Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme
and
Enterprise Partnership Scheme postgraduate Scholarship
FAQ
Updated on 24.01.2014 – all new questions are in red
This is the final FAQ update.
Similar questions have been grouped below in the following themes:
 Eligibility
 Application form
 Applying to the Schemes
ELIGIBILITY
I have had a query from a student currently on an IRC Employment Based
Scheme scholarship (MA). Can this student apply for the PG Funding for 2014
for a Phd?
If an individual received an IRC EBS award in the last round to pursue an MA,
can they apply to this scheme for any of the scholarships?
If I was successfully funded for an M.Eng would that preclude me from getting
funding for a Ph.D in the future?
As per the terms and conditions, applicants must have been formally accepted to the
proposed PhD by 1st October 2014, therefore applicants currently on an MA
programme must have completed their MA before said date.
IRC-funded MA scholars can only apply for funding for PhD scholarships in this call.
In our HEI, some students start postgraduate studies with their first year on an
MLitt programme, and after the first year, pending satisfactory performance,
are upgraded to do a 3-year structured PhD programme. Should these
students apply for a 4 year structured PhD even though they will only be
eligible for the 3 remaining years?
Applicants who have completed one year of a Structured Doctoral Degree already
may apply for funding once they meet the criteria outlined in Clause 4.4 of the Terms
and Conditions. Applicants may apply for the 48 month Structured Doctoral Degree
funding and, if successful, will be awarded three years funding.
For new entrants, if an applicant intends to pursue a PhD they should apply for PhD
funding.
Does having an M.Sc already reduce my chances of being funded for a
Masters in Engineering?
All scholarships awarded by the Council are based on excellence. Already holding
an award does not reduce your change of getting funding. Please see the eligibility
criteria, included in the Guide for Applicants, for more information on this.
Please note that the Irish Research Council only funds Research Masters and not
Taught Masters Programmes.
In the event that this (my 2nd) application to the IRC PG Scholarship Scheme
is unsuccessful am I still eligible to apply for the Enterprise Partnership
Scheme next year?
Applicants can apply twice to the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scheme and
twice to the Enterprise Partnership Scheme.
A postgraduate student here will register in April 2014 for an HEI-funded oneyear scholarship which ends in March 2015. Can he apply to this year’s
postgrad scheme and, if successful, start on 01 October 2014 but only draw
down funding from April 2015?
No. All Scholarships have to start on 1st October 2014. Scholarships cannot be
postponed.
I am due to start my PhD this month, although I'm still not officially registered.
In light of this would I be considered a new entrant to the postgraduate degree
(re. no. 5 in the IRC eligibility Flowchart)?
Eligibility for funding and the duration of funding is determined by the date of first
registration. If your date of first registration is September/October 2014 you are a
new entrant. Applicants who have registered prior to September/October 2014 are
not eligible to apply for funding unless they fall within clauses 4.4.1 - 4.4.5 on page 4
of the Terms and Conditions. If applicants fall within these clauses, they are eligible
to part-funding of their degree. Please see the table on page 5 of the Terms and
Conditions for more information on the duration of funding available.
Please confirm eligibility of an individual without an undergraduate degree
who has a Master’s degree. The Terms & Conditions state that “Master’s
degree results may be considered to take precedence over the results of the
primary degree”. In last year’s competition which had the same eligibility
criteria this individual would have been eligible to apply. The eligibility
flowchart in this year’s Guide for Applicants however indicates that those
without a 1st or upper 2nd class honours primary degree or equivalent are not
eligible to apply for an IRC scholarship. Thank you.
A Masters degree does take precedence over the primary degree. The flow chart in
the Guide will be updated with an additional question to reflect this, as per below.
3. Have you a 1st or upper 2nd class honours primary degree or equivalent?
a. Yes: go to 5.
b. No: go to 4.
