Level 1 - DCU Career Framework
Gaois, Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Fixed-Term Contract up to 30 months

As part of this role the researcher will be required to participate in the DCU Research Career Framework. This framework is designed to provide significant professional development opportunities to Researchers and offer the best opportunities in terms of a wider career path.

Dublin City University

Dublin City University (www.DCU.ie) is a young, ambitious and vibrant University, with a mission ‘to transform lives and societies through education, research, innovation and engagement’. Known as Ireland’s ‘University of Enterprise and Transformation’, it is committed to the development of talent, and the discovery and translation of knowledge that advances society and the economy. DCU is the Sunday Times Irish University of the Year 2021.

The University is based on three academic campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra region of north Dublin. It currently has more than 18,000 students enrolled across five faculties – Science and Health, DCU Business School, Computing and Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences and DCU Institute of Education. DCU is committed to excellence across all its activities. This is demonstrated by its world-class research initiatives, its cutting-edge approach to teaching and learning, its focus on creating a transformative student experience, and its positive social and economic impact. This exceptional commitment on the part of its staff and students has led to DCU’s ranking among the top 2% of universities globally. It also consistently features in the world’s Top 100 Young Universities (currently in QS Top 70 Under 50, Times Higher Top 150 Under 100).

DCU is placed 84th in the world, in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings – measuring higher education institutions’ contributions towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over the past decade, DCU has also been the leading Irish university in the area of technology transfer, as reflected by licensing of intellectual property.

Overview: Gaois, Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge

Gaois is a research group in Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge comprising lecturers, researchers and postgraduate students. Our aim is to sustain and transform Irish language and culture through the development of innovative and trusted resources. Information about the various projects for which we are responsible may be found at www.gaois.ie.

Project Profile

The successful candidate will work on a research project in the area of digital folkloristics. The type of tasks involved will include: editing metadata relating to folklore entries, correction of handwriting auto-recognition (as part of the process of developing this technology for the Irish language), the standardising of Irish-language texts, the lemmatization of words in Irish, classification of old tales (according to the Aarne-Thompson-Üther approach), tagging folklore motifs, visualization of data, project management, presenting and publishing research findings as appropriate. The researcher will receive appropriate training in language technology and folklore, as required.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Discharge the main requirements of the work of the project under the guidance of and in consultation with the Principal Investigator (PI)
• Act as the main internal and external point of contact for the project in consultation with the PI
• Provide input in consultation with the PI regarding medium and long-term planning as appropriate
• Train new staff in respect of work procedures as appropriate
• Provide guidance and direction to the project team when required; e.g. graduate interns, students on work experience, Research Assistants
• Monitor the work of members of the project team on behalf of the PI as required; e.g. graduate interns, students on work experience, Research Assistants
• Report on the progress of the project at relevant meetings (both internal and external)
• Take the minutes of such meetings, where required
• Draft management and progress reports for the project, as appropriate
• Attend relevant committee meeting when required
• Inform the PI of any possible challenges to the work-stream or any opportunities identified
• Be responsible for the project’s e-mail account

Candidate Requirements

Essential:

• PhD in Irish or equivalent (i.e. 4 years’ fulltime research experience following undergraduate degree) in language technology, folklore, or in another related and appropriate area
• Fluent spoken Irish as well as a high standard of accuracy in written Irish

Desirable:

• Previous training or experience in any of the following areas: language technology, computer-scripting, the storytelling tradition in Ireland
• Experience of working as part of a research project

Candidates will be assessed on the following competencies:

Discipline knowledge and research skills – Demonstrates knowledge of their research discipline and the ability to conduct a specific programme of research within that discipline

Understanding the research environment – Demonstrates an awareness of the research environment (for example funding bodies and stake-holders) and the ability to contribute to grant applications and funding initiatives

Communicating research – Demonstrates the ability to communicate their research with their peers and the wider research community (for example presenting at conferences and publishing research in relevant journals) and the potential to teach and tutor students

Management & leadership skills - Demonstrates the potential to manage a research project including the supervision of undergraduate students

Mandatory Training

The post-holder will be required to undertake the following mandatory training: GDPR, Orientation and Compliance.