MSCA Research Fellow on Cyber Security

Maynooth University; Ireland; On-site; EUR 44,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

Maynooth University seeks an MSCA Research Fellow to join the EnTrust doctoral network. The fellow will enrol in a PhD and participate in the EnTrust Training Programme, with an initial 10-month full-time contract.

Mobility across Europe is required; initial salary is €43,687 (gross) without family allowance or €50,819 with family allowance. Transition opportunities to extended funding or stipend-funded PhD are possible depending on funding.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field; admission to PhD program
• Proficiency in scientific English (IELTS 6.5)
• Strong cybersecurity & risk management experience
• Strong software engineering & programming experience
• Experience in design science research
• Knowledge of data-related domains (Big Data, Cloud, Data Ownership) preferred

Skills

English proficiency (IELTS 6.5)

Cybersecurity knowledge

Software engineering

Programming in data science languages

Design science research

Big Data, Cloud Computing, Data Proven

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science / Information Systems

Admission to doctoral program

Job description

Organisation/Company Maynooth University Department Innovation Value Institute Research Field Information science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 23 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Dublin) Country Ireland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number 101073381 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? Yes

Offer Description

Job OfferDescription

Recruitment of an MSCA Research Fellow

EnTrust is one of the most sought-after Doctoral network programme in Europe funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), which is a part of Horizon Europe. The MSCA are the European Union’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training of researchers.

EnTrust Doctoral Network is training a cohort of 11 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in an intersectoral, international and interdisciplinary setting with the aim to establish a new generation of Data Executives that are able to advance the state of the art in sharing data in a fair, transparent, and trusted environment.

Maynooth University is now recruiting an MSCA Research Fellow to contribute to the EnTrust project. The successful applicant will be offered an initial 10-month, full-time employment contract and will also be required to enrol in a PhD programme and actively participate in the EnTrust Training Programme.

The position will open for applications on 6 November 2026. The application deadline is 23 November 2026, 23:59 (Dublin Time).

All applicants must submit their applications electronically through the designated online application link.

Mobility rule: Researchers can be of any nationality, but they are required to undertake physical, transnational mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up their appointment. Consequently, applicants for this position will have to move their centre of life to the greater area of the host beneficiary’s country. Additionally, researchers shall not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention97 will not be considered for the mobility rule.

Doctoral Researchers (DC) rule: At the date of recruitment, applicants must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.

Gross salary without family allowance:€43,687 (including tax and employer costs)

Gross salary with family allowance:€50,819 (including tax and employer costs)

Employment:

The successful applicant will be recruited as an MSCA Research Fellow for a fixed-term period of 10 months under a full-time employment contract. The fellow will also be required to enrol in a PhD programme and actively participate in the EnTrust Training Programme.

Important Note: The successful applicant will be recruited as an MSCA Research Fellow for a fixed-term period of 10 months under a full-time employment contract. The fellow will also be required to enrol in a PhD programme and actively participate in the EnTrust Training Programme.

Important note on the duration and possible continuation of funding: The initial employment contract is for 10 months. Subject to the availability and approval of further funding, the position may be extended beyond the initial employment period or, alternatively, the candidate may be able to transition to a stipend-funded PhD arrangement to support the continuation of their doctoral studies. Maynooth University will explore opportunities to secure additional funding, including through related research and innovation activities. Neither an extension of employment nor a transition to a stipend-funded PhD arrangement is guaranteed at this stage; any such arrangement will depend on the availability, approval and applicable conditions of further funding.

If additional funding cannot be secured through either of these routes, the candidate may need to make alternative arrangements to fund the remainder of their PhD studies, including any applicable tuition fees at Maynooth University. The successful candidate will be required to acknowledge and accept these funding conditions as part of the recruitment process.

As part of the PhD programme, the candidate will be expected to successfully complete the required doctoral coursework and design and conduct an advanced research project leading to a doctoral dissertation.

• Dr.ZohrehPourzolfaghar-NationalUniversityofIrelandMaynooth(NUIM),Ireland

EnTrust recruitment will be fair and transparent and all Entrust beneficiaries have adapted and implemented EU policies for equal opportunities and follow the guidelines for Gender in EU-funded research.

All the beneficiaries embrace inclusion and diversity ask key values and are carefully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, nationalities, race etc.

Research Field Information science Information management Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• First-class honours master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a closely related discipline
• Meet the admission requirements of the doctoral degree program of the corresponding university for this position
• Professional proficiency in scientific English (IELTS 6.5)
• Strong experience in cybersecurity and risk management in research or practice
• Strong experience in software engineering and programming
• Experience in design science research
• Knowledge of the following will be considered preferential:Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Data Provenance, Data Ownership, Data Sovereignty; Programming in a language for data science.