Research Student Project
Supervisor name & contact details:
Name Jim McGovern
School Mechanical and Design Engineering
Email jim.mcgovern@dit.ie
Research Centre Name and Website (if
applicable)
http://www.dit.ie/dublinenergylab/
Please indicate if the intention is to transfer
from the Masters programme to the PhD
programme (if applicable)
This project is intended for a PhD
Please indicate if the project is suitable for a
self-funded student
Yes
Funding Agency
Dublin Institute of Technology
Scholarship Details
www.dit.ie/fiosraigh/
Subject Area
Thermodynamics
Title of the Project
Molecular modelling of nanometre heat
engines
Project Description (max 300 words)
This is a challenging project in the new frontier area of nanometre heat engines, for instance:
those heat engines that drive the splitting of DNA. It will be highly cross-disciplinary. It is
proposed by and will be led by an engineering classical thermodynamicist, who is very interested
in symmetry. Advances in computing power have enabled considerable advances in molecular
modelling and this project will build on molecular modelling techniques and insights and the
progress made in diverse fields, including progress made by particle physicists, geneticists,
chemists, biologists, mathematicians, electronics engineers, optics engineers, communications
engineers, mathematicians and artists who appreciate symmetry. A potential PhD candidate
considering this project should look at Jim McGovern’s web site to ascertain whether they can
find any glimmer of light there, whether they could relate to a sometimes strange way of looking
at things and whether they feel there could be enough stimulation in the proposed project title
to follow leads that others may have missed to date, in attempting to unravel the mysteries of
nature and to put any new knowledge so gained to good practical use.
Please indicate the student requirements for this project
min. 2.1 in level 8
Strong ability to sift through and organize information, assimilate diverse techniques and
technologies, perform mathematical analysis, develop computer models and simulations,
communicate and express ideas clearly, and creatively to synthesize new concepts and ways of
looking at things would be desirable.
Deadline to submit applications (only for
funded projects)
30 June 2015 for DIT Fiosraigh Scholarship
Programme application