4. Have you completed a Masters Degree?
a. Yes: go to 5.
b. No: you are not eligible to apply for a Council Postgraduate Scholarship.
‘A student may only reapply on one other occasion if she/he has already
applied to the IRC for funding. Does that rule relate to the project or the
student? In other words, if a student wishes to apply for funding for a
completely new project/subject in 2014, but does not receive funding is she/he
exempt from reapplying in 2015 because a previous application for a
completely different project was not successful?’
This criterion applies to the applicant.
On initial reading I understood that the IRC applicant did not need to be
already registered on a postgraduate programme or at an institute as the
following extract 5.3.4 on p.7 of the Postgraduate Scholarship 2014 Terms and
Conditions state: 'and at the time of application: 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, 1st October 2014;'
But then the eligibility flowchart on p.3 of the Postgraduate Guide for
Applicants) seems to state that potential applicants are not eligible to apply for
a scholarship unless part of the postgraduate degree is completed. Question
six asks:
6. Have you completed part of the postgraduate degree for which you are to
receive Council funding on the basis of any of the following: 1. being a student
in the Institute of Technology Sector in receipt of Strand 1 funding wishing to
transfer to the PhD register; 2. being self-funded; 3. being in receipt of a
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant; 4. being in receipt of a HEI
bursary or HEI scholarship; 5. being in receipt of a Central Remedial Clinic
Ciaran Barry Graduate Scholarship:
a. Yes: you are eligible to apply for funding to continue doing the degree that
you are already registered for and have completed part of. The date of your
first registration will determine the maximum number of years funding that you
are eligible to apply for. Go to 7.
b. No: you are not eligible to apply for a Council Postgraduate Scholarship.
I would greatly appreciate if you could gain clarification on the above.
New entrants are eligible to apply for funding. Question 5 on the eligibility flowchart
states:
Are you a new entrant to the postgraduate degree for which you are to receive
Council funding?
a. Yes: go to 7.
b. No, I have already registered and completed part of the
postgraduate degree for which I am to receive Council funding: go
to 6.
If you are a new entrant you do not need to answer Question 6.
I have a PhD student in a unique situation of being funded partly (50%) by the
HEI and another funding agency (50%). In this instance would the student be
eligible to apply for funding?
Scholars who have already registered and part-completed their degree prior to
September/October 2014 are not eligible to apply for funding unless they fall within
clauses 4.4.1 - 4.4.5 on page 4 of the Terms and Conditions. In this instance, the
scholar would not be eligible for funding as the funding agencies are not included in
these clauses.
A proposed research project involves the use of an MRI scanner to compare
two groups with 20 participants in each. The cost per participant is €500, total
€20,000. Would the IRC consider funding such a project if well-presented and
justified?
This scheme includes funding for direct research costs that are essential for the
research proposed and are justified as such in the application. These costs are set to
a maximum limit of €2,250 per year.
Will the IRC fund a project that is currently funded but where the funding will
shortly run out (by the end of 2014)?
As per the Terms and Conditions, IRC Scholarships are not intended to substitute or
augment funds under programmatic research actions. Applicants who have already
started their Postgraduate degree may be eligible to apply for funding if they fall
under one of the specific categories listed in Clause 4.4 of the Terms and
Conditions. Please also refer to Clause 7.21 in relation to other awards that may be
held alongside an IRC PG Scholarship.
An applicant has an original primary degree (in Medicine) that is below the
upper second class honours threshold for a GoI scholarship. However on
switching disciplines to English/Creative Writing the applicant has received
first class honours in all grades. Will the MA results take precedence in the
IRC’s evaluation of this candidate’s application?
As per the Terms and Conditions, Masters degree results will be considered to take
precedence over the results of the primary degree.
I have started a PhD on a self-funded basis, and was full-time in the 2012/13
academic year, but am part-time for the 2013/14 academic year and would
return to full-time if I was successful in securing funding. Does my part-time
status affect my eligibility as it is not clear from the material whether it would
or not.
