Research Assistant, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences

12 Months, Fixed-Term, Whole-time Post

Position Summary

We seek a Research Assistant to join the UCC Marine Geosciences Research Group (https://www.ucc.ie/en/marinegeology/) in iCRAG (https://www.icrag-centre.org/) to develop a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision support tool to assist Hexicon Energy in determining optimal sites for offshore windfarm development.

The Research Assistant will develop new GIS-based multi-criteria based tools to assess spatial opportunity and constraint data assessments to determine optimal offshore wind energy site development opportunities under the direction of the Principal Investigator. Wind energy resources off the west coast of Ireland are significant, however the sea and seabed conditions offer varied challenges due to a complex geological history of glaciation, high environmental value and exposure to storm systems. In addition, this marine space is shared with a number of critical stakeholders. In order to determine the most pragmatic sites for development cognisant of social acceptance and environmental impact, critical analysis of marine spatial datasets becomes paramount. The Assistant will be involved in collect and standardising raster data layers, engage in a stakeholder workshop to rank data priorities and build the GIS-based MCDM tool kit enabling Monte Carlo simulation outputs.

Project Title: Multi-Criteria Decision-Making and Constraint Mapping supporting Irish West Coast Offshore Floating Windfarm Development Options 

Post Duration: 12 Months

Salary:  €30,025 - €39,908 (IUA Research Assistant Salary Scale)

For an information package including further details of the post see https://ore.ucc.ie/.  

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Prof. Andy Wheeler, Professor of Geology, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Tel: + 353 (0) 21 4903455; Email: [email protected]  

Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to [email protected], quoting the job-title and project name.

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday, 19th April 2024.

No late applications will be accepted.

Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.

UCC is committed to creating and fully embracing an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated.  As a University we strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our student population where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively. UCC is committed to being an employer that recognises the value of diversity amongst its staff.  We encourage applicants to consult our policies at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/policies/ and initiatives at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/implementation/ and we welcome applications from everyone, including those who are underrepresented in the protected characteristics set out in our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy. 

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER