DCU offers PhD scholarships to former Access students for second year running

02/05/2024

Following on from last year's inaugural offering, Dublin City University is once again in a position to accept applications from graduates from its Access programme, or those in their final year of study, for a fully funded four year PhD with an annual stiped of €22,000,

The scholarship, for a PhD starting in September, will cover tuition fees in addition to the annual stipend.

This week's news come's after a similar scholarship was offered to the same cohort last year following a donation to the university's Educational Trust.

Vice President for Research John Doyle said

"We are very pleased to announce that the university's longstanding and vital access programme is to be extended to PhD study for a second year. The growing PhD community at DCU is one that must draw on a wide range of experience and expertise, and ultimately opportunities to pursue research should be accessible."

DCU offers the largest and oldest university-based access programme in Ireland, opening up opportunities to create equal access to third-level education for students from under-represented groups in higher education. Thousands of students have benefited from the programme since its inception, at Bachelors and Masters level. With the generous support of donors through DCU Educational Trust, we have been able over recent years to extending the programme to PhD level.

In the university's new five year plan, published last year, there is a targeted increase of 50% in the number of PhD candidates studying at DCU.

Prospective applicants should consult the webpages of members of staff to check which staff member’s research interests would best match their proposed projects. They should then make informal contact with the member of staff whose research area covers their proposed doctoral work in advance of an application, to get their advice and input.

Applicants can also find general information about undertaking a PhD at DCU on the Graduate Studies Office webpage.

The deadline for application is May 24^th 2024, 5pm. Following informal consultation with a relevant staff member, applicants should send 1) a one page personal statement outlining why you are applying for this scholarship 2) a full CV with contact details for 2 referees, 3) the grades/full transcripts achieved in Bachelor’s and/or Masters degree 4) a brief research proposal, of less than 2,000 words, to vpr@dcu.ie

Candidates are not required to apply formally through the university application system at this stage. The university intends to shortlist and interview selected candidates either in person or online in May. Successful candidates then will be required to apply formally to be admitted as PhD students and will need to provide copies of all relevant documentation such as transcripts. Successful candidates will begin their studies in September 2024 and are expected to be resident in the Dublin region for the duration of the programme, other than periods of approved research travel and annual leave.