The criteria for admission are that the candidate must have  

• A 2.1 honours degree qualification or equivalent
• A fluent command of the English language (See requirements below)
• All graduate students should enter into residence in or near Dublin unless there is an agreement at the start of the studentship to reside elsewhere for part of the time.
• Student are supported by academic supervisors throughout their studentship, and on occasion throughout the application process. For those planning to undertake clinical research, the issue of professional registration in Ireland should be discussed with the supervisor pre-admission.

• 2 Academic references
• Copies of academic transcripts from completed educational courses
• Copies of official awards (parchment) from completed educational courses
• Research proposal (3000 words)
• CV

All applicants whose first language is not English and who have not been educated through the medium of English must present one of the following qualifications in the English language:

IELTS (Academic version) and IELTS Indicator : Grade 6.5 overall with a minimum of grade of 6 in each category

TOEFL and TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based

• TOEFL: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based
• University of Cambridge:
• Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
• Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 to be eligible (with no section score below 59)
• Duolingo English Test: minimum overall score of 110/160, dated since January 2020
• An award certificate with a minimum II.1 overall score from Trinity's Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching's Pre-Master's Pathway Programme. The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam. 

The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam. Please click here for Pre-Masters pathway programme

Please also note that existing IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and PET scores up to three years old (rather than two) will be accepted for 2021/22 applications in light of test centre closures.

For further details on these English Language Proficiency Tests, please contact the appropriate organisation directly.

• www.ets.org/toefl
• www.ielts.org
• www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/

An applicant whose first language is not English but who has taken a degree through the medium of English may be eligible. However some courses may request applicants to present an English Language qualification under certain circumstances.

If you are eligible the next step is to see if the School has sufficient research expertise to support your research. Explore our research groups listed above. On these pages you will find links to members of staff with their different research expertise within the School. If you want to know more about any member of staff, please click on their name to view their profile page. In this way you will become familiar with the staff of the research group you are interested in and may identify a member of staff that you would like to be a supervisor for you if suitable and available. 

The formal application process (once you have secured a supervisor) involves an online application form and the attachment to this of a 3000 words research proposal and CV. A range of essential documentations are also required please see Documentation required to complete application section above . Please note your application will not be finalised until you have provided all the necessary information.

Prospective students are advised that for both unfunded and funded research applications they need to contact and work with the member of staff who has posted the research topic or a member of staff whose research area their research is compatible with, so as to develop their proposal to a level suitable for application. It is usually advised that this process starts at least three months prior to registration. 

For further information on the application process please contact the Director of Postgraduate Programmes, Dr. Brian Keogh (keoghbj@tcd.ie)

The School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin offers a distance-based Ph.D. Students may apply to study and are permitted to spend all, most or some of their time on the Ph.D. register outside of Dublin. Usual fees will be charged. A structured approach was approved with a mandatory requirement of 20 ECTS. The School of Nursing & Midwifery is a Pilot site with registrations to commence from September 2021. 

Specific School of Nursing & Midwifery guidelines are as follows: 

Application process 

1.    Candidates must apply, be accepted and register for a Ph.D. in the usual way (see Application Process and finding a supervisor in the tab above). 

2.    Full fees apply. 

3.    Candidates, supervisor/s and the Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate) (DTLPG) must agree to the non-resident status 

Non-Resident/Distance PhD requirements 

1. Candidates are subject to the standard regulations for Ph.D. students registered in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, including confirmation interview, requirements for yearly progress reports and Viva Voce requirements. 

2. Candidates must complete the Trinity College Dublin registration process and be accepted to register. 

3. The identified supervisor (and School of Nursing and Midwifery co-supervisor if applicable) must agree to distance supervision and confirm the candidate’s suitability. 

4. A local supervisor [within the candidate’s local area] may be identified by the supervisor, if relevant, and agrees to act as co-supervisor. This local co-supervisor must be nominated and accepted as Adjunct Supervisor by the College. There is no payment conferred for this. 

5. Candidates normally attend Trinity College Dublin for a semi-structured orientation programme in September of the year of registration. The duration of this will be agreed with the supervisor/s. 

