PhD Scholarship in Radio Frequency (RF) Design for Massive MIMO Systems

Maynooth University as a partner in the SFI CONNECT Centre for the Internet of Things is offering a 3-Year PhD scholarship in the area of RF frontend design for high performance Massive-MIMO radio systems. The SFI CONNECT Centre is Ireland’s national research centre for Future Networks and Communications and is a close collaboration between ten Irish academic institutions and over 35 companies including large multinationals, SMEs and start-ups. Maynooth University is leading a key research theme in the area of next generation high performance communication links for 5G and the Internet of Things.

Massive-MIMO proposes a large number of linked radio transmitters and receivers which when combined with advanced digital signal processing will yield significant improvements on data throughput. This has been proven to work but practical implementations in a small space remain elusive. This project will focus on the challenges of combining a large number of radio transmitters within a small space where issues of energy consumption, signal leakage, thermal effects and cost alter the design philosophy for the radio transceiver. This research will investigate alterative architectures and designs for key components such as the filters, low-noise amplifiers and power amplifiers.

The ideal candidate should be interested in radio and wireless telecommunications. They should have had some prior undergraduate experience in telecommunications, RF and microwave circuit design. This project will have a number of industry partners with whom the student must engage and may have the opportunity to undertake an internship.

Interested candidates should hold a first or upper second class honours degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or a cognate discipline. Applicants who hold research masters or work experience in a relevant area are particularly welcomed. This work is inherently multidisciplinary and the successful applicant will need to collaborate with computer scientists, engineers and with industry
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The standard scholarship is €18,000 per annum and all fees are included.

The expected start time for research postgraduates is in September of each year. If an applicant is available significantly earlier, then we are open to an earlier start date. If this applies, please state this clearly in your cover letter.

Applicants should email a detailed CV and a cover letter explaining your areas of interest and why they wish to undertake a research degree in Maynooth University. Please include two references. Please include CONNECT in the subject of your email.Applicants from outside of the EU are welcome to apply for all positions, however please state clearly your visa requirements in your initial emails. Please clearly state your citizenship in your application.

For all queries please email: [Email Address Removed]. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in April.

This research is conducted with the financial support of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant Number 13/RC/2077 and has been part funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the SFI Research Centres Programme.