Posted 05 June, 2026
PhD Studentship - Youth-Led Nature-Based Solutions for Groundwater Security in Madagascar
University Vacancies Ireland
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Temporary
Reference: 598411297
Post Status: Full-time
Research Group / Department / School: Trinity Centre for Global Health, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin
Location: School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
Reports to: Dr Kristin Hadfield (Primary Supervisor), Trinity Centre for Global Health, School of Psychology
Terms & Conditions: The student's tuition will be fully paid, and they will receive a €25,000 per annum tax-free stipend for 4 years
Hours of Work: Full-time
Closing Date: 12 Noon (GMT), 17 June 2026
Post Summary
This fully funded PhD studentship is part of a larger interdisciplinary project, Implementing and Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions for Health in Children and Adolescents , funded through the AIB Trinity Climate Hub Trinity Research Doctorate Award (TRDA) scheme. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly used to manage drought, flooding, overheating, and environmental degradation, with potential health benefits. However, evidence for the health benefits of NBS remains limited, particularly for children and adolescents - a sensitive developmental period when diet and activity patterns consolidate, and around one-third of lifetime mental disorders begin by age 14. The wider project treats NBS as a measurable exposure intervention, linking environmental change to changes in child and adolescent mental health, physical health, and health-related behaviours across three climate-sensitive settings: Madagascar, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
This PhD will co-develop and pilot a groundwater-focused NBS in the Grand Sud, Madagascar, where climate-change-induced drought and water insecurity place severe ongoing strain on children and adolescents. The successful applicant will join a team of three other PhD researchers and supervisors at Trinity College Dublin spanning multiple disciplines, and will collaborate with academic and NGO-based colleagues in Madagascar as well as with local community groups. The role will involve extended periods of fieldwork in Madagascar (approximately 4-10 months across the PhD).
Qualifications
Essential: Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (2.1 or equivalent) in one of the following:
Application Instructions
Please click on the Apply button below for the full job description and application instructions.
Apply
Research Group / Department / School: Trinity Centre for Global Health, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin
Location: School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
Reports to: Dr Kristin Hadfield (Primary Supervisor), Trinity Centre for Global Health, School of Psychology
Terms & Conditions: The student's tuition will be fully paid, and they will receive a €25,000 per annum tax-free stipend for 4 years
Hours of Work: Full-time
Closing Date: 12 Noon (GMT), 17 June 2026
Post Summary
This fully funded PhD studentship is part of a larger interdisciplinary project, Implementing and Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions for Health in Children and Adolescents , funded through the AIB Trinity Climate Hub Trinity Research Doctorate Award (TRDA) scheme. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly used to manage drought, flooding, overheating, and environmental degradation, with potential health benefits. However, evidence for the health benefits of NBS remains limited, particularly for children and adolescents - a sensitive developmental period when diet and activity patterns consolidate, and around one-third of lifetime mental disorders begin by age 14. The wider project treats NBS as a measurable exposure intervention, linking environmental change to changes in child and adolescent mental health, physical health, and health-related behaviours across three climate-sensitive settings: Madagascar, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
This PhD will co-develop and pilot a groundwater-focused NBS in the Grand Sud, Madagascar, where climate-change-induced drought and water insecurity place severe ongoing strain on children and adolescents. The successful applicant will join a team of three other PhD researchers and supervisors at Trinity College Dublin spanning multiple disciplines, and will collaborate with academic and NGO-based colleagues in Madagascar as well as with local community groups. The role will involve extended periods of fieldwork in Madagascar (approximately 4-10 months across the PhD).
Qualifications
Essential: Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (2.1 or equivalent) in one of the following:
- psychology, public health, global health, international development, social sciences, or a related discipline; OR
- civil engineering, environmental science, environmental engineering, biology, earth sciences, hydrology, or a related discipline.
Application Instructions
Please click on the Apply button below for the full job description and application instructions.
Apply
