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UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship 2025 - Deadline for applications has passed
Deadline: Friday 31st January 2025 at 5pm GMT
Overview
The scholarship is named after Dr Iseult Honohan, one of the first female PhD graduates from the (then) Department of Ethics and Politics. She retired from teaching in 2015 after over 25 years of service to UCD as one of the leading academics in normative political theory.
The aim of the scholarship is to attract applicants of the highest academic calibre to pursue a PhD in the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, and to provide them with the training, experience and mentorship necessary to their professional development.
We welcome applications from all areas of the discipline including political science, political theory, international relations, European governance, computational social science, development and international political economy.
The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) is the oldest and largest school of its kind in the Republic of Ireland. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, UCD School of Politics and International Relations is ranken the top 100 in the world.
Timeframe
While dates may vary from year to year, the scholarship generally opens for applications at the beginning of November with an end of January deadline.
The current round of applications - for September 2025 - is now closed but this page will be updated in due course for the 2026 round.
Applications for the scholarship are not accepted until the scholarship page goes live.
Eligibility
- Applications are open to full-time students with a September start date and with a SPIRe supervisor, in the following programmes:
- PhD Politics and International Relations
- PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science (only with a SPIRe supervisor)
- Continuing students, students with a non-September start, students with a supervisor outside of SPIRe or students transferring only part of their PhD studies to UCD are not eligible to apply
- Applicants must have a minimum grade of 2.1 (GPA: 3.6) in a relevant Master's degree.
What it Covers
This scholarship:
- Covers full fees (EU and Non-EU)
- Provides a living stipend of €25,000 per year for up to four years
- Is open to EU and non-EU applicants
Application Procedure
The scholarship does not have its own application procedure. Instead, interested applicants should follow the application procedure of the programme in which they are interested.
- For the PhD Politics and International Relations application procedure, click here
- For the PhD Quantitative and Computational and Social Science application procedure, click here
The submission of original academic transcripts and other documentation will be required as a condition of the award.
Summary of Application Process
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The scholarship opens for applications
Generally from 1st November to 31st January
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Candidates follow the application procedure for either the Pol & IR or QCSS programme
Candidates can only apply to one programme
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Initial Review
An initial review is carried out to ensure applicants meet criteria
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Expression of Interest
Academic colleagues are invited to express interest in candidates they potentially wish to supervise
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Review Committee
A school review committee decides on shortlisted candidates for interview
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Interviews
The candidates meet with review committee to discuss their research interests
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Offer
Assuming there is a candidate(s) who meets the required standards, an offer is made.
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Notifications
Unsuccessful candidates are notified. While timelines may vary, this is usually by mid-March