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. A new national research agency, Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland, has been established by the government. The agency will amalgamate the work of the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland. The full operation of Taighde Éireann will be enabled over the coming period.
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.
Strategic funding partners
A number of government departments and agencies partner with the Irish Research Council to support the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme as a mechanism to deliver on shared national objectives. The Irish Research Council’s strategic funding partners for 2025 are:
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Met Éireann
What we offer
The value of the scholarship will be up to a maximum of €31,000 per annum in any approved year and will consist of the following:
- a stipend of €22,000 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.
How to apply
Potential applicants should read the call documentation carefully to ascertain whether or not they are eligible to apply. Indicative versions of the applicant and supervisor forms are provided for information purposes only. All participants must create and submit their forms via the online system.
Key dates
| Call open | 29 August 2024 |
| FAQ deadline | 16:00 (Irish time) 03 October 2024 |
| Applicant deadline | 16:00 (Irish time) 10 October 2024 |
| Supervisor /Mentor deadline | 16:00 (Irish time) 17 October 2024 |
| Research office endorsement deadline | 16:00 (Irish time) 24 October 2024 |
| Call outcome | End of April 2025 |
| Award start date | 1 September 2025 |
Please note that the timings provided here are indicative and may be subject to change.
If you do not find the answer to your query in the call documentation, you should contact the research office in your proposed institution which will provide information and clarification on the call. Research offices can send any queries they are unable to clarify to postgrad@research.ie.
For reasons of transparency and fairness to all applicants, the IRC will not enter into written or telephone correspondence with any individual about the assessment process or their eligibility to apply.
About The Author
