Galway Doctoral Research Scholarships

Overview

The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies at NUI Galway is pleased to offer 20 postgraduate Scholarships to support full-time PhD research within the structured PhD programmes of the College, commencing in September 2011. Scholarships will be awarded in line with the strategic research priorities of the 6 Schools of the College, namely: Education; Geography and Archaeology; Humanities; Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Political Science and Sociology; Psychology (http://www.nuigalway.ie/arts). Scholarships may thus be awarded across any of the following associated disciplines: Education, Geography, Archaeology, English, Film Studies, History, Irish Studies, Philosophy, Classics, French, Gaeilge, German, Italian, Spanish, Political Science and Sociology, Women’s Studies, Psychology.

Applicants are advised to carefully read these Terms and Conditions in advance of completing an application to ensure their eligibility under the Scheme. Applications that do not comply with the Terms and Conditions will be deemed ineligible.

1. Duration

Scholarships will be awarded for periods of one, two, three or four years, according to the original date of the applicant’s registration for the PhD degree and based on satisfactory progress (to be communicated each year by the student’s Graduate Research Committee (GRC). In the case of students embarking on the first year of their PhD programme, the Scholarship will not be tenable beyond four years in all.

2. Value

The maximum value of the Scholarship award for 2011/2012 will be €15,000, inclusive of stipend and fees. Scholarship holders whose fees are paid by an external funding body (e.g. a Local Authority) will receive their stipend minus the fee amount.

3. Classification of Scholarship Payments

Scholarships are officially classified as ‘scholarships’ and thence do not attract Tax or Social Insurance. Recipients are not employees of the University.

4. Eligibility

The minimum qualification for the award of a scholarship is a first class or higher second class honours primary degree or the equivalent from a recognised institution in a relevant discipline. Higher degree results shall normally take precedence over the results of the primary degree.

Preference will be given to those embarking on the first year of their PhD. programme.

The applicant must also have an established proficiency in English or in Irish. For applicants whose first language is not English or Irish, a language proficiency assessment may be applied.

5. Conditions of Tenure

a. Successful applicants to this scheme will be designated as Galway Doctoral Research Scholars and will register in a structured PhD programme of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies, National University of Ireland, Galway before the Scholarship can be drawn down. For further information on the College’s structured PhD programmes, see http://www.nuigalway.ie/arts/structured.html. Registration will take place in September. If registration is not completed on the due date then the Scholarship offer will be withdrawn.

b. The Scholarship is valid for the year in which it is awarded or renewed. Scholarships may not normally be deferred or otherwise interrupted except in exceptional circumstances, as verified and notified to the GRC, and approved by the Dean.

c. Scholarships will be awarded for periods of one, two, three or four years, according to the original date of the applicant’s registration for the PhD degree, and based on satisfactory progress (to be communicated each year by the student’s Graduate Research Committee).

d. Scholarships will automatically cease on the submission of the Scholar’s PhD thesis.

e. Should a Scholar be unable for any reason (including medical reasons) to pursue studies in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scholarship, the Scholar must inform the Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences,and Celtic Studies within two weeks of such a situation coming to the Scholar’s attention. The Dean of Arts, on appropriate advice, reserves the right to withdraw or suspend the Scholarship.

f. A Scholar may wish to terminate a Scholarship for personal, professional or other reasons. This should not be done without prior consultation with the GRC and Dean of the College, as it may involve reimbursement by the Scholar to the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies if the Scholar is unable to justify the funding received up to the date of termination.

g. All publications, presentations and publicity associated with or arising from the research undertaken by the Scholar while in receipt of the Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship must contain acknowledgement of funding received from the Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship Scheme of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies, National University of Ireland Galway.

h. The completion of the research which is central to the PhD degree remains the primary purpose of the Scholarship. However, as part of their doctoral graduate formation, and with a view to assisting them in the acquisition of skills in the transfer of knowledge and the assessment of students, Scholars will be expected to engage during their second, third and fourth years in teaching, or other academic work, that normally will not exceed three contact hours, or the equivalent in other duties, per week (http://nuigalway.ie/graduatestudies/)

i. During their first two years of tenure, Galway Doctoral Research Scholars will be required to prepare an application, under the guidance and advice of their supervisor, for external research funding under the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme. If their application is successful their Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship will then be released and will become available for award to another student.

j. The holder may not be the holder simultaneously of any other scholarship or fellowship.

k. Galway Doctoral Research Scholarships will be awarded only to those who are full-time students and who will engage full-time in research during the period of the Scholarship. Scholars will accordingly be prohibited from having paid employment during the tenure of their scholarships.

l. Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship recipients will be members of a structured doctoral programme.

m. Galway Doctoral Research Scholarships are held subject to these Terms and Conditions. If any of the above is breached by a Scholarship, the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies will suspend or terminate the Scholarship and/or will require the Scholars to reimburse the College for such payments that have already been made.

n. Successful applicants will be required to sign a form of consent under the Data Protection Act 1988 in relation to records on data concerning their registration status and academic record.

o. The award of a Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship is made subject to receipt of funding from various sources. In the event of such funding being reduced or being discontinued the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies, the National University of Ireland Galway or their agents will not be under any liability to provide funding or to compensate a Scholar for any reduction or cessation of such funding.

p. In cases where ethical issues may arise from the research, applicants will be asked to provide a written statement to the effect that full consideration has been given to the ethical implications of the research proposal. In such cases, successful applications will require the approval of the Research Ethics Committee of the National University of Ireland Galway prior to confirmation (or renewal) of the Scholarship award.

q. Successful applicants who accept a Galway Research Scholarship must also agree to accept the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. Correspondence on this will not be entered into once an award has been accepted.

r. In the event that a Scholarship recipient fails to comply fully with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies reserves the right to revoke the Scholarship award.

6. Application Process

Applications may be completed either in English or Irish.

Application forms and terms and conditions may be downloaded from http://www.nuigalway.ie/arts/postgraduate.html. The Terms and Conditions, Application Form and Referee’s Form are the sole sources of information.

Applications must be submitted in 2 formats: one paper copy, and one electronic.

A complete application must include each of the following items:

a. Completed application form (1 paper submission, 1 electronic submission)
b. Sample of academic work of not more than 2,500 words: E.g. essay, book review, critique, selected portion of a larger work (1 paper submission, 1 electronic submission)
c. Referee’s form: The completed Report Form of one academic referee, an established academic who is familiar with the academic achievement of the applicant (2 copies, comprising the signed original and a copy, to be provided in a single sealed envelope, signed across the seal by the Referee) (1 paper submission)

Applications should be addressed to:

Ms. Mairéad Faherty, Room 340, College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies, Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway.

The completed paper application should be returned by letter post, postmarked before 17.00 hours (GMT), Friday, 3rd June, 2011 or by hand by that time.
The completed electronic copy of the application should be emailed (as file attachments) to: arts.scholarships@nuigalway.ie before 17.00 hours (GMT), Friday, 3rd June, 2011.

7. Selection Process

Awards are made by the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies on the recommendations of individual School Assessment Panels. These Panels shall comprise representatives of Academic staff of those Schools, along with the Vice-Dean for Research. Applications shall be assessed on the basis of academic excellence, and with reference to their alignment with the strategic research priorities of individual Schools.

The selection process is strictly confidential, and representations may not be made on behalf of applicants.

Late or incomplete applications or applications that do not fully adhere to the Terms and Conditions of this scheme will be deemed ineligible.

The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies at NUI Galway reserves the right to alter the Conditions of Tenure of the Scholarship at any time.

Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com on your application when applying for this scholarship