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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 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.  which recognises and celebrates good practice towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression, and success for all. We renewed this award in 2018 and in 2023 were awarded a Silver award for demonstrating impact in equality diversity and inclusion. Further information about our Athena SWAN activities can be found 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. Chemistry with Bioscience and Medicinal Chemistry. The School also teaches, in conjunction with the School of Physics, the Moderatorship in Nanoscience (Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials)- 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.

The School has a range on modern undergraduate teaching laboratories 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

Professor Graeme Watson
Head, School of Chemistry.

 

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