6. Following Year 1, candidates will be expected to attend Trinity College Dublin in person for at least one week per year, at a time deemed most appropriate by the supervisor to maximise benefit. 

7. Candidates are expected to be present in-person for their confirmation examination, the duration of this visit should be at least one week and would suffice as attendance for item 6 above. 

8. Candidates are expected to present in-person for their Viva Voce examination, the duration of this visit should be at least one week and would suffice as attendance for item 6 above. 

9. Candidates must engage with the Research Support & Education Day (RESD) regularly, either by listening to podcasts or by attending live online sessions. 

10. Candidates may engage with online research lectures, online library support sessions and material provided within the modules NU7013 and NU8007, as identified by the supervisor. 

11. Peer to peer support sessions are an important aspect of the RSED and student learning, and mechanisms for engaging with such sessions need to be agreed with the supervisor / DTLPG. 

12. Candidates must have access to technological supports and relevant software and equipment that will support distance supervision in a reliable manner. 

13. Candidates will be expected to attend regular online in-camera supervision meetings. 

14. The ECTS requirement is 20. In the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the ECTS credit requirement is currently 15 ECTS credits [10 RSED and 5 Research Integrity], and students are encouraged to take-up other School / College modules that may be available online. e.g., Future Learning /CAPSL. Distance PhD students will be expected to make up the remaining 5 ECTS by taking programmes such as CAPSL ‘Planning & Managing your Research’ [5 ECTS]. ECTS credits must be secured before the confirmation examination. 

15. Ethical approval to conduct the study must be sought from Trinity College Dublin. 

16. Students on the distance register are not eligible for School or University scholarships. 

17. Ph.D. students may not transfer from thestandard Ph.D. register to non-resident, or vice versa. 

18. Non-resident also applies to students living in Ireland. 

19. A checklist may be developed locally to support local management of non-resident students. 

Applicants wishing to pursue research degrees within the School are eligible to apply for funding using the following options:

1. Internal College and School Grants 

Any student completing the online application form has the opportunity to tick the relevant box so that their application enters into competition for the available grants. These applications may be based on the prospective students' own research idea or from our topic list (see link to research topics above). Applications will be ranked based on their online application form and the submission/ attachment of a research proposal. The research proposal has to be less than 3000 words. Applications will be ranked according to the following criteria:

• Quality of Research Proposal
• Relevance to School's Research Agenda and supervisory support for the applicant
• Review of educational preparation, references and career development 

Postgraduate Research Ussher Fellowships maybe available to new entrants to the full-time Ph.D. register for entry in September and/or the following March of the next academic year (e.g. September 2020 and/or March 2021). They are awarded competitively on academic merit. The Fellowship fully covers EU and non-EU fees and provides an annual maintenance of euro 13,000 for three years. The fellowship is unrelated to teaching. A maximum annual income level of euro 18,000 excluding fees but including the studentship maintenance is permitted. (TBC). 

A Postgraduate Research Studentship is available to new entrants as well as continuing students on the full-time Ph.D. register for entry in September 2020 and or March 2021. Applicants must have received a 2.1 honours degree to be eligible. The studentship is awarded competitively on academic merit. The postgraduate studentship fully covers EU or non-EU fee and an annual maintenance of euro 6,500 for three years. The holder of a postgraduate studentship is required to engage in teaching-related activities, as advised by the appropriate Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate) or by his/her nominee, to a maximum of 6 hours per week in teaching term. A maximum annual income level of euro 18,000 excluding fees but including the studentship maintenance is permitted. The receipt of any additional funding must be notified immediately to the Graduate Studies Office and the Staff Office payroll. Postgraduate studentships cannot continue beyond the fourth year on the Ph.D. register. (Applications due TBC)

For all funding application details please contact (SNMPGR@tcd.ie) 

2. External programme grants

Principal investigators of projects may advertise for potential PhD students on the college WebPages. Please check the college vacancies page (https://jobs.tcd.ie/) to see if there are any current PhD opportunities on funded projects for specific research topics. 

For further information on funding opportunities in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, please contact the Director of Research, Prof Sharon O'Donnell

MAMMI (Maternal Health and Maternal Morbidity in Ireland).

