About the Project
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for full-time funded PhD scholarships starting in October 2026 affiliated to the School of Medicine at the University of Galway.
University of Galway
Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence
For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie
Detailed Project Description
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health concern. It is widely recognised that the health of humans, animals and our shared environment are interlinked and adopting a One Health approach is needed to tackle the challenge of AMR. There has been significant progress made in elucidating the role of livestock production in AMR transmission, but less information is available about how this connects with transmission to the wider natural environment through waste and surface waters. There is also limited understanding of the role of other areas of the food chain, including the abattoir. This PhD aims to close some of these knowledge gaps. Specific objectives include: Assessment of surface waters in and associated with the farm and abattoir environments for the presence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria of significance to animal and human health, and potential transmission routes to and from the environment; Evaluation of relationships between antimicrobial resistant bacteria collected from different niches; and Optimisation and evaluation of rapid isothermal amplification tests for AMR on farms.
This PhD will be undertaken as part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded ADDRESS (Antimicrobial resistance dynamics, evolution and emerging threats in the environment) project. This project will be jointly supervised by Prof. Dearbháile Morris and Dr. Louise O’Connor at the University of Galway. The successful candidate will form part of a multidisciplinary team and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at Maynooth University, Teagasc and University College Dublin.
The successful candidate will join the four-year Structured PhD programme of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway.
Candidate profile and eligibility
The successful candidate will:
- Hold a first- or second-class honours degree (2.1 equivalent) or a master’s degree in microbiology, molecular biology or a closely related and relevant discipline.
- Demonstrate experience with bacterial culture and maintenance, water filtration, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, DNA extraction, PCR, sequencing and bioinformatics would be an advantage.
- Have a strong interest in the topic of antimicrobial resistance and One Health.
- Be highly self-motivated, possessing the organizational skills, resilience and drive necessary to manage an independent research project and produce high-quality impactful academic research.
- Disseminate research findings through publication in high-quality peer reviewed journals and at national and international conferences.
- Supervise and mentor undergraduate students.
- Have excellent communication skills with a very high level of written and spoken English (minimum score of IELTS 6.5).
- Be willing and available to travel to farms and abattoirs for sample collection.
- Hold a full, clean Irish or EU driving licence or a foreign driving licence from a recognised state as per National Driver Licence Service of Ireland guidelines (see: NDLS)
Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum, [tax-exempt scholarship award]
University fees: €6,000 per annum (covered by scholarship)
Start date: October 2026
Academic Entry Requirements:
Applicants must have a 1H or 2H1 BSc degree in an appropriate discipline (Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or similar) at minimum. Non-native speakers of English require a minimum score of IELTS 6.5 for entry into the postgraduate programme.
To Apply for the Scholarship: Interested candidates should submit an electronic copy of their CV including two referees, as well as a letter of motivation outlining your interest in this project and why you would be a suitable candidate to dearbhaile.morris@universityofgalway.ie by 5pm on September 16th 2026.
Contact Name: Prof. Dearbháile Morris
Contact Email: dearbhaile.morris@universityofgalway.ie
Application Deadline: 16/09/2026 at 17:00 (Irish time)
Primary Supervisor name: Prof. Dearbháile Morris
