Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Award

The 'ESAI Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Award' for ESAI members started in 2013 and welcomes applications from students doing either a PhD or a Masters degree by research in an environmental topic.

This years competition was launched on April 29^th 2020 and the winning entrant will receive a prize of €500. They will also be invited to give a guest lecture at the subsequent ESAI AGM which takes place at the ENVIRON conference each year.

Each application will be evaluated under three criteria:

• Scientific excellence and originality
• Impact (economic/environmental/societal)
• Dissemination (conferences, outreach, media)

Candidates will be asked to outline research objectives, background to research, why research is necessary and novel, environmental relevance, methods, results, accomplishments, awards, publications/patents, the potential impact of the research (economic/environmental/societal), and outline the dissemination activities related to the project.

Applicants should Email a completed Application Form by the extended deadline Sept 30^th 2020.

Previous Winners

2019: Molly-Ann Williams, Dublin City University

PhD entitled “Development of a Novel Biosensor for the Detection of Specific Species using Enviornmental DNA”    

2018: Conall Holohan, National University of Ireland, Galway

PhD entitled “The Anaerobic Digestion of Fats: exploring microbial technological solutions”    

2017: Philip Shine, Cork Institute of Technology

PhD entitled “Electricity and direct water consumption on Irish dairy farms”                                   

2016: Christopher Finnegan, Institute of Technology Carlow

PhD entitled “Detection and bioremediation of tributyltin in several environmental matrices such as sediments, soils, water and biological samples”

2015: Luke J. Prendergast, University College Dublin (UCD)

PhD thesis entitled “Monitoring of scour around structures using changes in natural frequency of vibration”

2014: Richard Manton, NUI Galway

PhD thesis entitled “Route Selection and Design of Greenways: Guidance for the Irish National Cycle Network”