Research Centre Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics
Post Title Postdoctoral Researcher - GAA Project
Post Duration Fixed Term Contract up to 36 months
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (DCU) is a young, ambitious and vibrant university, with a mission ‘to transform lives and societies through education, research, innovation and engagement’. Known as Ireland’s ‘University of Enterprise’, DCU is a values-based institution, committed to the delivery of impact for the public good. DCU was named Sunday Times Irish University of the Year 2021.
DCU is based on three academic campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra region of north Dublin. More than 18,000 students are enrolled across five faculties – Science and Health, DCU Business School, Computing and Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences and DCU Institute of Education.
DCU is committed to excellence across all its activities. This is demonstrated by its world-class research initiatives, its cutting-edge approach to teaching and learning, its focus on delivering a transformative student experience, and its positive social and economic impact. The university continues to develop innovative programmes in collaboration with industry, such as the DCU Futures suite of degrees, which are designed to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge required in a rapidly evolving economy.
DCU’s pursuit of excellence has led to its current ranking among the top 2% of universities globally. It is also one of the world’s Top Young Universities (QS Top 100 Under 50, Times Higher Top 150 Under 100). In the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2021, DCU ranked 23rd in the world for its approach to widening participation in higher education and its ongoing commitment to eradicating poverty, while it ranks 38th globally for its work in reducing inequality and 89th globally for gender equality.
The university is ranked 23rd in the world and first in Ireland for its graduate employment rate, according to the 2020 QS Graduate Employability Rankings. Over the past decade, DCU has been the leading Irish university in the area of technology transfer, as reflected by licensing of intellectual property.
The Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics
The Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics (http://www.Insight-centre.org ) is an SFI funded Research Centre which brings together researchers from University College Dublin, NUI Galway, University College Cork, and Dublin City University, as well as other partner institutions, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University of Limerick (UL), Maynooth University (MU) and Tyndall National Institute. It creates a critical mass of more than 400 researchers from Ireland's leading ICT clusters to carry out research on a new generation of data analytics technologies in a number of key application domain areas, such as Health and Human Performance, Smart Communities, Internet of Things, Enterprise and Services and Sustainability and Operations.
The €150m Centre is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and a wide range of industry and European Union partners. Insight's research focus encompasses a broad range of data analytics technologies from machine learning, decision analytics and social network analysis to linked data, recommender systems and the sensor web. Together, with more than 220 partner companies, Insight researchers are solving critical challenges in the areas of Connected Health and the Discovery Economy.
School of Health and Human Performance
Research at the School of Health and Human Performance provides an environment devoted to learning, developing, understanding and advancing in the areas of sport, physical activity and health science. Our focus is on using the knowledge gained from our learnings to challenge and address the series of health issues which impact modern society in conjunction with evolving our knowledge associated with the factors critical to sporting performance. With the academic proficiency and expertise existing within our school, underpinned by our strong multicultural partnerships, international research, and societal engagement, our research:
- Influences public policy
- Contributes to successful sporting performance and maintenance
- Promotes the importance of healthy lifestyle management and adaptation
- Increases awareness over communicable disease prevention and control
- Creates leaders for future generations
The school boasts specialists in a wide range of areas such as physical activity and public health, sport psychology, cardiology, coaching, physiotherapy, athletic rehabilitation exercise physiology, cellular biology, biomechanics, motor control, and talent development. Each of our research clusters and centres is the spearhead in its own domain. As visionaries in progression, governance, policy development and application, from a sporting and physical activity field, our school cultivates the leaders of the future and the present.
Research Career Framework
As part of this role the researcher will be required to participate in the DCU Research Career Framework (http://dcu.ie/hr/ResearchersFramework/index.shtml ). This framework is designed to provide significant professional development opportunities to researchers and offer the best opportunities in terms of a wider career path.
DCU has a strong track record in attracting both Irish and European Union research funding under Horizon 2020 (and all previous Framework programmes), Marie Curie Actions and Erasmus. We offer a dynamic and internationally-focused environment in which you can advance your academic career.
