Applications are invited for a fully funded, 4-year PhD position within the DCU Water Institute as part of the national initiative: Decarbonising Ireland: AI-Powered Pathways to Climate Resilience. This interdisciplinary project is a collaboration between University College Dublin, DCU, and five other leading Irish institutions.
The PhD researcher will focus on the legal analysis of underwater data centres within offshore renewable energy parks. This research sits at the intersection of climate change, AI, and water management, seeking to balance sustainable digital infrastructure with the protection of marine ecosystems and critical infrastructure under international and EU law.
- Hosted by: DCU Water Institute
- Closing Date: 30 April 2026
- Interviews: 8 May 2026
- Start Date: 7 September 2026
The DCU Water Institute is an international centre of excellence for water research, working to develop technological and policy solutions for aquatic systems.
The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr. Goran Dominioni and Dr. Edoardo Celeste (School of Law and Government). A major benefit of this position is the cross-disciplinary collaboration:
- The candidate will liaise and cooperate with the DCU Law and Tech Research Cluster.
- The project is integrated with the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI).
- The researcher will benefit from the international EPILDAI Network.
- Stipend: €31,000 per annum (tax-free) for 4 years.
- Fees: Full tuition fees covered.
- Support: Comprehensive budget for travel, conferences, and high-performance computing (ICHEC).
We are seeking candidates who:
- Hold a Master’s degree in law, law & economics, public policy, or a cognate discipline (First-class or high second-class honours).
- Demonstrate understanding of environmental law, law of the sea, or AI/digital law.
- Possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Form: Complete the online application here: https://forms.gle/F8TkxmKYPg5Sneqy8
- Notification: After submitting, email leon.zuhlke@dcu.ie with the subject: “Decarbonising Ireland: AI-Powered Pathways to Climate Resilience PhD Scholarship”.
- Required Documents: Attach your CV and a motivation letter to your email.
- Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr. Goran Dominioni (goran.dominioni@dcu.ie) or Dr. Edoardo Celeste (edoardo.celeste@dcu.ie).
- Dublin City University is an equal opportunities employer.