Researchers: Prof Deirdre Daly

There are opportunities for PhD projects within this longitudinal, cohort study in the following topics:

• Use of antibiotics in pregnancy, labour and postpartum
• Anal incontinence: risk factors and interventions
• Obesity and associated factors in first-time mothers
• Other morbidities, including perineal trauma and pain - please contact us to discuss
• Activity and exercise during pregnancy and postpartum
• The economic costs of becoming a mother
• Breast-feeding issues and experiences

Trauma and traumatic loss in childbirth

Prof Joan Lalor

• Development of a model of palliative care for neonates with life limiting conditions (well developed)
• Continuing bonds - preserving a place in the family for the baby that dies before or soon after birth (RQ and methodology done)
• Parents' experiences of witnessing resuscitation and death in the NICU (RQ and methodology done)
• Transition to motherhood/fatherhood when your baby is in the NICU (GT - S&C approach to verify/modify extant theories and adapt to NICU)

Parents and parents with a disability

• Preparing for parenthood with a disability
• Parenting with a disability
• Transition to fatherhood for fathers with a disability
• Motherhood and homelessness
• Development of a care pathway for women with a disability accessing maternity care

Infant feeding

Prof Louise Gallagher

• Use of social media and technology to support breastfeeding
• Development of family-centred strategies to support exclusive breastfeeding
• Exploration of the use of incentives to increase breastfeeding rates among Irish mothers

Models of Maternity Care

Dr Margaret Dunlea

• Models of maternity care in general
• Developing and implementing a continuity integrated antenatal care pathways
• Piloting group models of antenatal care
• Piloting continuity and integrated care models
• Women's experiences of perineal suturing
• Developing the role of the midwife in primary care

Preparation for Birth and Motherhood

Prof Vivienne Brady

• Action research to promote women's involvement in Health Research, Service Planning and Development
• Antenatal education to address fear in childbirth
• Developing Postnatal Community Supports for women as new mothers

Community Midwifery and Homebirth

Prof Colm O'Boyle

• Exploration of home birth services - integration with hospital services
• Self-employed community midwives' experiences of home birth services since INMO insurance withdrawal, and the passing of the Nurses' & Midwives' Act 2011 and statutory requirement for indemnification
• Memo of Understanding as means for supporting SECM/Home birth
• Home birth service governance
• National Maternity Strategy normal risk/supported care pathway

Ageing

Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities Prof Mary McCarron

IDS TILDA - The Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing  Prof Mary McCarron

There are opportunities for PhD projects within this longitudinal, cohort study in the following topics:

• Understanding risk for, prevalence, and incidence of type II diabetes among adults with an intellectual disability
• Understanding the impact of engagement in good nutrition, physical activity and health screenings in the health status of people with an intellectual disability
• Understanding prevalence, incidence and patterns of epilepsy among adults with an intellectual disability and its implications for health and social care.
• Establishing key determinants in good health in persons with ID over age 60
• Understanding similarities and dissimilarities in cardiovascular disease progression for people with ID compared to the general population
• Changing patterns of social engagement for people with ID as they age
• Understanding cognitive frailty in people with ID
• Differential patterns in health services offered to people with ID compared to the general population when disease patterns are similar
• Hypertension risk factors and prevalence in Down syndrome specific adults versus the general population
• Obesity and associated factors in adults with intellectual disability
• Obesity and obesity-related secondary conditions in Older adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities
• (Instrumental) activities of daily living in older adults with intellectual disabilities
• The prevalence of constipation in institutionalized people with intellectual disability
• Examining mental health issues in older adults with an intellectual disability
• Sense of belonging and community living for people with ID
• Cardiac risk profiles for ageing persons with ID: a comparison with the general population
• Understanding physical activity patterns for persons ageing with ID
• Understanding gastro-intestinal disease in ageing people with ID
• Meaningful day activities and fulfilling life roles for people with ID
• Exploring the changing nature of caregiving for people with ID
• Exploring usefulness of quality of life measures for people with ID
• Tracking availability and quality of end of life carer for people with ID over time
• Exploring the association between sedentary behaviour and cardiac risk in the ageing population
• Can physical activity, as part of a mental health and wellness programme, improve meaning in life in older adults with intellectual disability and thus contribute towards the establishment of recovery from mental ill-health symptomatology? 

