The results of the PRLTI cycle 5 round of infrastructure funding were announced last week by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Minster for Enterprise Batt O Keefe TD. We’re delighted that the Hamilton Institute was successful in both bids in which it was involved and has been awarded total funding of €5.2M. €4.5M of this will support the building of new office/lab space for the institute. The remainder will support the ongoing development and expansion of the institutes successful Network Maths graduate programme established under PRLTI cycle 4.

Basic Description

Applications are invited for a number of postgraduate research positions at the Hamilton Institute in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. The Hamilton Institute is a multi-disciplinary research centre that seeks to provide a bridge between mathematics and its applications in ICT and biology. Successful candidates will join one of the largest, internationally recognized and most active networking research groups in Ireland.

Wireless networks are not only ubiquitous and of great economic importance to modern society, but also the source of many of the fundamental scientific challenges faced by modern communication networks. A key feature of modern networks is their scale and complexity and at the Hamilton Institute we are developing new mathematical methods to gain insight and understanding. We combine this theoretical analysis with cutting-edge experimental work, and it is this combination that is one of the distinguishing features of the Hamilton Institute and that is allowing us to advance understanding in scientifically challenging areas of practical significance.

Graduate students at the institute are embedded in a vibrant, stimulating research environment and gain a unique education from leading researchers, positioning them well for their career development. The institute has a very active international visitor programme and provides the opportunity for international and industry exchange visits. Our Network Maths initiative is part of our structured PhD programme where leading international researchers provide specialist postgraduate modules to support our research students.

For more information on the Hamilton Institute and its research activity, please visit www.hamilton.ie

Candidate Profile

The candidate should hold a good (usually first-class honours) degree in Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and be motivated to tackle challenging research problems. Interpersonal skills are required for successful interdisciplinary research, so the candidate should be a team player.

Stipend

Our postgraduate scholarships are open to Irish, EU and international students and carry a stipend of €21,000 (tax free). To apply, candidates should submit a detailed CV, transcripts of undergraduate grades, motivation letter and the names and addresses of two referees for letters of recommendation to Prof. Doug Leith, email: hamilton@nuim.ie.

The Hamilton Institute is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer.

About the Hamilton Institute

Graduate Study

• The Hamilton Institute has one of the largest and most active networking research groups in Ireland and is an international centre of excellence.
• The Institute has strong links to leading international research groups and industry research labs. For our students, this not only ensures a “cutting-edge” experience but also provides the opportunity for international and industry exchange visits.
• The Institute provides an excellent student experience. Our Network Maths initiative (www.networkmaths.ie), run jointly with Trinity College Dublin, is part of our structured PhD programme where leading international researchers provide specialist postgraduate modules to support our research students.

Our Students

• We prepare our students for a professional career and for academic research. Our strong research and industry links ensure that, as one of our graduates, you will be well regarded by employers, industry and academia alike.
• Successful applicants will be joining a diverse and cosmopolitan student population

The University and the City

• Maynooth is small university town located 20 Km west of Ireland’s capital city Dublin with a vibrant cultural and social life. About half our students choosing to live in Dublin and half in Maynooth, with an express train line providing easy access.

An article featuring networking research at the Hamilton Institute appeared in the July issue of Science Spin, an Irish popular science magazine.

Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan TD announced that Dr. Ross O’Neill, a researcher at the Hamilton Institute, is the winner of the Enterprise Ireland ‘One to Watch’ Award 2010. Presenting the award Minister Lenihan said: “This award recognises the commercial potential of Government supported projects, through Enterprise Ireland, that have the capacity to make a major social or economic impact once brought to the market-place.”

For more details

Applications are invited for a senior postdoctoral position within the networking group at the Hamilton Institute, National University of Ireland, Maynooth. The Hamilton Institute has one of the largest and most active applied mathematics research groups in Ireland and is an international centre of excellence. Current areas of interest include:

• Queueing/information theory applied to wireless networks
• Network optimisation, including dynamic routing/coding
• Application of machine learning techniques to networked systems

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate an excellent international research track record and the potential to contribute leadership in developing new research directions and partnerships to both strengthen and complement existing activity.

This is a full-time research position for 2 years in the first instance. Salary will reflect experience and qualifications, on the Science Foundation Ireland Research Fellow scale €51,716-€68,817. Appointment commencing by the beginning of August 2010 is desirable. The Hamilton Institute is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and a stimulating research environment.

To apply for this post, candidates should submit a detailed CV, including a list of publications, motivation letter, a summary of recent projects, scientific interests and expertise, as well as the names and addresses of two referees for letters of recommendation to: hamilton@nuim.ie.

The closing date for applications is 10 July 2010.

Can the NUI Maynooth team repeat their success in winning the robot soccer world championship last year ? With the 2009 world championships starting soon, see the Irish Times featured article on our robot soccer team.

The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced the award of a €5.8M award to the FAME (Federated, Autonomic Management of End-to-end Communication Services) Strategic Research Cluster which is a partnership between researchers at Waterford Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Hamilton Institute at NUI Maynooth and University College Cork. See the official press release.

The First Hamilton Workshop on HIV: Mathematics, biology and beyond, hosted by the Hamilton Institute, aims to provide a forum for researchers working in the area of HIV/AIDS in the greater Dublin area (and beyond). The list of topics ranges from mathematics to microbiology and ethnography, from theory to experiments and field studies. We have scheduled talks and breaks to allow for having a chance to meet, discuss, and gain new research contacts/collaborators in the area of HIV/AIDS.

For further information, see workshop homepage.

Congratulations to Selim Solmaz on winning a €98K grant from Enterprise Ireland to investigate the application of research results on hybrid systems to detecting and preventing SUV Rollover. This project is in collaboration with Prof Robert Shorten at the Hamilton Institute and Ford in the USA.

‘Transformations’ exhibition at the Science Gallery, Trinity College, Pearse St. Dublin  from Thur 27th Nov - Tue 2nd December, 2008 by the Higher Education Authority (HEA)

Launched in 1998, the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) ushered in a new era for research and innovation and fundamentally altered the research landscape in higher education.

The ‘Transformations’ exhibition celebrates a decade of achievement by showcasing some of the research that impacts on our day-to-day lives. Exhibits are fully interactive and designed to engage with the general public.

The Hamilton Institute and its IMMT group will participate in the event demonstrating two Irish innovations in medical image handling, a collaboration between NUIM, RCSI and UCC as part of a National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform (NBIP). The first describes how automation of a centuries old idea – the optical microscope – can revolutionise how we analyse images, and the second one describes how an Irish computer science invention will allow medical and biological research images be shared by multidisciplinary teams all over Ireland.

For details of what you will find at Transformations, see PRTLI 10.