A number of new PhD studentships are being made available in TU Dublin beginning in Autumn 2026 as part of a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary national centre for data science and AI funded by Research Ireland.

TU Dublin is specifically looking to fund 7 PhDs in the following topics in 2026:

·       Smart grid architectures, multi-microgrid network, power quality management and enhanced resilience with renewable energy integration. Dr. Malabika Basu (malabika.basu@TUDublin.ie)

·       Human factors and ergonomics in sport performance intelligence. Dr. Kieran Collins (Kieran.Collins@TUDublin.ie)

·       Developing human‑centric, risk‑aware, and explainable human–machine collaboration frameworks integrating AI uncertainty, human factors, and system safety. Lead Supervisor: Dr. Maria Chiara Leva (mariachiara.leva@TUDublin.ie)

·       Multimodal ocular imaging for neurodegenerative disease biomarkers. Lead Supervisor: Dr. James Loughman (james.loughman@TUDublin.ie)

·       Extracting human-verifiable clinical knowledge from deep neural healthcare models. Lead Supervisor: Dr. Susan McKeever (susan.mckeever@tudublin.ie )

·       Graph-enriched multimodal pathology diagnostics and prognostics for cancer. Dr. Aidan Meade (aidan.meade@tudublin.ie)

·       Gesture & Non-Verbal Communication in Humanoid Robotics. Lead Supervisor: Dr. Robert Ross (robert.ross@tudublin.ie)

These PhD studentships are offered as part of a new larger cohort-based PhD training programme across a suite of research themes: foundational methods, translational methods, data & processing, people-centred AI, democratic governance, society & culture and health.

A Cohort Based PhD Training Programme:

Alongside their individual PhD research, students will benefit from a structured, cohort-based PhD training programme. This programme will include transferable skills training (e.g., communication skills, ethics, and entrepreneurship), group activities (e.g., hackathons and spin-out sprints), training on domain-specific topics (e.g., machine learning, statistics, data management, programming, qualitative and digital policy methods), and peer-led learning opportunities (e.g., research seminars, peer-designed workshops, and reading groups). Dedicated career and skills development activities will also be offered.

Students will benefit from extensive engagement with industry and public service partners and from an enrichment experience e.g., industry training placements, an academic research visit to an internationally renowned collaborating institution, or other similar activities. This experience will equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in academia, industry, and public service. 

About TU Dublin

These projects will be hosted at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Ireland’s first technological university. With a prestigious legacy dating back to 1887, TU Dublin has evolved from its historic predecessor institutions into a powerhouse of applied innovation and a central pillar of the Irish research landscape. The university specializes in high-impact, industry-linked projects designed to address complex societal challenges. Building on a long history of collaboration with national research centers - including ADAPT, Connect, and various Centres for Research Training (CRTs) - TU Dublin launched the Research Ireland ARC (Accelerating Research to Commercialisation) Hub in ICT in 2025. This initiative effectively bridges the gap between academic discovery and market-ready digital solutions, seamlessly integrating the university’s rich heritage with future-focused technological excellence.

Funding:

Studentships provide a stipend of €25,000 per year for four years (tax free) with additional funds available to support e.g., conference attendance and training activities. Fees for EU students will be covered automatically, while non-EU students will receive a fee waiver from TU Dublin.

Application process:

We are currently recruiting for the Autumn 2026 intake. Applications should be submitted here before June 14th 2026. Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place in June with decisions soon after. Where an applicant has a strong preference for a particular project, they are advised to identify the lead supervisor for that project in their online application form.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups.

Due to the large number of applications received, only applicants invited to interview will receive an email response.

Please note that applicants who are invited to interview and are successful, will have to subsequently apply to their host institution in line with their requirements.

For further information on the TU Dublin process, please contact robert.ross@tudublin.ie or for specific queries on an individual project, please contact the relevant project lead.