Dementia and Down Syndrome

Prof Mary McCarron

There are opportunities for PhD projects within this longitudinal, cohort study in the following topics:

• Prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in individuals with intellectual disabilities
• Differentiating ageing among adults with Down Syndrome and people with ID from other aetiologies
• Understanding the onset of co-morbidities and frailty across the presentation of symptoms of dementia
• Comparing the lived experience of people with Down Syndrome and dementia across residential, community and family settings.

Other research interests in Ageing

Investigating the biological mechanisms underpinning age-related modifications to the vasculature.

Prof Aileen Lynch

Mental Health, Mental Distress and Mental Illness

Prof Agnes Higgins

• Developing and evaluating recovery-orientated and rights-based strategies for service users, families and practitioners
• Social Exclusion, Incarceration and Reintegration within Civic Society (Prof Damien Brennan)
• Oral narratives of past Mental Hospital residents: A Historical Sociology (Prof Damien Brennan)
• The capacity for care provision within contemporary Home/Domestic spaces in Ireland (Prof Damien Brennan)
• Critical reflection and care erosion in hospitals. (Prof Jan de Vries)
• Professional dissonance: discrepancies between nursing education and clinical practice. (Prof Jan de Vries)

Mental Wellness, Illness and Distress: Determinants and Impacts

Prof Louise Doyle

• Mental Health and Cognitive Dissonance (Prof Jan de Vries)
• Stress and stress management (Prof Jan de Vries)
• Depression: internal conflict, rumination and hopelessness (Prof Jan de Vries)
• Mental Health Self-Efficacy and Recovery (Prof Jan de Vries)

Healthcare Innovation and Integration 

Professor Anne-Marie Brady

Oncology Nursing

• Patient-related health outcomes in cancer survivorship (Prof Anne-Marie Brady)
• Quality of life in cancer survivors (Prof Anne-Marie Brady)
• An action research project to evaluate, develop and implement telephone follow-up as a mechanism for post-discharge support (Prof Sharon O'Donnell)
• An action research project to evaluate, develop and implement a standardised patient discharge information protocol in a cardiac setting (Prof Mary Mooney & Prof Frances O'Brien)
• An evaluation of the new Percutaneous Coronary intervention (PCI) programme. (Prof Mary Mooney & Prof Frances O'Brien)

Ageing

• Dementia care (Dr Louise Daly)
• Self-management in dementia care (Dr Louise Daly)
• Self-management of co-morbidities in early to mid-stage dementia (Dr Louise Daly)
• An exploration of ways in which community nurses support self-care for people living with dementia (Dr Louise Daly)
• The support needs of staff working in dementia care (Dr Louise Daly)
• Investigating the biological mechanisms underpinning age-related modifications to the vasculature (Prof Aileen Lynch)

Population and Community Health

(Prof Catherine Comiskey)

Addiction 

• Modelling the health, wellbeing and risk of addiction among the children of parents who use drugs
• Addiction and ageing
• Addiction and children
• Addiction and innovations
• Addiction and infectious disease
• Addiction and data modelling

Health Needs of Ethnic and Minority Groups (Dr Gobnait Byrne)

• Community Nursing (Dr Gobnait Byrne)
• Practice Innovation
• Practice, Service and Role Development (Prof Anne-Marie Brady)
• Healthcare Systems
• Patient safety solutions in healthcare
• Innovation and models of healthcare delivery
• Quality improvement initiatives in healthcare
• Workforce development
• Regulation, guideline and standards in healthcare
• Evaluation and implementation of integrated care pathways

Implementation science, a study of the implementation of research in policy and or practice

Prof Catherine Comiskey

4Digital solutions in integrated care (Prof Anne-Marie Brady and Prof John Dinsmore)

• Technological innovation in healthcare
• Technology and behavioural change

Other Topics - please contact us to discuss, please contact Prof Anne-Marie Brady (anne-marie.brady@tcd.ie)