Part-time participation does not affect your eligibility to apply for funding if you fall
under one of the specific categories listed in Clause 4.4 of the Terms and
Conditions.
Can a student who is a currently a registered MEngSc student under the
Employment Based Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (ends in March 2014)
apply for one of the GOI PG scholarships to pursue a Doctoral Degree
following on from their MEngSc work. Essentially this would be a transfer from
an MEngSc to a PhD?
The student must complete their Masters under the Employment Based
Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme in order to apply for a PhD under this scheme.
However, if the student is transferring to a PhD (i.e. they are not a new entrant for
the degree to which they are seeking funding) they cannot apply for part-funding as
they do not meet the criteria in Clauses 4.4 on page 5 of the Terms and Conditions.
I have a 2:2 in my undergraduate qualification but am currently doing a
masters by research and will be transferring directly to the PhD register later
in the year. Will the fact that I am currently pursuing a masters and will soon
transfer to a PhD make me eligible to apply?
You must successfully complete your Masters in order to apply for a PhD under this
call. However, if you transfer to a PhD you will not have a Masters result to take
precedent over your undergraduate results and so based on these you would not be
eligible to apply to the scheme.
If a self-funded applicant registers in March 2014 for a one-year research
master’s, will the IRC provide funding from October 2014 to February 2015 or
must the funding go from October 2014 to September 2015?
To be eligible for a one year Research Masters Degree, the date of first registration
cannot be prior to September/October 2014.
I am currently in my first year of my PhD degree, having started in October
2013. I am registered at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
For my first year, I am funded by charities funds, but do not have funding for
the next 3 years of my PhD (2014-2017). Would I be eligible to apply for the
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Doctoral Scheme for the last 3 years of
my PhD?
Applicants who have already registered and part-completed the degree for which
they are seeking funding must satisfy the conditions outlined in Clause 4.4 on page 5
of the Terms and Conditions. Charities are not included in this clause therefore you
are not eligible to apply.
Is someone on a 48-month traditional (not structured) doctoral degree who
registered in September/October 2011 eligible to apply for funding for one
year.
The Council do not offer scholarships for traditional degrees for more than 36
months: we offer scholarships for 36 month traditional doctoral degrees, or 48 month
structured doctoral degrees. For the 36 month traditional degree, if you registered
prior to September/October 2012 you are not eligible to apply to the scheme. For the
48 month structured degree, if you registered prior to September/October 2011 you
are not eligible to apply to the scheme.
"Can a student working on a project with an NGO Enterprise partner that is
already registered for PhD and in receipt of HEI fee award apply to this
scheme"?
Yes they can still apply once they satisfy the conditions outlined in Clause 4.4 on
page 5 of the Terms and Conditions. Where a fee award is already in place, the Irish
Research Council Award will not include fees.
According to the EPS FAQ page "The Irish Research Council’s postgraduate
schemes support basic research in the broad areas of Science, Engineering
and Technology." Is this scheme also open to applicants pursuing research in
the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Enterprise Partnership Scheme is open to all disciplines. The webpage you
mention will be updated to reflect this.
It is my understanding that, according to the terms and conditions of the
Enterprise Partnership Scheme, an applicant who is already registered as a
PhD candidate is eligible to apply for funding as long as they fall within
clauses 4.4.1 and 4.4.5 of the T&Cs.
However, the Enterprise Partnership Scheme FAQs state that:
"The Irish Research Council postgraduate competition does not accept
applications from:
a. Those currently registered as PhD candidates
b. Those currently registered for a master's degree (by research) with the
exception of:
i. Individuals in the Institute of Technology (IOT) sector in receipt of Strand 1
funding wishing to transfer to the PhD register (in this case, the Irish Research
Council will support these individuals for up to a maximum of 2 years, i.e. total
postgraduate funded research including Strand 1 funding cannot exceed 3
years).
ii. Individuals registered for a master's degree (by research) intending to
complete and submit for this award and begin a significantly new research
proposal to PhD level."
