Each year Government of Ireland offers postgraduate scholarships for Africans and international scholars.

Brief Description: The assessment process for the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme 2016 has now been completed. As per our previous notification, the Round 2 (final) outcome for STEM applications will be communicated to applicants next week (week commencing 18 July 2016).

The Council will issue contract letters and award acceptance forms via email to successful AHSS and STEM applicants during the week beginning 25 July. Acceptance forms should be returned in hard copy to the Council no later than Wednesday, 17 August. The Council will also require non-returnable certified hard copies of year-by-year academic record/qualification(s) as outlined in applications.

Eligibility: Applicants must fulfill the following criteria:

• Have a first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree2 . 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 scheme, including strategic partner themes within the scheme. This includes applications since 2009 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;
• Must be a new entrant to the degree for which they are to receive Council funding and have been formally accepted by the relevant department/school by, at the latest, 1 October 2017, or fulfil the criteria in Clause 4.3 if already registered and part of the degree has been completed;
• 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 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 member state of the European Economic Area (EEA)3 or Switzerland and or have been ordinarily resident4 in an EEA member state or Switzerland for a continuous period of three of the five years preceding 1 October 2017. 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.
• Scholars are selected in accordance with the Council’s application and assessment process.
• Scholars must be full-time students registered with an eligible HEI in Ireland.
• Scholars of any nationality may hold a Council Postgraduate Scholarship. However, scholars must:maintain their principal residence in Ireland (as defined) during the period of the scholarship; satisfy the State’s regulations on immigration and have the support of their HEI with respect to these regulations and requirements if not a national of a member state of the European Union (EU).
• Arrangements with respect to immigration will be a matter for settlement between the scholar and their HEI, and the relevant immigration authorities of the State.
• Acceptance of the award is subject to these Terms and Conditions and the Guide for Applicants which, in conjunction with the Letter of Offer and completed and signed Acceptance Form, constitute the basis on which the award is held.
• Scholarships are held subject to these Terms and Conditions. If any of these are breached by a scholar, the Council will suspend or terminate the scholarship and/or may require reimbursement of such payments as have already been made to the scholar.

Study Program: Scholarship is available to research master’s and doctoral (either traditional or structured) in any discipline at an eligible HEI within Ireland.

Study Major: Scholarship is awarded in any discipline, based in an Irish HEI.

Scholarship Award: The total value of the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship and all Strategic Funding Partner Scholarships will be up to a maximum of €24,000 in any approved year and will consist of the following:

• A stipend of €16,000 per annum within the funding term;
• A contribution to fees, including non-EU scholarship fees, paid to the HEI up to a maximum of €5,750 per annum. Any differential must be paid by the scholar and/or HEI. Scholars who hold a fee waiver from their HEI, or where no fee is required, or where fees are paid in full or in part by a third party, must inform the Council and the appropriate offices in their HEI and will not be eligible for the fee portion of the scholarship;
• Eligible direct research expenses up to a maximum of €2,250 per annum to enable the scholar to carry out the research project. Eligible direct research costs include essential research supplies such as small consumables; books and journals; pay-as-you-go access to national research infrastructure; software and hardware critical for the research5 (to be obtained in the first year of the award or in the first three months of a one-year award); archival research costs; conference travel and participation; generic and/or specialist disciplinary skills training; and publishing and write-up costs. The exact amount of eligible direct research expenses is subject to sufficient justification being made in the application. Only vouched expenses incurred in carrying out the research project will be funded.
• It is only permissible for any unspent balance of eligible direct research expenses to be carried over from the previous year of the scholarship. Apart from this exception, funds may not be carried forward from one year to the next.
• No funds provided by the Council as part of the scholarship fund may be used by the HEI to cover overhead or administrative costs.
• Funding will only be provided for the research project as presented in the application. If it is proposed to make any significant departures from the research project during the funding term, the consent of the Council must be sought in advance. Proposals for changes in research project will be independently peer-reviewed and the Council’s decision on whether to approve the proposed change(s) will be final.
• Expenses that occur outside the funding term are not eligible under the scholarship.
• While the award is made to the individual scholar, the scholarship fund is administered through the appropriate office within the HEI.

National/International Students: International Students can apply for these scholarships.

How to Apply: The mode of applying in online.

Online Application

Application Deadline: The application deadline is 2 November 2016.