Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship offers scholarships for suitably qualified individuals to pursue a research master’s or PhD (either traditional or structured), in any discipline, at eligible higher education institutions in Ireland.
Application Deadline: 12th October 2023
Eligible Countries: National and International
To Be Taken At (Country): Ireland
About the Award: The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is an established national initiative, funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and managed by the Council.
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The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is unique in the Irish research landscape and complements other channels for funded postgraduate education in the Irish ecosystem. Among its features are:
- individual, prestigious awards for excellent research in the name of the applicant;
- an objective selection process using international, independent expert peer review;
- funding across all disciplines, from archaeology to zoology; and
- awards for bottom-up, non-directed research, with the exception of those funded by our strategic funding partners.
Pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research or those introducing creative, innovative approaches are welcomed. Proposals of an interdisciplinary nature are also encouraged as it is recognised that advancing fundamental understanding is achieved by integrating information, techniques, tools and perspectives from two or more disciplines.
The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is highly competitive, with an average success rate of 18% over the past five years. Successful awardees under the programme are recognised as demonstrating world-class potential as future research leaders.
Type: Masters (by Research), PhD
Eligibility: Applicants from any country may hold a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship, however applicants will fall under one of two categories based on nationality and residency
- Applicants must fulfil the following criteria:
- have a first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree. If undergraduate examination results are not known at the time of application, the Council may make a provisional offer of a scholarship on condition that the scholar’s bachelor’s, or the equivalent degree result is a first class or upper second-class honours. If a scholar does not have a first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree, they must possess a master’s degree. The Council’s determination of an applicant’s eligibility on these criteria is final;
- must not have had two previous unsuccessful applications to the programme, including strategic partner themes. This includes applications since 2010 to the EMBARK Scheme previously run by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology, and the Government of Ireland Scholarship Scheme previously run by the Irish Council for Humanities and Social Sciences;
- in the case of applications for a research master’s scholarship, applicants must not currently hold, or have previously held, a Council Postgraduate Scholarship;
- in the case of applications for a doctoral degree scholarship, applicants must not currently hold, or have previously held, any Council Postgraduate Scholarship other than those which would enable them to obtain a research master’s degree
- Applicants from any country may hold a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship, however applicants will fall under one of two categories based on nationality and residency
- For category one, applicants must meet BOTH of the following criteria:
- be a national of a European Union member state, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
AND - have been ordinarily resident in a European Union member state, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland for a continuous period of three of the five years preceding 1 October 2023.
- be a national of a European Union member state, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
All other applicants will fall under category two.
While the majority of scholarships will be awarded to applicants who fall under category one, a proportion of awards will also be made to exceptional applicants who fall under category two. Please note that the Council may request documented evidence of an applicant’s nationality and residence.
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: The value of the scholarship will be up to a maximum of €28,000 per annum in any approved year and will consist of the following:
- a stipend of €19,000 per annum;
- a contribution to fees, including non-EU fees, up to a maximum of €5,750 per annum; and
- eligible direct research expenses of €3,250 per annum.
Duration of Program:
- Research master’s degree: 12 months
- Structured research master’s degree: 24 months
- Traditional doctoral degree: 36 months
- Structured doctoral degree: 48 months
How to Apply: Potential applicants should read the 2024 Call Documents like the FAQ as well as Terms and Conditions carefully to ascertain whether or not they are eligible to apply. Indicative versions of the applicant, supervisor and referee forms are provided for information purposes only. All participants must create and submit their forms via the online system.
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