Application Deadline: ) 23 October 2025
Applications are now open for the 2026 Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. 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 Research Ireland. This programme supports suitably qualified postgraduate candidates
pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research in any discipline.
The Government of Ireland programme is unique in the Irish research landscape. Among its features
are:
- awards for bottom-up, non-directed research.
- individual, prestigious grants for excellent research in the name of the applicant;
- the opportunity for grant recipients to direct their own research project at the earlycareer stage, working with a supervisor;
- 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.
Program Details
The duration of a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship ranges from one to four years
depending on the type of degree being pursued. Applicants who are new entrants to the postgraduate degree for which they are seeking funding are eligible to apply for the full duration of the degree, as outlined below:
- Masters by research – 2 years of funding to be granted
- Doctoral degree (PhD) – 4 years of funding to be granted
Eligibility Requirements
The programme is open to Master’s and PhD candidates who will be new entrants to the postgraduate
degree for which they are seeking funding. Applicants who have completed no more than the first
year of their degree might be eligible to apply. The following conditions also apply;
- There is no age limit for applicants to be eligible.
- All applicants must be affiliated with an Eligible Research Body, who will be responsible
for verifying all results from undergraduate or postgraduate degrees named in the application. - All applicants must have a first-class or upper second-class honours3 bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree. If the applicant does not have a first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or the equivalent degree, they must possess a master’s degree.
Research Ireland’s determination of an applicant’s eligibility on these criteria is final.
o If undergraduate examination results are not known at the time of application
and the application subsequently meets the funding threshold, the final degree
result must be confirmed before a Letter of Offer can be issued. - All applicants must be affiliated with an Eligible Research Body, which will be responsible for verifying all results from undergraduate or postgraduate degrees named in the application.
- Applications will only be accepted in either the Irish or English language.
- Applicants must not have had two previous unsuccessful applications to the programme. This applies regardless of whether the applicant has changed their Eligible Research Body or research topic since a previous submission.
- Applicants must not be a permanent member of staff in either an Irish or international
Research Body. - All applications require a primary supervisor willing to guide the proposed research project. Research Ireland is not in a position to assist applicants in finding a primary supervisor for their application.
- Primary supervisors may not support more than one applicant to the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship.
Benefits
These grants will support suitably qualified research master’s and doctoral candidates pursuing, or
intending to pursue, full-time research in any discipline. The duration of a Government of Ireland
Postgraduate Scholarship ranges from one to four years depending on the type of degree being
pursued. The value of the scholarship will be up to a maximum of €34,000 per annum in any approved year and will consist of the following:
- a stipend of €25,000;
- a contribution to fees, including non-European Union fees, paid to the host research
body, up to a maximum of €5,7501; and - eligible direct costs of €3,250 to enable the awardee to carry out the research project.
Please note: The scholarship grant must be accepted in full, including all three budget
headings listed above. Applicants are not permitted to apply for or accept funding for only one
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme
