LightSCHOOL @ NUI Galway
LightSCHOOL
Research Experience in Applications of Photonics
Description
Photonics can be defined as the discipline that deals with the generation, propagation and
detection of light. It is arguably one of the most important technologies in the 21st century.
It already influences all aspects of our lives and is essential to Ireland's future industrial
and economic competitiveness. For example, photonics is integral to information
communication technologies, biotechnology, manufacturing, and lighting. Photonics is a
key strategic technology for innovation; it enables new products that multiply the value of
initial photonics components and technologies many times over. Photonic technologies
have already revolutionized the worldwide exchange of information; it forms the
technological backbone of the World Wide Web. Photonics, and in particular digital
imaging, has transformed photography, lasers have enabled new manufacturing
techniques unrealized heretofore, optical sensors and visual displays are revolutionizing
bio-diagnostics, health care provision, and industrial production. The many ways in which
photonics has disrupted, and yet enables, the knowledge-based society in which we live is
endless. It is therefore reasonable to predict that the impact of these technologies in the
future, particularly as they converge with others, will become ever more important as we
enter this “photon century”.
LightSCHOOL is a summer research experience programme at NUI Galway, supported by
Science Foundation Ireland (www.sfi.ie), to encourage undergraduate engineers and
scientists gain valuable experience in photonics prior to graduation. The initiative offers
practical experience of working in photonics to highly motivated students from around the
world.
Participants in the research experience programme will benefit from the state of the art
resources and research activities of the Centre for Applied Photonics (LightHOUSE) at
NUI Galway (www.nuigalway.ie/lighthouse). LightHOUSE is a new venture that combines
the expertise in laser microfabrication, smart optics, imaging, optical characterisation, and
device development of the National Centre for Laser Applications (NCLA) and the Applied
Optics Group.
The programme will begin on the Tuesday, 5th of June, 2007 and will run for 10 weeks. In
addition to research experience in photonics, participants will partake in other courses in
professional development and adaptable skills. The international dimension of the
programme will facilitate participating students understand the global relevance of science
education and research.
Financial support is available and will be provided to all participants. In the first instance,
places on the programme will be awarded on a competitive basis to international students,
with due regard to the requirements of the programme to promote the participation of
women in science.
If you are interested in participating, please send a curriculum vitae to:
Rebecca.nolan@nuigalway.ie
by March 14th 2007.
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LightSCHOOL @ NUI Galway
LightSCHOOL: The Detail
Objective
 To provide participating students with a research experience that will contribute to
their knowledge of science and career advancement.
 To enable new educational and research linkages with other like-minded Institutes
throughout North America, Europe and India.
Activities & events
The principal activity undertaken by students participating in LightSCHOOL will be a 10
week research project. In addition there will be programmes of transferable skills and
social events which will run over the 10 week time frame for the activity.
Research projects
A research project will be undertaken by each student in close collaboration with a project
supervisor and a laboratory mentor. The role of the supervisor is to provide academic
direction and evaluation to the project activity. The role of the mentor is to provide day to
day support for project implementation. Careful consideration will be given to the selection
of mentors in terms of training and other support issues (gender, laboratory experience,
availability etc.) Towards the end of the LightSCHOOL programme, the participating
student will be requested to develop a poster and a short research presentation on his or
her research.
The following is an indicative list of the research projects available for 2007. Please note
that projects will only be assigned at the start of the LightSCHOOL programme and not
before this date.
 Adaptive optics without a wavefront Sensor
 Dependence of laser ablation on pulse duration in the nanosecond regime.
 Characterisation of deformable mirrors for adaptive optics
 Investigations of photomechanical spallation in glass
 Vision enhancement using adaptive optics
 Effect of beam shaping on multi-pulse laser ablative pulse drilling
 Adaptive optics for free space optical communication
 Fabrication of lenslet arrays using self-assembled monolayers of microspheres
 Dynamic cophasing errors
 Surface modification of materials using excimer UV sources
 Dual pulse laser machining using two synchronised laser sources
 Langmuir probe study of femtosecond laser ablation of polymers.
