The Department of Physics at Maynooth University in Co. Kildare, Ireland is pleased to announce that a Ph.D. Scholarship will be available for a suitably qualified and successful applicant intending to commence their PhD studies in September 2026. The student is expected to work in the subject of condensed matter theory and quantum information science. This is a 4 year position funded by Taighde Éireann–Research Ireland. The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr. Joshuah Heath. The newly established "Heathens" Group at Maynooth University will focus on questions in quantum materials, quantum simulatability, and quantum technology. Potential topics the Ph.D. student is expected to conduct research on includes, but is not limited to:
• Quantum simulation complexity
• Error-correction capabilities of many-body phases of matter
• Topological phases of matter
• Measurement-induced dynamics
• Strongly correlated fermions
Specifics of the research programme may be adjusted given the student’s interests and technical capabilities. Maynooth University is an equal opportunities employer. The position is subject to the policies and regulations of the Maynooth University.
Value of PhD Scholarship Award
The award is fully funded for 4 years through Research Ireland, commencing September 2026 and running to completion in August 2030. The following funding is committed:
• Student stipend: €25,000 per annum
• Annual Tuition Fees Support
• In addition, this award provides expenses for equipment, conference registration, training, and travel for the successful applicant.
Duration of PhD Scholarship Award
The scholarship is awarded for 4 years of full-time study (start date September 1st, 2026), subject to satisfactory annual academic progression.
Eligibility requirements
Students who have a relevant first class or 2.1 honours (or equivalent) in their primary degree, or have a Master’s degree in physics by Sept. 2026, are eligible to apply. Experience in coding in Python, Julia, and/or C/C++ is desired. The applicant is also expected to meet the minimum English language requirements of Maynooth University.
Role of the student
The successful applicant is expected to write papers, present their work at international conferences, and engage in international collaboration and internal discussion/collaboration in the Maynooth University Physics Department. No teaching duties are expected. Most introductory graduate level classes are expected to have already been taken by the applicant upon beginning this position.
Mode of Study
Awardees must be resident in Ireland and available to pursue their programme of research on a full-time basis at Maynooth University for four years (excluding vacations, holidays, and illnesses). The successful candidate’s research programme will be under the general supervision of Dr. Joshuah Heath, who will specify study times, research times, vacation periods, and other operational requirements. Awardees will normally be based at the Maynooth University campus and may only conduct research elsewhere with the permission of the supervisor, and the Head of Department.
How to Apply and Selection Process
The initial deadline for this application is June 1st, 2026, but review of applicants will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. If you are interested, please prepare
i) an academic CV (max 5 pages);
ii) a brief letter explaining your research skills, interests, experience, future plans, why you specifically want to work with Dr. Heath, why you want to pursue a Ph.D., and why you want to pursue your Ph.D. in Ireland (max 1 page);
iii) names and contact information for two referees (to be included at the bottom of your one page letter).
Applications are to be sent to physics.department@mu.ie (with joshuah.heath@mu.ie in cc) as one PDF. Please put as the title of your email "Application for Ph.D. Scholarship at Maynooth in Heath Group, by "+ your full name. Shortlisted candidates are expected to give a 30 minute Zoom presentation on their previous work to a small panel of experts.
Informal queries can be sent to physics.department@mu.ie or joshuah.heath@mu.ie.
About Maynooth
Maynooth University (MU) is a constituent University of the National University of Ireland, founded in 1997 from the secular faculties of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, which was founded in 1795. MU is recognised as one of the leading new universities in the world, ranked in the top 90 global Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2024. It is a holder of an Athena SWAN Bronze Institution Award in recognition of progress and activities to accelerate change towards gender equality. Additionally, it holds HR Excellence in Research award (HRS4R). The University has over 18,000 students from more than 120 countries and over 800 Academic and Research Staff. MU is internationally recognised for the quality and value of its research and scholarship. Total research income (EU, national and international) was €62 million in 2024. The University is organised into three faculties: Arts and Humanities; Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences. Services provided by MU for the successful Applicant include the Hamilton Institute for networking and communication opportunities, the Research Development Office for financial and career guidance, the Maynooth Access Programme (MAP) for addressing diversity issues, MaynoothWorks for protecting MU-generated intellectual property and providing training in IP, and the Graduate Research Academy for providing transferable skills in research techniques.
The Maynooth University Physics Department is dedicated to research and education excellence, with 8-10 post- doctoral fellows and around 20 postgraduate students. In addition to Joshuah Heath, three tenured faculty (Dr. Graham Kells, Prof. Joost Slingerland, and Prof. Jiri Vala) lead active research groups in condensed matter and quantum information. The successful Applicant will be strongly encouraged to engage in discussion/collaboration with all three faculty and their students/postdocs. Recently secured HEREG (Higher Education Research Equipment Grant) funding for a High-Performance GPU server will provide computational resources needed for the Applicant’s computation. Strong departmental connections to Dublin-area physics groups (DIAS, UCD, TCD, DCU) will lead to new opportunities for collaboration, advising, networking, and potential postdoc opportunities in the future. The Applicant will be fully integrated into the research group and the MU Physics Department with shared office space, journal/library access, and dedicated technical support.