Can you clarify whether applicants who are currently registered as PhD
candidates and who fall within clauses 4.4.1-4.4.5 of the terms and conditions
are eligible to apply for the EPS.
Please see the Terms and Conditions for all eligibility criteria. These supersede the
reference on the webpage as stated above and this reference will be removed from
the website.
For the Enterprise Partnership Scheme, if there is no suitable partner in Ireland
that could support my field of research, can the Enterprise Partner Company
be located outside Ireland?
Yes, for this Scheme, the Enterprise Partner can be based anywhere in the world,
and must meet the definition of Enterprise Partner in the Terms and Conditions:
Enterprise Partner shall mean a business, a company, a registered charity, a social,
cultural, not-for-profit, governmental or non-government organisation.
I am on a contract of indefinite duration – does this mean that I am ineligible to
apply for this Scheme? It states in 4.3.3 “must not be a permanent member of
staff in an either an Irish HEI/RPO or an International HEI.” If I only teach parttime on this CID does this still mean that I am ineligible (i.e. irrespective of
number of hours worked)?
As per the Terms and Conditions, scholars must not be a permanent member of staff
- a permanent staff member would be defined as someone whose contract is not
scheduled to expire. In normal circumstances, a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID)
would be considered equivalent to a permanent post. If you are a permanent
member of staff, regardless of whether you are full or part time, you are not eligible
to apply for this scheme.
Details of schemes intended for permanent staff members are published at
www.research.ie when funding calls open.
We have an applicant in her final year of degree with ongoing high marks and
interested in applying for a graduateship I assume she is eligible to apply once
her results is this the case or does she have to wait until after her final year
exams to apply.
As per the Terms and Conditions, “If 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 undergraduate degree result is a first class- or upper second-class
honours, or the equivalent”.
Is there an option for a student on a 3 year structured programme to apply?
(registered since Oct 2012) If so, what do they select from the drop down list of
degrees, as a 3 year structured is not an option.
The Council do not offer scholarships for structured degrees for 36 months: we offer
scholarships for 36 month traditional doctoral degrees, or 48 month structured
doctoral degrees.
APPLICATION FORM
The new 2014 application form has very different word allocations than the 2013, for
example the 'Description of Topic' section has gone from 1000 words to 200 words,
which seems like it may be a mistake. Could you clarify?
Are the word counts in the indicative postgraduate application form on your website
correct? They are significantly lower than last year’s – just want to check it isn’t a
typo?
In regards the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme, the
indicative application form on the website there is an extremely low word counts
(vast majority 200 words) for many sections, will the word count be revised upwards?
Will the indicative application form be updated with new word counts?
The Online Application System form word counts have been slightly increased from
the word limits stated in the indicative application form. Please note that the
indicative application form will not be updated but all updated limits are clearly stated
on the online system.
Between Sections 7.20 and 7.21 of the indicative application form, there is an
option to upload supplementary information in PDF format. Could this include
program code samples (referred to in the Proposed Research) or any other
technical text? If so, is there a word count limitation for the supplementary
material?
Any supplementary information that accompanies your research proposal can be
uploaded in PDF format. A word count does not apply to supplementary material,
however supplementary material should include essential information required for
the interpretation and understanding of the proposed research, rather than additional
information about the research proposal itself. This can include program code
samples if essential for interpretation of your research proposal.
Is there any limit to the number of diagrams that can be uploaded under
supplementary information?
There is no limit but please see the previous answer with regard to the content of
supplementary material.
Does my referee need to refer to the research project that I plan to undertake?
No.
Can you let me know where the list of eligible higher institutions is located?
The list of eligible higher education institutions can be found here:
http://www.research.ie/scheme/government-ireland-postgraduate-scholarshipscheme-2014
Where does a project from the discipline of physiotherapy and rehabilitation fit
into the categories and subcategories outlined in the Guide for Applicants?
