University College Dublin is having some difficulty in attracting high-calibre candidates for 33 prestigious positions at the School of Computer Science and Informatics (CSI).

"It may surprise you to hear that we are finding it difficult to fill these positions with suitable candidates," said CSI research officer, Dr Nicola Stokes.

"We are looking for really smart people. These people are out there, and some of them have lost their jobs, and we are wondering why they are not coming through," she said.

Graduates working in ICT-related industries who are thinking about going back to college to upskill are encouraged to apply.

The PhD positions are for four years, with fees paid for the researchers' ongoing studies, as well as an annual tax-free salary of about €18,000.

It is likely that yet more PhD positions will come on stream when the next round of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research funding is released in the next few weeks, (Source: Irish Independent)