Cooperative Education & Careers Division

• University Scholarships and Awards
• Local Authority Grants
• Graduate Skills Conversion Programme
• The Irish Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET)
• The Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences
• The Economic and Social Research Institute

University Scholarships and Awards

Most university Departments provide some internal funding to postgraduate students. These can be in the form of Research Assistantships or Scholarships and vary in value. The following awards are available in UL:

• Advanced Scholars Programme: These Scholarships are awarded to students achieving a QCA greater than 3.4 in their final year who intend to apply for full time research postgraduate programme. Tuition fees circa €4500 are paid for the first year.
• Plassey Campus Centre Scholarship: The Board of PCC has decided to put in place a 5 year PCC Scholarship fund for Postgraduate Research Students to the value of €7000 p.a. which will comprise residential accommodation plus a cash sum. Each Scholarship will be available for a two year period.
• Alumni Circle Postgraduate Bursaries:The UL Alumni Association has generously made available two 'UL Alumni Circle Postgraduate Bursaries'. Funded by UL graduates through the UL Foundation's Annual Fund, the Scholarship supports research postgraduate students normally undertaking full-time research for the first time commencing in Academic Year 2008/09. The bursaries are valued at €5,000 each, and are tenable for a period of one year, commencing October 2008/2009. Further details are available from the Graduate School website section on Scholarships and Funding.
• Research Grants/Demonstratorships: Extensive contract research is undertaken on the University of Limerick campus with consequent opportunities for postgraduate students. Registered postgraduate students may secure funding by being accepted as research assistants/demonstrators on suitable research projects. A number of scholarships are also available each year to students pursuing postgraduate research degrees. The scholarships are renewable on a yearly basis subject to satisfactory academic progress. Contact the Assistant Dean of Research in each of the Colleges.
• University of Limerick Postgraduate Scholarships: From year to year, other postgraduate scholarships are available in particular Departments or Centres. Further details are available from the Research Office or the Admissions Office.

For a more comprehensive account of the type of scholarships and funding available for postgraduate degrees by research in UL, consult the Graduate School website

Back to top

Local Authority Grants

If you have received a local authority grant for your undergraduate studies, this will normally be extended to cover full-time postgraduate studies in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. This applies to both Masters and Doctorate degrees as well as postgraduate diploma courses but you can only avail of this postgraduate funding once. See the studentfinance website for further details. 

Graduate Skills Conversion Programme

Selected postgraduate programmes, particularly in Computing, Science and Technology disciplines, receive funding from the EU. As a result, fees are heavily subsidised and, in some cases, may be waived completely. Details of postgraduate courses which qualify for this funding are available on the HEA website.

The Irish Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET)

The Embark Initiative, a major national research funding programme operated by IRSCET, provides funding to new researchers planning to complete either Masters or Doctorate level research in the sciences, engineering or technology under its Postgraduate Scholarship Research Scheme. Under this scheme, €24,000 is provided for one year for Masters level research and for each of three years for Doctorate research. Applications for funding must be made during August. Application forms can be downloaded on the IRCSET website at: http://www.ircset.ie

The Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Government of Ireland Scholarships and Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences are awarded in support of research in areas which fall within the historical, analytical or theoretical study of subjects which normally fall within the Humanities and Social Sciences, including Law and Business Studies. Scholarships are valued at up to €16,000 per annum. They will be initially awarded for one year, but subject to terms and conditions, are renewable for up to two additional years. Information on both the Scholarship and Fellowship programmes is now available here.

The Economic and Social Research Institute

The ESRI provides annual research assistantships for postgraduate study in Economics, Sociology and Social Psychology. Details on the ESRI website.

Back to top