Postdoctoral Researcher
Project: Diversity Profiling Initial Teacher Education in Ireland (DITE)
National university of Ireland, Galway
Ref. No. NUIG 117-13
The National University of Ireland, Galway is seeking to fill a full-time, fixed term
Postdoctoral Researcher position for the project ‘Diversity Profiling Initial Teacher Education
in Ireland (DITE)’. The position is funded by the Irish Research Council, under the Research
Projects Grants Scheme, 2013. The post is available from January 15, 2014 until the end
date of March 1, 2015.
The AHSSRB occupies a position at the centre of the NUIG campus, beside the James
Hardiman Library. It houses Humanities and Social Sciences research postgraduates,
Visiting Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows, staff from the Moore Institute and the Whitaker
Institute, and other funded research entities. It also incorporates the Humanities and Social
Sciences Digital Analytics Hub as a high performance computing facility shared by
Humanities and Social Sciences for digital resource creation and training. This Hub is a
unique facility that serves both as a repository of diverse quantitative and qualitative social
science databases, and as a computing resource that can be used by researchers across
the University. The Hub is a one-stop facility for access to diverse data, visualization and
computational resources for research clusters across various social science research
institutes. The architecture of the Hub is set up to provide remote access to University users,
both within and off campus.
In addition to its emphasis on transdisciplinary research between the Humanities and Social
Sciences, the AHSSRB has a mission to develop strong links to regional and national
creative arts communities and cultural institutions. It is home to the Library’s important body
of archives, providing enhanced access to these and to its Special Collections. The Library is
currently engaged in digitization of a number of its archives and in a long-term partnership
with the Abbey Theatre involving digitization of its complete archive. Among other recent
developments in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences is the creation of the Measurement
Instrument Database for the Social Sciences (MIDSS).
Diversity Profiling Initial Teacher Education in Ireland (DITE)
The School of Education’s Diversity Profiling Initial Teacher Education in Ireland (DITE)
research project is a longitudinal mixed-methods study. The central aim is to gather and
analyse background data from all applicants and entrants to initial teacher education (ITE)
programmes in Ireland in order to explore their diversity profiles. An important objective is to
make recommendations regarding reviewing entry procedures and selection criteria for ITE
programmes and to explore ways of facilitating entry to the profession by under-represented
groups, a key aim of national ITE policy, as well as national higher education (HE) policy, in
terms of widening participation in HE and to the professions. The Postdoctoral Researcher
will be based in the new Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Building (AHSSRB)
- an exciting new initiative, which provides an opportunity to develop collaborative research
in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Job Description
The work of the post-doctoral researcher (who will be very skilled and experienced in
quantitative research methods) will relate primarily to the implementation of the
questionnaire, and in-depth analysis of data. The successful applicant will be joining a
dynamic research team, which also includes an IRC-funded doctoral student who is working
on the qualitative aspect to the project. There will be opportunities for further training in
research methodologies at NUI Galway.
The work includes the following duties:
a) Implementation of the questionnaire
b) Preparation of data for analysis
c) Data analysis
d) Report writing, including reviews of the literature
e) Preparation of papers for dissemination (presentation and publication)
f) Assistance with funding applications
g) Associated administrative duties
Qualifications
Suitable candidates must meet the following criteria:
 PhD in Education, Sociology or related area
 Very good quantitative research skills, including descriptive and inferential statistics
 Excellent knowledge and experience of using SPSS for data analysis
 Significant experience of quantitative research design and analysis
 Experience of research report-writing, and very good writing skills
 Ability to work very well both collaboratively and independently
 Highly motivated, with excellent organisational skills
It is also desirable that suitable candidates would have experience in some or all of the
following areas
 PhD using quantitative methods and demonstrating excellent quantitative research
skills
 Substantial experience of quantitative research design and analysis
 Knowledge of and experience using structural equation modelling and other latent
construct analysis techniques
 Knowledge of policy and research in the field (diversity in ITE)
 Excellent writing skills
 Peer-reviewed publication record
The holder of the post will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Elaine Keane, Principal
Investigator of the DITE project.
Salary: €31,269 per annum
Start date: 15th January 2014
Further information on research and working at NUI Galway is available on Research at NUI
Galway
For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie
Further informal enquiries concerning this position may be made by contacting Dr. Manuela
Heinz,
Manuela.heinz@nuigalway.ie
(091
493873)
or
Dr.
Elaine
Keane,
Elaine.keane@nuigalway.ie
To Apply:
Applications to include a covering letter, CV, and the contact details of three referees should
be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) to Martha Shaughnessy at
martha.shaughnessy@nuigalway.ie
Please put reference number NUIG 117-13 in subject line of e-mail application.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00pm, 18th December 2013
National University of Ireland, Galway is an equal opportunities employer.