Healthcare/medicine/rehabilitation are not mentioned in any of the category
disciplines. Last year 2013 ‘health promotion’ was a subcategory but it appear
to have been removed this year?
This scheme is open to all disciplines but which primary area from the defined
list should be chosen by applicants in research areas such as Physiotherapy,
Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry?
Applicants should choose the discipline that most closely matches his/her proposed
research, considering the methodology and techniques used in the research project.
The list of ‘other research areas’ provided for each Discipline is not an exhaustive
list, and applicants may enter other areas specific to their research in the free text
box in the online system.
If your subject is listed under 'Other Research Areas' in a specific 'Primary
Research Area', do you have to choose that area? For instance, History of Art
is listed under Cultures and Cultural Production in the IRC Guide for
Applicants but it may be difficult to classify the research project using the
predetermined list of disciplines. Is it possible to choose another 'Primary
Research Area' such as Study of the Human Past and then choose a more
appropriate discipline, such as History?
Several colleagues and postgraduate students in my department have called
attention to the absence of the discipline of anthropology in the IRC’s
‘Research categorisation’.
The online system and guide for applicants will be updated to reflect the following
additions:
-
Under the Primary Area of Cultures and Cultural Production, ‘Cultural Studies’
will be added as a Discipline
Under the Primary Area of Cultures and Cultural Production, ‘Languages’ will
be added as a Discipline
Under the Primary Area of Individuals, Institutions, Markets, Values,
Behaviour, the Mind and Environment, ‘Anthropology’ will be added as a
Discipline.
Under the Primary Area of Individuals, Institutions, Markets, Values,
Behaviour, the Mind and Environment, the discipline of ‘Women’s Studies’ has
been updated to Equality Studies
I am an MSc Physiotherapy student applying for the IRC postgrad GOI funding
and have been unable to find a suitable 'discipline' heading in the application
online - in the proposed research section. In previous years a heading of
'Health Promotion' was available, however this is not present this year. Which
'discipline' should health research be in?
Applicants should choose the discipline that most closely matches his/her proposed
research, considering the methodology and techniques used in the research project.
The list of ‘other research areas’ provided for each Discipline is not an exhaustive
list, and applicants may enter other areas specific to their research in the free text
box in the online system.
"I have a student applying for an IRC postgraduate application under the
theme of the National Forum Postgraduate Scholarship for Teaching and
Learning in Higher Education. However, we are having great difficulty filling in
the primary area, discipline and other research area (7.7-7.9) since none of the
descriptions within the GUIDE FOR APPLICANTS 2014 match our project. Our
field is mathematics education and there are no education/maths
education/higher education/teaching/learning/pedagogy options on the
application form. You can appreciate that we do not want to try to fit our
project into the descriptions available as it is misleading and
misrepresentative of probably any education based, and indeed National
Forum based, research.
So my questions is: Will the descriptions be broadened to accommodate
projects with education (mathematics education) as a primary area? Will the
discipline and other research area then match accordingly"?
In this case, under the Primary Area of Individuals, Institutions, Markets, Values,
Behaviour, the Mind and Environment, the discipline of Education can be selected. In
the free form text box further description of the research area can then be inputted.
 It states on the application form for GOI/EPS that the referee must be a
"qualified researcher". How do you define a qualified researcher - does
that mean someone who has a PhD?

I had understood that one of the referees could be related to past
employment. I have asked someone from my previous employment to
act as referee. However, when I entered the details on the system, one of
the screens that came up after entering all the details said that the
referee must be a qualified researcher. My second referee has a social
science degree, but is not a researcher. Do I need to find an alternative
referee?

An applicant, who has worked in Government for over 20 years, would
like to include a referee from her workplace who is in a very senior
position. This person knows of her work capacity over a very long
period but is not a qualified academic researcher. Would a reference
from this person be acceptable?
