PostGrad-Temp

Research Degrees at LYIT

LYIT offers Research Postgraduate opportunities at Level 9 (Masters) in the disciplines of Business, Science, Computing and Engineering and Level 10 (PhD) in Computing and Level 10 (PhD) Science.

Postgraduate Research is carried out in partnership between the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Science and Health the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and the Research and Innovation Office.

Funding of Research Degree programmes is through:

Research-Opportunities

  • External research grant/bursary
  • Project funding 
  • Industry funding 
  • Self funding. 

For more information on our Research Themes and Areas, OR if you are a Business/Individual with research ideas or proposals for discussion please contact researchoffice@lyit.ie.

Research Degree Vacancies at LYIT 2021/22

The following postgraduate research opportunities are now available at LYIT for 2021/22

1. Master by Research:

This scholarship provides a stipend of €10,000 p.a. with an additional budget for materials and travel and a waiver of tuition fees for up to 2 years.

Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Ref Project Title Project Supervisor(s)
M.1   Using Serious Gaming and Intelligence Adaption to Improve Learning Engagement for Children with Learning Difficulties on the Autism Spectrum. Dr Nigel McKelvey, Ms Karen Bailey
M.2   Enhancing Critical Infrastructure Protection through Security as Code. Ms Ruth Lennon, Dr Patrick Lennon
M.3   Application and Evaluation of Cloud Security Posture Management (SCPM). Mr William Farrelly ,Ms Martina Quinn
M.4   Improving ‘Collective Intelligence’ in Swarm Robotics utilising Computer Vision and Environmental Interventions. Dr Kevin Meehan, Mr Thomas Dowling, Dr Jennifer Hyndman
M.5   Investigating the use of cost-effective metal 3D printing technologies for production components. Dr Nicola Anderson, Derek Thornton
Faculty of Science & Health
Ref Project Title Project Supervisor(s)
M.6   Development of an automated and portable detection platform for the determination of essential nutrients in soil. Dr Denis McCrudden, Martin Bradley, Dr Stephen Seawright
M.7   A retrospective study to examine the impact of pre-existing mental health conditions on Higher Education students in terms of progression, academic attainment and college life. Dr Louise McBride, Dr Gail Cummins, Dr Margaret McLafferty
M.8   Early Years Educators assessments of pre-school children’s motor skills and associated learning at the beginning and end of the pre-school year. Ms Veronica McTaggart, Dr Simon Stephens
M.9   The impact of Social Farming placement(s) on an individual’s occupational functioning and quality of life. Dr Gail Cummins, Dr Louise McBride, Dr Aisling Moroney
Faculty of Business
Ref Project Title Project Supervisor(s)
M.10   Expanding the horizons of Design Thinking. Dr Tena Patten, Dr Cróna O’Donoghue
M.11   Generation Z: Exploring trust building strategies for marketing communications in the e- retailing sector. Dr Vicky O’Rourke, Dr Sarah Diffley
M.12   Online alcohol sales - consideration of the impact on minors of the current legal provisions and the public health consequences. Dr Brónagh Heverin, Dr Gráinne Ketelaar
M.13   Best practice in the creation of authentic and creative cellar-door visitor experiences in the Irish craft beverage tourism sector. Dr Conor McTiernan, Dr Elizabeth Mckenzie
M.14   To investigate and map the presence of Cross Border Industry clusters in the North West region of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Dr Isobel Cunningham, Mr Michael Margey
M.15   Embedding experiential learning into an accounting programme. Ms. Suzanne Roarty, Dr Deirdre McClay
M.16   Can telecollaboration revitalise language teaching in the Donegal region? Dr Úna Carthy, Ms Ruth Lennon

2. PhD:

This scholarship provides a stipend of €13,000 p.a. with an additional budget for materials and travel and a waiver of tuition fees for up to 4 years.

Ref Project Title Project Supervisor(s)
P.1   Actionable Personalised Learning (PL) Strategies to Improve a Growth-mindset in an Educational Setting using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nigel McKelvey, Dr James Connolly
P.2   Scalable Intelligent Resource Orchestration of service function chains in Multi-layer Fog networks. Dr Shagufta Henna, Dr. Brendan Jennings
P.3   VICI: An AI Digital Assistant for Virtual Ideation & Collaborative Innovation. Dr Michael McCann, Dr Vicky O’Rourke
P.4   MAC protocols for Wireless Data Centre Networks using Terahertz band. Dr Saim Ghafoor, Dr. Mubashir Husain Rehmani
P.5   The impact of menstrual cycle on physical and cognitive performance in females. Dr Ken Van Someren, Dr Rónán Doherty, Dr Charles Pedlar, Dr Georgie Bruinvels
P.6   Determination of a baseline biomarker profile for Cancer-Related Fatigue: application of sensor-based technologies and Artificial Intelligence in the validation of patient perceptions of activity and correlations with circulatory and salivary cytokines. Dr William Scott, Dr James Connolly Prof. Joan Condell
P.7   Athlete Health and Performance in Elite Triathlon. Dr Ken Van Someren, Prof. Giles Warrington, Michael Black

Application Process

1. To apply for one of our Masters by Research projects, please send your CV and cover letter to the researchoffice@lyit.ie by 5:00pm, Friday 2nd July. Candidates should hold or expect to hold at least an Honours Degree in a relevant discipline.
In addition, applicants whose first language is not English are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency (minimum IELTS 7.0 or equivalent).

2. To apply for one of our PhD projects, please complete the following application form and return to the researchoffice@lyit.ie along with all relevant documentation by 5:00pm, Friday 2nd July.

Please ensure that you use the Project Reference Number in the subject of the E-mail.

For more information on our Taught Postgraduate Courses please click here.

Additional information for International Students can be found here.

Why Choose LYIT?

Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) fosters one of the most progressive learning environments in Ireland, making it an attractive choice for many graduates wishing to further their education. Research is a key strategic priority of LYIT, particularly in the progression towards Technological University designation with our partners IT Sligo and GMIT. LYIT fosters close relationships with the wider local community, and the ongoing research by LYIT contributes to the knowledge economy and innovation base in the North-West. Furthermore, LYIT has developed extensive collaborations with leading industrial and academic partners both Nationally and across Europe. Such connections offer postgraduates the opportunity to build valuable professional relationships beyond graduation.

LYIT’s dynamic research environment is spread across the disciplines of Business, Science, Computing and Engineering with over 60 registered Postgraduate Research Students. Recent development has seen the opening of The William C Campbell Research Suite; a research centre which provides dedicated accommodation for research students including desk space for 60 students, meeting rooms, and conference facilities. This facility is based in the CoLab, an innovation centre with a community of entrepreneurs and a culture of collaboration, and which is also home to the WiSAR Technology Gateway.

LYIT’s multidisciplinary research community provides postgraduate students with the environment and connections needed to conduct their research to the highest of standards. Students will gain the necessary skills and information to undertake their own innovative research, with guidance from top academic supervisors, so that they may pursue their own successful careers in research, academia, or their chosen industry. Overall, postgraduate students are supported in an institution where research is celebrated and diversity, inclusion and equality form the daily fabric of student and staff life.