2016 PhD Scholarships at UL

Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme
(Scholarship to begin September 2016)


Rationale
The purpose of the PESS Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme is to support full time PhD students. There will be a maximum of one bursary award at this call

Terms of the Award

  • Scholarships are held for up to four years, subject to available funding and the student's continued satisfactory academic progress.
  • The scholarship recipient is expected to work on a full time basis on their PhD and will enrol on the Education and Health Sciences structured PhD programme or the Education and Professional Studies structured PhD programme.
  • Scholarship recipients are expected to contribute a specific amount of hours per academic year to PESS-related tasks (e.g., teaching, demonstrating, organisation of events) for the duration of their scholarship. The expectation is 36 hours in year 1, 72 hours in year 2 and 144 hours in years 3 and 4 of study.
  • The successful applicant must be a new research student (i.e., are not currently registered as a postgraduate student in UL), and must be willing to take up the scholarship by the beginning of the first academic semester, September 2016.
  • Panel decisions will be final, and not open to review. Student applicants will be given two weeks to decide whether to take up the scholarship when offered.
  • Scholarships not taken up will be re-allocated on the basis of points to the next highest applicant. The panel will have the right to agree that low quality applications can be judged non fundable, and a scholarship will not be offered in this instance.
  • Scholarships are offered subject to continued funding of the departmental research account. Should such funding not be maintained, scholarships may be withdrawn, subject to three months notice.
  • Receipt of externally funded scholarships or stipends will not affect the value of this scholarship provided that this does not exceed €5,000. Scholarship recipients must inform the PESS Research Committee of receipt of such additional funding in writing.

Nature of Application:
Applicants are requested to submit an application of no more than 2000 words outlining their research proposal including a year by year progression outline and project deliverables. This application document is a space where applicants have the opportunity, to respond to each of the three evaluation criteria for this scholarship: 1) alignment with PESS research theme(s); 2) quality of scholar; 3) quality of supervisory team.

Evaluation Criteria:

Alignment with PESS research theme(s)

Clarity and coherence of the proposed topic
Justification
Quality and appropriateness of methodological approach
Feasibility of the proposed research plan in proposed time frame (where appropriate) and associated financial costs
Research plan including key milestones
Clarity of plans to acquire new knowledge and skills to achieve research aims (where appropriate)
Clarity of dissemination plans
Previous applications to the Irish Research Council or other funding bodies will be reviewed positively
40/100

Quality of Scholar

Academic record to date
Match between applicant project and profile
Two written references
50/100

Quality of Supervisory Team

Research output of supervisory team (ISI publications, PhD completions, etc.)
Joint supervision favoured (experienced supervisors are encouraged to work with new / early-career supervisors)
The role of both supervisors will be assessed in the application
10/100

Evaluation Process:


All applications will be evaluated according to the shared criteria. The review panel will be constituted as follows:

  • Two PESSResearch Committee members or PESS Research Committee chair nominations*
  • Two external reviewers**

The chair of the PESS Research Committee will decide on the membership of this panel in consultation with the PESS Research Committee.


*Supervisors or potential co-supervisors of applicants are not eligible to be considered as reviewers in the year of application.
**Ideally ADRs (or their nominees) from other faculty, or appropriate active researchers from other EHS departments who are not linked to any of the applications in that year.


Applicants and supervisors are asked to refrain from contacting panel members with regards to their applications. All related communication must be via the PESS Research Committee chair or their appointee.


Application Deadline:
Applications should be submitted electronically to the Chair of the PESS Research Committee (Drew Harrison – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and received no later than 12pm on Friday 29th April, 2016. This deadline will be strictly adhered to.
Funding Plan
Four-year PhD inclusive of fees (approx. €5,000 per annum) and bursary valued at (€11,000 per annum).

Our Mission

To use high-quality, multi-disciplinary and multi-entity research to shape, influence and inform policy and practice relating to advancing the health and well-being of populations in the areas of physical education, sport, physical activity and health.

Stay Connected on:

 

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter get the latest news services and stuff..
Please wait