This reference has been removed from the online application form. The guidelines
below apply to your choice of referee:


You must associate two referees with your application, neither of whom may
be your named Academic Supervisor/ Academic Mentor/ International
Mentor/Enterprise Mentor (where relevant).
A suitable referee is an individual who knows you sufficiently well to provide
you with a reference, e.g. a principal investigator, a mentor from any time in
your career or education or a leader or member of a research team where you
have worked.
Having just met my supervisor, we are unsure as to whether the application
allows for the use of footnotes to be used as a form of bibliography for the
different sections? With the word count of each section being considerably
smaller than previous years perhaps you could offer clarification as how to
reference citations.
Footnotes should not be used as a form of bibliography. A bibliography can be
uploaded as a PDF attachment as supplementary information. A word count does
not apply to supplementary material.
If I answer yes to question "Have you previously submitted all or part of a
proposal to an Irish Research Council Scheme and been unsuccessful?" Am I
then required to answer the following question concerning modifications to
the proposal? My new proposal is in no way linked to the proposal I submitted
last year.
If your research proposal is not linked to the previous proposal please state this in
the application form. Please also state any other changes or developments since
your last application such as training and development or research outputs.
I have a student who has been resident in Ireland for over 17 months and is an
Irish Citizen and holds an Irish Passport. The question arises with regard to
the definition of being “ordinarily resident” - can the student apply for the PG
scheme if they have been resident here less than 3 years, the definition of
“Ordinarily Resident” is ambiguous for those who are Irish Citizens and hold
Irish Passports.
As per the Guide for Applicants:
Applicants deemed to be citizens of the EU are those applicants who are either
citizens of Ireland or of a Member State of the European Union AND have been
ordinarily resident within a Member State of the EU/Ireland for a continuous period of
three out of the five years prior to the application deadline. ’Ordinarily resident’ shall
be deemed to refer to the applicant’s place of legal and permanent residence. The
‘ordinarily resident’ period for EU citizens will not be deemed as having been
interrupted if an absence from that residence has been caused by: training or
employment of the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or parents; the full-time
education of the applicant or her/his spouse; an absence or absences for cultural or
personal reasons. All other applicants should indicate that they are non-EU.
Thus for the example given of an Irish citizen, the applicant will be deemed as an EU
citizen for the purposes of the scheme if they have been ordinarily resident within a
Member State of the EU/Ireland for a continuous period of three out of the five years
prior to the application deadline. Otherwise the applicant should select ‘Non EU’ on
their application form.
Can a student that has already started a PhD apply for the Enterprise
Partnership Scheme?
Yes, they can still apply once they satisfy the conditions outlined in Clause 4.4 on
page 5 of the Terms and Conditions.
I have another question regarding the IRC application, this time the
Sex/Gender Statement. My research is literary and textual and, while I'm using
gender theory, I'm a bit confused about the way the Statement is worded
because it seems to deal only with 'biological' impact and applications. I am
planning interviews, but the interviewees have been chosen due to their
connection to the poet I'm studying, rather than any sex/gender reason etc.
Am I right in thinking that the 'yes/no' boxes refer to whether there is a
sex/gender element in any of those particular areas of your study e.g where
you are using human participants in interviews. Or should I answer 'yes' to
human participants in that case, but then state below that, while there is no
biological sex/gender element in my project per se, it does utilise gender
theory etc.? Sorry for the long-winded question. I just find this particular
section very confusing as it seems aimed directly at science students rather
than at those in the humanities and reading around it hasn't really helped to
clarify it. My supervisors are as confused as I am on this one.
This question is relevant for all applications, regardless of discipline.
Because your study involves human participants you should answer Yes to the
question and the Guide for Applicants, Appendix II, provides guidance on how to
handle this. For example, under the Research Implementation heading, the
Appendix refers to how to examine data collection tools such as interviews for a
potential sex and / or gender dimension.
