Applying for IRCHSS Government of Ireland Postgraduate Research Scholarships

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Applying forIRCHSS Government of Ireland
Postgraduate Research Scholarships
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Basics

• Only for research degrees ( M.Litt, PhD, or
  integrated Masters/PhD degrees). NUI Galways new
  4-yr structured PhD programme qualifies as
  integrated Masters/PhD degree.
• Funding for up to 3 years depending on stage
• 16,000 per year fees paid
• Applications to be submitted by post AND by email
  by 4.00 p.m. 11 January 2010 (or before)
• Outcomes notified in June

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Basics

• Around 150 scholarships awarded per year
• Evaluation by board of 25 international experts
  (each application read by multiple assessors).
  Criteria are EXCELLENCE, ORIGINALITY and
  POTENTIAL
• No other paid employment in Year 1
• Up to 3 hours per week teaching in Years 2 3

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The Application Form

• Download Terms and Conditions, Application
  Form and Reference Form as Word files from
  IRCHSS site
• www.irchss.ie
• Complete Part 1 of Reference Form and send to
  your referee
• 23 sections to be completed on Application Form
• Some sections of special importance

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SECTION 11. PLEASE INDICATE THE DISCIPLINE(S), IN
ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, TO WHICH YOUR PROJECT
RELATES.

• Choose conventional disciplines (e.g. French,
  Sociology, History, Classics, Psychology, Film
  Studies, English, Marketing, Geography)
• AND/OR
• Interdisciplinary areas (e.g. Womens Studies,
  Cultural Studies, Irish Studies)
• This assists IRCHSS in choosing your assessors

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SECTION 14. PROJECT

• (14.1.i) Description of topic (no more than
  1000 words)
• aims and objectives
• central research questions
• (14.1.ii) Methodology (no more than 600 words),
• investigative and analytic methods
• theoretical frameworks
• (14.1.iii) Research plan (no more than 400
  words)
• including a schedule of the completion of
• tasks/phases of the project and
  efficient management and performance
  of research

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SECTION 14. PROJECT (contd)

• (14.1.iv) Description of the relationship of the
  project to existing research. Suggest how the
  project will make a new contribution to knowledge
  (no more that 600 words). Do not provide
  bibliographical lists or footnotes.
• (14.1.v) Description of any specialist
  knowledge/data required to undertake the project
  (e.g. language competence, technical skills, use
  of specialist software, etc.). Describe plans for
  acquiring this knowledge/data if is not already
  in place. Describe how data required for this
  project will be accessed. (No more than 400 words)

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SECTION 14. PROJECT (contd)

• (14.1.vi) Description of the reason for choosing
  this institution and supervisor for the project.
  Please provide details if the project will be
  part of an established research team. (No more
  than 400 words)
• FOR APPLICANTS ALREADY STARTED ON PhD
• (14.2.vii) Assess your progress to date (no more
  than 500 words).
• (14.2.vii) Description of modifications made to
  the proposal if the proposal has been previously
  submitted (no more than 200 words).

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(14.1.i) Description of topic (no more than 600
words).

• Aims and objectives
• Central research questions what are the
  questions to which you are seeking answers?
• Provisional structure of thesis
• KEEP PROSE SIMPLE, DECLARATIVE AND PRECISE IN
  ALL SECTIONS DO NOT WRITE IN ESSAY MODE

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(14.1.ii) Methodology (no more than 600 words).

• With what tools do you propose to find answers
  to your research questions?
• Investigative and analytic methods, for example
• qualitative methods, quantitative methods,
  critical analysis, linguistic analysis,
  semiotic analysis, etc.
• Theoretical frameworks, for example
• historicism, feminism, sociolinguistics,
  postcolonial theory, structuralism, etc.

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(14.1.iii) Research plan (no more than 400
words).

• Outline of development from year to year in term
  of tasks and phases
• Examples of outcomes and research performance
• thesis, conference papers, articles, databases,
  software tools, websites, etc.

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(14.1.iv) Description of the relationship of the
project to existing research. Suggest how the
project will make a new contribution to knowledge
(no more than 600 words).

• Describe briefly what you know of the existing
  field already, showing that you know what the
  major works in the field are at present
• Do not give bibliographical lists or footnotes
  discuss and briefly evaluate the scholarship in
  plain prose, perhaps categorising by theme or
  chronology
• Suggest how your work will EXTEND and/or
  CHALLENGE this work (what are the gaps and
  problems in the existing field that you will
  address?)

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(14.1.v) Description of any specialist
knowledge/data required to undertake the project
(e.g. language competence, technical skills, use
of specialist software, etc.). Describe plans for
acquiring this knowledge/data if is not already
in place. Describe how data required for this
project will be accessed (no more than 400 words).

• Languages
• Technical skills e.g. laser profilometry,
  interviewing
• Software e.g. SPSS, NUDIST, NVIVO, XML, GIS,
  etc.
• Datasets
• Archives

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(14.1.vi) Description of the reason for choosing
this institution and supervisor for the project.
Please provide details if the project will be
part of an established research team

• Supervisors expertise
• Appropriate library or other institutional
  resources
• Existence of relevant programmes or similar
  research projects at your chosen university

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(15) Bibliography (no more than 2 pages)

• List any works mentioned in previous sections,
  and provisional indication of reading you expect
  to undertake
• (19) Ethics
• Check with research office if you believe your
  topic may require ethical approval (involving
  research interviews, etc.)

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The Reference

• Choose an academic referee who is familiar with
  your work e.g. your current supervisor, or MA
  course lecturer, or a final-year tutor
• Discuss your draft proposal with her or him well
  in advance of deadline

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The Supervisor

• Supervisor must complete two sections of the
  application
• 20. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT Please describe the
  support available from you and others in the
  department to enable the applicant to complete
  his/her doctoral study.
• 21. GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES Will this
  student be enrolled in a structured Graduate
  Research Education Programme?. If yes, please
  provide details.

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Remember!

• Get your reference organised early
• Keep checking FAQs on IRCHSS website
• Get your transcripts from the examinations office
• Must be signed by Supervisor and by
  Vice-President for Research (Prof. Terry Smith)
• Leave time to get signatures and make 3 copies of
  applications
• Electronic and postal submission
• Send before Monday 11 January 2010