Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship 2026 for Master’s and PhD Funding. 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.
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.
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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 or two of the budget headings. Partial acceptance of the grant is not allowed under any
circumstances.
Duration and Structure of the Scholarship
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
Applicants who have already commenced their postgraduate degree but have completed no more than the first year may be eligible for partial funding.
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Eligibility Criteria of The Applicant (Scholar)
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 Scholarship4
. As such, Primary Academic Supervisors should
endorse only one submitted application. If the Research Office endorses multiple
applications with the same primary supervisor, all applications will be deemed
ineligible. There is no restriction on the number of applications for which a supervisor
may serve as secondary or co-supervisor.
• Applicants from any country may hold a Government of Ireland Postgraduate
Scholarship however applicants will fall under one of two categories based on
nationality and residency.
Key Dates
- Call open: 11th September 2025, 12:00 Irish local time
- FAQ deadline: 16th October 2025, 16:00 Irish local time
- Applicant deadline: 23rd October 2025, 16:00 Irish local time
- Supervisor, mentor deadline: 6th November 2025, 16:00 Irish local time
- Research office endorsement deadline: 13th November 2025, 16:00 Irish local time
- Call outcome: End of April 2026
- Award start date: 1st September 2026
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the SmartSimple platform.
For more Information: Visit the website for Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship 2026 for Master’s and PhD Funding
