Version 2 Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras PhD Project Template Use one form per project Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012 In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed PI name & contact details: Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh School: Mechanical Engineering Has project been agreed with head (or nominee) of proposed registration school? Research Centre / group affiliation: Ryan Institute Research group / centre website: http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/ PI website / link to CV: http://www.nuigalway.ie/mechbio/staff/staff_cob.html Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max): Manufacturing, testing and modelling of fibre-reinforced composite materials for renewable energy applications (wind and ocean energy). Development of orthopaedic products in advanced composite materials. Cryogenic properties of thermoplastic composite materials. Space applications of composite materials. Design and testing of micro-wind turbine and tidal turbine blades. Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web): Fibre Bragg Grating sensing of fatigue damage in composite materials A PhD. researcher is sought to investigate nano level sensing of fatigue damage in carbon-fibre and glass-fibre reinforced composite materials. Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway: NUI Galway heads the materials spoke of a large multi-disciplinary research project in marine renewable energy involving multiple universities and industry partners. Significant servo-hydraulic test equipment is available at NUI Galway for this work. Modelling with Abaqus FE software is a strength within the Engineering department with access to large supercomputers provided to qualifying projects. This is a structured 4 year PhD. program. Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above: Version 2 Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area: Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only one (tick box): Engineering and other technological areas Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences) Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing Aerospace Pharmaceuticals Sustainable Agricultural Production Oil, Gas and Coal Renewable Energy Minerals, Minerals Technology Biotechnology Nanotechnology and New Materials Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters Bioprospecting and Biodiversity Marine Sciences Creative Industry New technologies in constructive engineering Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders arrangements): Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): _ ____ Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): _____ Suitable for either/Don’t know: __y___