Experience in transferable (or other) skills
A programme of life-skills education will be provided to provide students with a holistic
experience of working in a research environment.
 A professional development course to enhance students’ ability to operate
effectively in a scientific environment.
 An overview of intellectual property & commercialisation
 An overview of scientific information systems, eg. the electronic library
 An appreciation of laser safety in the workplace
 An appreciation of research ethics
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LightSCHOOL @ NUI Galway
Events
There will be a programme of special events which will also run throughout the 10 week
period. The principal aspects of these events will be:
 Meet & greet lunch
 Occasional course lunch
 Research day out
 Research at poster session
 Lunch after research colloquium
Support
The LightSCHOOL programme will provide a living allowance of €300 per week per
participating student. The programme will provide a contribution towards the cost of travel
by international students; up to €300 will be provided to international students from the EU,
up to €800 will be provided to international students from countries outside the EU.
Accommodation
Self catering student accommodation will be offered to students.
The cost of
accommodation will be covered by the student from their weekly allowance.
Places
10 places are offered on the programme
Programme contacts:
Coordinator: Dr. Gerard O’Connor
Administrator: Ms. Rebecca Nolan
Address: Rebecca.nolan@nuigalway.ie
Tel. +353 91 49 35 95
Life in Galway
The host University: NUI Galway
Informal guide to Galway region
Galway local news paper
Galway radio station
Fax +353 91 49 4595
Mail: Dept of Experimental Physics, NUI
Galway, Ireland.
www.nuigalway.ie
www.galway.net
www.galwayadvertiser.ie
www.galwaybayfm.ie
Acknowledgement
LightSCHOOL is supported by the Ureka, Science Foundation Ireland (www.sfi.ie) and
NUI Galway (www.nuigalway.ie). To comply with the objective of the Ureka initiative,
international and female applicants are particularly encouraged to apply.
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LightSCHOOL @ NUI Galway
LightSCHOOL: How to apply
Applicants who are interested in applying for a place on LightSCHOOL in 2007 are
requested to send via email a :



curriculum vitae,
copy of answers to the Five questions (below), and
the names and email addresses of two character references
to: Rebecca.nolan@nuigalway.ie by Wednesday, March 14th, 2007.
The Five Questions
Q1. What aspects of your academic studies have interested you most to-date?
Q2. What educational or work experiences have you gained to-date which you consider to
be an advantage to you in attending LightSCHOOL at NUI Galway?
Q3. Please describe what you consider is your best technical or scientific achievement todate. (This might include a result attained in a laboratory, academic project, an
examination, work experience, role in a scientific publication, hobby etc.)
Q4. What, if any, long term opportunities or challenges do you see for any area in
photonics?
Q5. Please describe how the completion of LightSCHOOL in 2007 will progress your future
career?
Character references
Please ensure that you have obtained permission from your character references prior to
naming them in your application.
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LightSCHOOL @ NUI Galway
Character reference: To be completed by character referee only
LightSCHOOL is a summer placement programme for undergraduate students who are
interested in undertaking careers photonics based research. The student candidate
named below has applied to attend the programme this year and has named you as a
character reference. We would be most grateful if you could complete the attached
questionnaire and return it to us as soon as is feasible.
Thank you for helping our programme and your student.
Student candidate
Institution
Referee
Institution
Length of time you have known the candidate?
In what capacity do you know the candidate?
Please rate the candidate in terms of other students at a similar stage of career
development: (please enter “x” in appropriate column)
Top 15%
Top 25%
Top 30%
Top 40%
Below
Average
Academic
Achievement
Practical
work
Work ethic
Creativity
Initiative
Maturity
Adaptability
Social skills
English
language
Please write five key observations appraising the candidate:
1
2
3
4
5
Please fax to +353 91 494594 or email: Rebecca.nolan@nuigalway.ie
References to be received by Wednesday, March 21st, 2007.
Thank you
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