You can also outline any other considerations that may be relevant, for example use
of gender theory in this case.
If an applicant has completed one year of his PhD in one Irish University but is
transferring into his second year in another University, how can he/she
indicate this on the online system? Once you choose the Irish Research Body
you will be based in for the duration of the scholarship, the section in which
you describe the degree you are currently registered for is automatically filled
with the Irish Research Body you chose at the beginning.
Applicants should select the HEI at which they will complete their degree. Under
Section 4 of the online form, ‘Proposed Research’ applicants can include information
on time spent at previous institution(s).
My title isn’t appearing when I print a PDF of my application.
Please remove any double quotation marks (“) in your application title. You may use
single quotation marks instead.
My word count is saying it is exceeded limits but I know I have 300 words.
Any bullet points pasted from Microsoft Word into the application will count as one
word each. For example, a 300 word paragraph that has five bullet points in it will
result in 305 words when pasted into the online system.
I have had a number of students enquiring if they have to include their date of
birth on the online system for the postgraduate scheme. I would be grateful if
you could advise.
The date of birth is requested as an identifier in the case of applicants with the same
name.
Personal details in relation to the applicant such as age, sex and nationality are not
visible to the international assessors.

Is it acceptable to include a third reference, in the form of a letter, with
the supplementary material?

If a particular organisation provide their support for a PhD project in the
form of a letter of endorsement, is it acceptable to add the letter to the
supplementary material?
Supplementary material should only include essential information required for the
interpretation and understanding of the proposed research, rather than additional
information about the research proposal or applicant.
APPLYING TO THE SCHEMES
When will the categories, subcategories and headings become available? E.g. last
year I submitted an application under the heading ‘health promotion’. Will there be
more sub category options this year.
When will the grading criteria become available?
Both of these are available in the Guide for Applicants available on the Council
website.
Can an academic supervisor support more than one student application?
Can different PG applicants use the same primary supervisor?
Yes, an academic supervisor can support more than one applicant.
Can a co-supervisor be a referee?
No.
Can an applicant apply with a Professor to the EPS scheme if the Professor is a cofounder and equity holder of the enterprise partnership company?
The Enterprise Mentor and Academic Mentor cannot be the same person.
While the Academic mentor and the Industry mentor cannot be the same
person, is there any conflict of interest if the academic mentor has equity and
stake in the industry company. Is there a need to sign a conflict of interest or
full disclosure form?
Any such instances should be detailed in the application form and brought to the
attention of the Research Office in the HEI to ensure that the application meets their
own eligibility criteria for endorsement.
I am currently registered as a first year research masters student and will be
transferring later in the year to the PhD-track. If I am successful in achieving an IRC
award, is there a date by which I will have to provide evidence that I have transferred
to the PhD-track?
All applicants must have been formally accepted by the relevant department/school
for the degree for which they are to receive council funding by, at the latest, 1st
October 2014.
Please note that applicants who have registered prior to September/October 2014
are not eligible to apply for funding unless they fall within the clauses 4.4.1 - 4.4.5 on
page 4 of the Terms and Conditions. If applicants fall within these clauses they are
eligible to part-funding of their degree. Please see the table on page 5 of the Terms
and Conditions for more information on the duration of funding available.
Do you know if this is going to be the only EPS Scheme call in 2014?
There will be only one EPS call per year. The 2015 call will be launched in the last
quarter of 2014.
Is it possible for a member of the applicant's doctoral panel (other than the
supervisor) to act as a referee?
Technically, a member of the applicant’s doctoral panel (other than the supervisor)
can act as a referee. However, in previous calls, the International Assessment Panel
looked more favourably on references that were removed from the
supervisory/doctoral panel, as these were seen as independent.
With regard to the GoI Scholarships, is priority given to scholars that wish to pursue
their MSc or PhD research at an Institution other than that where they did their
undergraduate degree?
