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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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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:
Jamie Goggins; Jamie.Goggins@nuiglaway.ie; +35391492609
School:
College of Engineering & Informatics
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed
registration school?
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy Research
Research group / centre
website:
Earthquake Engineering Research Group (EERG);
http://www.nuigalway.ie/civileng/research/earthquake/index.html
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/civileng/Staff/jamiegoggins.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
The Earthquake Engineering Research Group (EERG) work very closely with international partners on
projects through EU Framework Programme 7 and other vehicles to develop simulation methods that
produce reliable estimates of the design demands on buildings and structures during earthquakes.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Seismic design of earthquake resistant buildings
The seismic damage done to the lives of people all around the world is almost incomprehensible.
One would only have to look at recent seismic incidences; Haiti region (2010), Eastern Sichuan,
China (2008), Pakistan (2005) and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (2004), as well as many
other seismic incidences around the world. Between the aforementioned four incidents alone, over
700,000 people were killed and a further 12 million people left homeless, demonstrating how
catastrophic these natural disasters can become.
Trends also imply extreme events such as this will become more regular emphasising the need for
reliable estimates of the design demands on buildings and structures during earthquakes, as well as
rapidly deployable, semi permanent, safe structures.
Researchers in NUI Galway work very closely with international partners on many projects through
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
EU Framework Programme 7 and other vehicles to develop simulation methods that produce
reliable estimates of the design demands on buildings and structures during earthquakes. The
research will complement existing research projects in the development of simplified assessment
approaches for structural systems that can be used by design engineers.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
In 2011, all Engineering units in the National University of Ireland, Galway relocated to a new stateof-the-art 140,000 sq.ft building costing almost €45m; Staff in the College of Engineering &
Informatics at NUI Galway have many years of experience in design and conducting full-scale testing
of structural components and systems to static, dynamic and cyclic loadings. This is complemented
with a strong competency in numerical modelling of these systems. NUI Galway has a 4000sq.ft (375
sq.m) state-of-the-art high-bay Structures Research Laboratory, the largest of its kind in the Republic
of Ireland. This laboratory has a large strong floor (33ft x 20ft) and reaction frame, offering a flexible
testing space for many different systems and structures
(http://www.nuigalway.ie/civileng/Facilities/Rooms/structures1.html). Other laboratories in the
Engineering are also used by the earthquake engineering research group (EERG)(see
http://www.nuigalway.ie/civileng/Facilities/Rooms/index.html).
The earthquake engineering research group (EERG) collaborates with both industry and
international research institutes on many research projects, such as the BRACED project included in
the EU Framework Programme 7. Thus, we have accessed other laboratories and specialist facilities
in other countries in Europe and America.
The Structured PhD offered in Engineering at NUI Galway is a 4-year programme which offers added
value to the core component of doctoral training. Students on this programme are offered
disciplinary or dissertation specific modules, as well as generic and transferable skills designed to
meet the needs of an employment market that is wider than academia.
The programme is flexible and student centred, as candidates choose their own pathways in
consultation with their Supervisor and Graduate Research Committee.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Graduates from Engineering and Sciences are encouraged to apply, especially those from the
following disciplines:
Civil Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Applied Physics
Material Science
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
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
X
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): _ _N___
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): ___Y__
Suitable for either/Don’t know: _____