Graduate Training Elements (GTE) Programmes

The Water Institute is a cross faculty initiative.  Graduate students can be registered in any of the 5 faculties. Each faculty has its own list (‘programme’) of graduate training elements (GTEs) which students of that faculty can register for (see below for Faculty GTE lists and information on registering for graduate training). Faculty GTE programmes consist of a selection of the Faculty’s own discipline-specific modules, and in some cases discipline-specific elements from other DCU faculties, depending on the complementarity between the disciplines. Faculty GTE programmes also include generic skills elements which typically appear on every GTE programme and are available to students from all disciplines. Faculty GTE Programmes are reviewed annually and published here on the Graduate Studies Office Training webpage at the start of each academic year.

Other training opportunities

In addition to the Faculty GTE Programme available to students, other training and professional development opportunities are offered on a regular basis by the Graduate Studies Office (GSO).

These can include workshops on a wide variety of topics from thesis completion, viva voce preparation, annual review preparation, training in data analysis packages and research communication (see ‘Other training opportunities’ below). GSO also publicise workshops and talks co-ordinated by other units of relevance to research students as they arise throughout the year.

In recent years, a number of schools have begun to offer credit for training in “advanced topics” in particular disciplines. These are often delivered as a seminar series. Current examples include the following:

  • Advanced Scientific Communication Skills (module CA801)
  • Computing and Engineering Seminar Series (module CA800)
  • Advanced Analytical Techniques (module CS551A)
  • Advanced Literature Analysis (module EE603 & CS519)
  • Advanced Experimental Data Processing using Microsoft EXCEL (module CS507A)

Details on individual modules are provided on the Module Specifications webpage.

Generic Skills Training

Generic training is offered in a broad range of areas including academic writing, grant writing, presentation and communication skills, tutoring and demonstrating, research design and research methods, research ethics and integrity, intellectual property and commercialisation, and enterprise experience. The Postgraduate Research Induction Programme for new students also offers a suite of short courses in generic skills.