Scholarships and Awards

30% Club Scholarship 

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law in partnership with the 30% Club is offering a scholarship opportunity for the Master in Public Policy to one female candidate. This reflects UCD’s commitment to promote greater gender diversity in leadership positions within the public and not for profit sectors. (opens in a new window)https://30percentclub.org/about/chapters/ireland

The Master of Public Policy Programme is offering one full time or part time (EU fee waiver) scholarship to a female candidate.

Closing date for applications for September 2024 entry is 30th June 2024. All enquiries in relation to the scholarship to be made to (opens in a new window)dominic.shellard@ucd.ie

Applications for the scholarship will be competitively assessed based on the following criteria:

1. In order to be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must have submitted an application to UCD and have been offered a place on the programme.
2. Applicants should then submit a letter of motivation for the scholarship which should cover the following:
      - An outline of your career to date.
      - Why do you think you should be awarded this scholarship for a Master of Public Policy, in line with the objectives of the aim of the 30% Club to support women into  positions of leadership in all walks of life.

The motivation letter should be no less than 500 and not more than 1,200 words in length.

3. CV (maximum 2 pages)

The motivation letter and CV must be submitted in one file (preferable MS Word or pdf format) to (opens in a new window)dominic.shellard@ucd.ie

Application submissions should clearly state "30% Club Scholarship - Master of Public Policy". 

The closing date for applicants for this scholarship is 5pm on 30th June 2024.

Note: For applying for Master of Public Policy programme, please click this link.

Testimonial: Aine McDonough - 2023 awardee

It is a great privilege to have been awarded the 30% Club Scholarship for the Master of Public Policy in UCD in 2023. Having spent the last thirteen years in the Irish Army and served overseas on UN Peacekeeping missions in Lebanon in 2016 and 2019, I felt that the time was right to further my education. The MPP interested me because of the strong grounding in public policy offered by the core modules, as well as the variety of the optional modules. As I progress in my military career, I expect to have more interaction with government departments at home and also International and Non-Governmental Organisations abroad. I hope that the MPP course will give me an understanding of Irish public policy that will enable me to be an advocate for the Defence Forces, as I believe that we play a vital role in the defence of the State and in promoting Irish foreign policy. I also want to highlight the importance of improving the gender balance, particularly in leadership roles, in what has been a traditionally male-dominated environment. I am grateful to the Defence Forces for having supported me in pursuing the MPP part-time and would encourage other women to consider applying for a 30% Club Scholarship.

I feel incredibly honored to receive the 30% Club Scholarship for the Master of Public Policy at UCD. As a neurodiverse person, I feel it is so important to have visibility for women in leadership roles that represent the autistic community. Education has completely transformed my life, and I feel so appreciative of this opportunity to continue my educational journey. During my
time at UCD, I hope to increase my skill set while enhancing my understanding of the policy process. I believe the MPP will give me the tools to pursue a career within the nonprofit or voluntary sector, specifically in the area of disability and human rights. I am deeply passionate about working in a sector that promotes equality and participation in Irish society. My goal is to use the information I gain from the Master of Public Policy at UCD to affect real change through public policy development.