No.
The last question in the Ethical Statement tab 'Does your research programme
involve any of the following?' is to be answered by choosing only one of many
options. My research involves more than one of the aspects listed, so I do not
really know how to answer this question. To work around it, should I address
all these aspects explicitly in the free text statement under the same tab? Or
could the Council possibly change the OLS so that it allows to select more
than one option?
If you more than one option applies to your application, please select one from the
dropdown menu and include any others within the free text box in this tab.
My research will not require ethical approval (which is very clear from the
research proposal) and my answer to the first question in the Ethical
Statement tab is “No”. It appears unnecessary to request a confirmation to this
effect from the Head of Department. If I answer “No” the second question in
the Ethical Statement tab “Confirmation has been received from the Head of
Department that the above statement is true?”, would it have negative
implications for my application?
It is the decision of the applicant as to whether their proposal requires ethical
approval. Sign off by Head of Department acts as a further confirmation that the
proposal does not require ethical approval.
An important component of structured PhD programmes are teaching and
learning modules which include activities such as workshops, self-study on
teaching practice and some actual teaching which is then evaluated. Often
these modules need to be completed in the first year of the PhD programme. Is
teaching undertaken as part of these modules considered “additional duties”
in the meaning of Art. 7.11? If yes please clarify under what circumstances are
scholars allowed to undertake these specific teaching activities in the first
year of the scholarship.
An applicant on a Structured PhD who has a requirement to teach as part of their
Teaching and Learning modules is allowed to teach. The Terms and Conditions will
be updated at contract stage to reflect this.
Are candidates who stay in the HEI where they did their undergraduate degree
at a disadvantage?
No.
Do candidates need research experience or an MSc and/or papers in order to
be competitive?
There are no fixed criteria in relation to research experience. However, please note
that postgraduate schemes are typically highly competitive, and that the Council
grants awards on the basis of excellence
During the evaluation process does the outer board assess the entire
application rather than just the proposed research before it is sent to inner
board?
Yes, the outer board assesses the entire application.
Can the enterprise partner be a non-Irish based research institute with no
branch based in Ireland?
The Enterprise partner can be based anywhere in the world and does not have to
have an Irish branch, and must meet the definition of Enterprise Partner in the Terms
and Conditions: Enterprise Partner shall mean a business, a company, a registered
charity, a social, cultural, not-for-profit, governmental or non-government
organization.
If a candidate has a partial scholarship which will pay their PhD fees can they
retain the fee money for use towards research costs as was the case under
IRCSET? (In this case the candidate is a Scholar of TCD)
No. 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 their
scholarship.
Regarding page 1 of the Application Form and appropriate theme – option
National Forum Postgraduate Scholarship for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education (Terms and Conditions, Appendix 2), does the 'Learning in Higher
Education' refer to third-level only or does this also consider post-primary
school?
While the scholarships under this theme are focused on the higher education sector,
a research project that focused on the transition between secondary school or further
education would also meet the criteria for this theme.
Is a potential applicant allowed to work as a research assistant in the same lab
while doing her research masters?
Scholars must engage full-time in research during the Funding Term and should not
engage in any activity other than completing the Scholarship. The first year of the
Scholarship should be devoted exclusively to the development of the research
project and the Training and Career Development Plan.
In exceptional circumstances, a Scholar may engage in other duties as an alternative
to tutorial or demonstration duties in the second and subsequent years of the degree
provided:
 the Scholar provides the Council with a written statement of support from their
Academic Supervisor and obtains prior written permission from the Council. A
template will be available for this purpose;
 the other duties are not excessive (do not exceed a total 50 hours per
academic term) and do not prevent researchers, particularly at the beginning
of their careers, from carrying out their research activities;
 the other duties are relevant to the research funded by the Scholarship and
consistent with the training and career development plan agreed by the
Scholar and Academic Supervisor.