Closing Date: 12 noon on Friday, 18 November 2022.

Location: ATU Galway-Mayo Galway City (Wellpark Road) and Connemara campuses.

Reporting To: Dr Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Galway-Mayo Centre for Sustainability

Duration: The position will be for a period of 12 months. The successful candidate would be expected to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer.

Project Title: The Design and Development of a Circular Campus Framework for the Atlantic Technological University (ATU).

Job Description:      

Context

The ATU Galway-Mayo Centre for Sustainability aims to embed sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core guiding principles in all activities in ATU with a particular focus on curriculum, campus, community, collaborative research, and culture. This project will specifically focus on the design and development of a circular campus framework for the ATU School of Design and Creative Arts based at the ATU Galway City (Wellpark Road) and Connemara campuses. This will consist of the following elements:

• Horizon scan and systematic literature review of circular economy implementation and integration into organizations with a narrowing of the focus to best practice examples in public sector organizations and higher education institutions internationally.
• Review and analysis of the current situation in relation to the Irish higher education sector’s commitment to climate action and
• Questionnaire survey and interviews with staff and students to identify circular economy awareness, knowledge, and
• Explore and identify synergies with the National Green Campus Programme, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) process, and the development of an ATU Sustainability and Climate Action
• Explore and identify opportunities to embed circular economy principles into a living lab concept to frame campus operations and management e.g., new builds, refurbishment, and maintenance works in collaboration with the Build360 research group in the ATU Galway-Mayo Department of Building and Civil Engineering and ATU Galway-Mayo Building and Estates Office; and a Materials Flow Analysis to benchmark inflows, stock, and
• Explore and identify opportunities to embed circular economy principles into the curriculum e.g., content, assessment, pedagogy
• Explore and identify opportunities to utilize the circular economy as a means of community engagement i.e., with social enterprises, businesses, schools/further education/lifelong learning etc, within a circular neighbourhood/community
• Identify, prepare, and submit research funding applications based around the circular campus concept to build institutional capacity in this

 

The successful candidate will report to the Head of ATU Galway-Mayo Centre for Sustainability, Dr. Mark Kelly, the Head of School of Design and Creative Arts, Dr. Patrick Tobin, and Dr. Dermot O’Donovan, the Head of Department of Creative Education.

Requirements:

Minimum:

• Fluency in English and excellent written and oral presentation
• The post will require a researcher to have a minimum of a primary honour’s degree in a relevant

 Desirable:

• Postgraduate degree in a relevant
• Relevant industrial and/or research
• Demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the circular economy and the higher education sector sustainability
• Strong level of technical aptitude and problem-solving
• The potential candidate should be self-motivated with an aptitude for creative problem-solving, along with the flexibility to adapt to new tools and
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational
• Ability to present results/methods in written and oral form to internal and external
• Willingness and ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic
• Able to work independently as a self-starter and as part of the wider project
• Capable of directing and interfacing with the work of collaborators (including at remote locations).
• Ability to build and document knowledge and share information about latest methods, trends, and developments in the relevant field of
• Ability to manage development aspects of the project according to aligned project briefs.
• Proficient in documentation, presentation, and project management
• Proficient in the preparation of research funding

Salary Scale:       Research Assistant Point 1 on the IUA Scale €27,109.00 per annum plus 20% pension contribution.

Hours of Work:   39 Hours per week

Annual Leave:    22 days annual leave per annum

Further information on the position may be obtained from Dr Mark Kelly ([email protected]).