The Project
Sporting organisations have often been criticised for lacking the evidence on which to base strategic and operational decision making. Governing bodies of sport are now required to provide baseline data on clubs, facilities, volunteers, and coaches to justify, using evidence, the most effective areas to develop projects and allocate resources. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation and is celebrated as one of the great amateur sporting associations in the world. Being Ireland’s largest sporting organisation brings its own challenges; the complexities of interconnecting the national, provincial, and county levels, along with the largely volunteer-led grassroots operations at club level, provides a unique challenge in terms of overall vision and strategic direction. One way in which the GAA can seek to accomplish its vision is through having an evidence informed strategy, with research directed to key areas in order to achieve this.
This project hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the current research within the association. This project will assist the GAA’s Coaching and Games unit identify its research priorities, which in turn, should inform policy and decision making within Gaelic games. Building on this, this project seeks to identify and progress several research projects in key areas to Coaching and Games.
The Role
This project hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the current and future research within GAA. An initial phase will identify and collate all research related to coaching and games, both past and present, in an effort to map out the existing research landscape, specifically in the GAA. This will allow the identification of themes of research focus, highlight strengths and weaknesses, and identify possible evidentiary gaps. The second phase seeks to identify and progress several potential research projects in key areas to Coaching and Games.
Central to the project will be disseminating research findings internally to GAA staff and externally to the wider GAA landscape, informing policy and practice.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Specific duties include:
- Provide a link between Insight, the School of Health and Performance, and the GAA.
- Produce top quality journal and conference publications, in collaboration with the PIs
- Engage in teaching and support to postgraduate students working on similar topics.
- Participate in Insight Centre activities, including industry showcases, annual reviews and industry and agency visits to the Insight labs.
- Carry out administrative work associated with the programme of research as necessary Other tasks relevant to successfully implementing the assigned research programme.
- Liaise with both external and internal stakeholders, including academics, undergraduate and postgraduate students, external supervisors and host placement schools.
- Preparation of project outputs, interim and final reports as required by the project schedule.
- Deliver research outputs according to project schedules.
- Other tasks relevant to successfully implementing the assigned research programme.
- Attend and present results at project progress meetings.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required
The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Health and Human Performance or other related discipline, e.g., sports coaching, sport science, talent development) as well as understanding and experience in the areas mentioned earlier in describing the role for the position. It is essential that the candidate has:
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and organisational skills, be able to take initiative and work to deadlines, and the ability to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Excellent research and evaluation skills, including experience in qualitative and quantitative methods. Experience in project management and experience of working with external organisations Strong management and influencing skills and be capable of exercising judgement and making decisions on matters related to the project. A track record of effective collaboration and building strong working relationships within and across sport organisations and disciplines.
Candidates will be assessed on the following competencies:
Discipline Knowledge and Research skills
Demonstrates the ability to design and/or implement a substantial programme of research including initiating and leading new research programmes (for example by using critical judgement and an understanding of new research methodologies).
Understanding the Research Environment
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the research environment both nationally and internationally, the ability to secure research funding and where relevant the ability to apply for intellectual property rights and/or patents for their research.
Communicating Research
Demonstrates excellence in communicating their research nationally and internationally (for example by publishing in high quality peer reviewed journals of international standing h) and the ability to deliver teaching based on their own research.
Managing and Leadership skills
The potential to successfully lead and manage research projects including the financial management of research programmes.
Essential Training
The post holder will be required to undertake the following mandatory compliance training: Orientation, Health and Safety, Research Integrity and Intellectual Property and Data Protection training. Other training may need to be undertaken when required.
Additional Information
The successful candidates will be offered opportunities for developing their own careers in a number of directions including support for conference/workshop travel, upskilling through Insight’s continuous professional development in areas like research ethics and data privacy, student supervision and development and submission of their own research project proposals.