Welcome to the School of Chemistry
Welcome to the School of Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin, a vibrant place with staff from a wide variety of backgrounds who carry out cutting-edge research and strive to deliver a world-class education to our diverse community of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The School of Chemistry has come a long way since the first lecturer in Chemistry was appointed in 1711. The School is research intensive and has an active research programme that spans all sub-disciplines of Chemistry. Its members are involved in a great many inter-departmental, national and international research programmes. Research income (approx. €5 million per year) is earned from national, international and commercial sources, and several groups are involved in networks of European laboratories. The School of Chemistry currently spearheads TCD activity in Raw Materials and significant funding has been obtained in this area in recent times in collaboration with European and International partners, both academic and industrial. The School has a diverse, strong, and dynamic research community consisting of the academic staff, Fellows Emeriti, researchers and postgraduate students. Postgraduate students entering the School automatically become part of Dublin Chemistry, a Graduate School initiative managed jointly by the Schools of Chemistry at Trinity College and at University College Dublin.
The School is committed to ensuring equality and diversity in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and at all points on the academic career ladder. The School has been involved in a variety of equality and diversity programmes with the University (including both Integer and Athena SWAN). In 2015 the School’s efforts in this regard were recognised with the award of an Athena SWAN bronze award. Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) is a charter established and managed by the British Equality Challenge Unit in 2005 that recognises and celebrates good practice towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all. Information about Athena SWAN can be found here. As part of the Athena SWAN programme, Universities and Departments/Schools can apply for recognition for efforts towards ensuring gender equality practices. Please visit our successful application for Athena SWAN recognition in 2015 here.
The College fosters an interdisciplinary approach to research and members of the School have strong links with colleagues in the physical, technological and biological sciences. There is an extensive overlap of interests with the School of Physics, especially in surface and solid state science, polymeric and optical materials, and with CRANN, which is jointly supported by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics. Many academic staff are active investigators in the SFI-funded Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research (AMBER) Centre. Much of our School activities in Synthetic, Organic, Medicinal and Biological Chemistry are found in the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute (TBSI).
The principal undergraduate honours degree course in Chemistry provides students with a broad base in the subject, with approximately equal time being given to each of Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry. The School also teaches four-year honours degree courses in Chemistry with Molecular Modelling and in Medicinal Chemistry. The latter is especially tuned to fostering and training the creative talents and skills required for the pharmaceutical industry, a major employer in Ireland. The School also teaches, in conjunction with the School of Physics, the Moderatorship in Nanoscience, Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials (N-PCAM) - an honours course specializing in the study of materials for electronic, optoelectronic and related applications. The School also provides modules in Chemistry to other Science students, and to students of Engineering and Health Sciences.
Highly regarded and new laboratories for all of the School’s undergraduate teaching are located on the main campus. The Sami Nasr Institute for Advanced Materials (SNIAM) building houses some of the academic staff, together with six purpose-built research laboratories with associated instrument rooms. The School also commands space in the Lloyd Institute for Information Technology and Advanced Computation and in the CRANN nanoscience institute. The Chemistry Building houses the School Office, two lecture theatres; six research laboratories, a number of instrument rooms and much of the School’s major instrumentation. Academic staff working in the area of organic and medicinal chemistry are housed in state-of-the-art accommodation in the multidisciplinary Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute.
School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin
Making a difference since 1711!
Professor Mike Lyons
Head, School of Chemistry.