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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade / Saothar
Iveagh Fellowship Programme


The Iveagh Fellowship Programme, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Saothar, aims to assist Irish students to identify and participate in high-quality internships in international policy organisations. Five Fellowships will be available nationally in 2023 with each participating third level institution requested to submit two nominees for consideration.

Trinity Call for Applications

This Fellowship is an exciting opportunity for full-time Irish undergraduate and masters students of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences interested in careers in international policy, including work in international development, human rights and humanitarian work, to:

  • Get mentorship support to help secure an internship at an internationally-recognised organisation
  • Once an appropriate internship is successfully secured, to receive an award of €6000
  • Be part of a prestigious and exciting new national Fellowship Programme

What is included in the Fellowship?

  • Mentorship support to help the Fellow secure an internship at an internationally-recognised organisation during 2023 (internship must be 8 weeks minimum).
  • Once an appropriate internship is successfully secured, an award of €6000.

Fellowships funds cannot be used to support internships in profit-making institutions except in exceptional circumstances and only where a clear public good can be demonstrated.

Who is eligible to apply?

Those applying must be all of the following at the time of application:

  • Irish citizens
  • Enrolled on a full-time undergraduate or master’s degree programme in an Irish university in the area of arts, humanities or social sciences
  • Interested in careers in international policy, including work in international development, human rights and humanitarian work

How will Fellows be selected by the DFA?

  • Each participating third level institution in Ireland has been asked to nominate two students to the DFA to be considered for the Fellowship.
  • From these nominees, five Fellows will be selected by an Expert Panel.
  • Once selected, each Fellow will be assigned a mentor to advise them on their internship search strategy.
  • The Fellow will be responsible for identifying and securing their own internship.
  • Once an internship is successfully secured and approved by the DFA, the Fellow is awarded €6000 towards costs

What are the DFA Fellowship Assessment Criteria?

In awarding Fellowships, the Expert Panel will take into consideration a broad set of candidates’ qualities. These include:

  • Genuine interest in pursuing a career in policy and/or policy research, as demonstrated by previous work experience, extra-curricular activities or other experiences.
  • Evidence of taking initiative in professional, academic, or extracurricular work, detailed in the candidate’s CV or statement of purpose.
  • Demonstrated teamwork skills and ability to work collaboratively, as indicated by past academic, professional or voluntary experiences.
  • Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.
  • Comprehensive writing and editing skills. Nominees will be invited to submit a short writing sample as evidence of skills.
  • Track record of academic excellence, supported by a reference letter from an academic faculty member.
  • Candidates might wish to include any experience with statistical software.

What is the Trinity application and selection process?

You must meet the eligibility criteria outlined above. Complete the application form before 12noon on Thursday, 5th January 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.

  1. You must submit (in pdf format and using the naming convention “candidatename_university_cv” and “candidatename_university_SOP”):
    • A one page CV highlighting your academic achievements and any relevant extra-curricular or professional experience
    • A statement of purpose describing your reasons for applying for the Fellowship as well as your suitability (max 500 words). This should include your internship goals and how they connect to your career aspirations. You should also provide evidence of your capacity to work well in a competitive environment.
  2. Applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of their application submission. Those shortlisted will be invited for a short interview, which will take place during the week commencing 23rd January 2023.
  3. Two students will then be selected and nominated by Trinity to the DFA by Friday, 27th January 2023 for consideration for the Fellowship. A reference letter from a Faculty member, and a writing sample, will be sought at this time.
  4. The DFA will announce the Fellows selected by end of February 2023.

Questions?   To find out more about the Iveagh Fellowship Programme contact us at careers@tcd.ie.

Read about Trinity's Iveagh Fellows

2022

Olivia Daly, P.Grad. Dip Applied Data Social Science 2022
Rebecca Cleere, B.A Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures 2024

2021

Cliodhna Ryan, B.A. PPES 2021

2020

Ciara Kavanagh

"'The 2020 Iveagh Fellowship accelerated my career path in unimaginable ways in truly unprecedented times. The motivation that being named a recipient of this award sparked in me really pushed me to put myself out there and trust my skills, despite the harsh landscape the graduates of 2020 faced. Not only that, this bursary gave me the practical support to pursue a career in international affairs right out of college.

I was lucky enough to secure an internship with Médecins Sans Frontières,- Doctors Without Borders USA in their New York City Headquarters, where this financial support allowed me to put my weight behind the international crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic and get a glimpse into the humanitarian sphere. The fascination with the evolving role of aid and development and the concrete administrative and IT skills I learned there prepared me for my current role in diplomacy as the Executive Assistant in the Office of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations.

It is an immense privilege to know that this Fellowship has opened doors I never thought I were meant for me." 

2019

Naomi Vaida

"For me, the Iveagh Fellowship was an incredible opportunity to build lasting relationships and gain unique experience at the intersection of policy and research.

Based in the University of Oxford, I pursued a research project with James Walsh, economic researcher at the World Bank and PhD student at the university, and Susan Fiske, Professor at Princeton University.  Our research examines how people share and cooperate in light of stereotypes they have of each other, yielding insights that will be used to address real-world conflict.

If you are curious about the changing landscape of the world and want to experience an intense cross-pollination of personal and professional development, please apply! This fellowship offers you the freedom to take your ideas and contributions to a new level that may well impact your career for life." 

Eimear Duff

"Winning an Iveagh Fellowship gave me the opportunity to spend two months in Washington D.C. at Results for Development (R4D), a cutting-edge international development NGO, founded in 2008 by former World Bank Vice President David de Ferranti and others.

There I gained an incredible exposure to many aspects of international affairs.   I attended the United Nations High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, where I met Dr Tedros, Director-General of the World Health Organization.   I also regularly attended international policy events taking place at various institutions and think tanks and also worked to support the innovative $200 million Health Systems Strengthening Accelerator.  This has been immensely enriching and an invaluable learning experience and has revealed to me a new vista of opportunities that would otherwise have been invisible, and unattainable."