Association and Trust
The TCD Association and Trust was established in 1987 following the merger of the Association (est. 1928) and the Trust (est. 1955) and is governed by a committee of Trinity graduates who participate on a volunteer basis. The Association and Trust provides grant support for a wide variety of College projects where funding is not available from mainstream resources. It supports a significant number of projects each year – Trust supported 90 activities during the 2018/2019 academic year - covering a broad range of areas and groups across College including the activities of student clubs and societies, academic research, student welfare and travel, training and charitable activities. Examples of past projects that have received grants are highlighted in the banner above.
If you’d like to learn more or are interested in getting involved with the Association and Trust, please contact us at alumni@tcd.ie and follow us on Twitter at @TCDTrust. Membership to the Trinity Association and Trust is open to a number of different categories of Trinity affiliations, such as Fellows and Honorary Fellows, alumni, etc.
How to Apply for a Grant
The following information explains the process of applying for a grant with more detailed inforamtion below in the FAQs on Funding Criteria section:
- Students and staff have two opportunities per year to apply for grants.
- Before submitting an application, please review the criteria for support.
- Grants are not awarded retrospectively.
- Normally, applications should be for projects which will take place within a year from the date of application.
- We advise that you prepare your application in a document before filling out this form as you cannot save progress while completing the application.
- You will receive an email copy of your application once you have successfully submitted it.
- Applicants can expect to have a response on their application approximately four weeks after the deadlines.
- Applications for funding support can be made using the online application form.
Applications are now closed. They will reopen Spring 2024.
Applications for the Autumn 2023 round of grants are now open. There are two opportunities per year to apply for grants (Autumn and Spring), and grants are not awarded retrospectively. Normally, applications should be for projects which will take place within a year from the date of application. The closing dates for application submissions for grants awarded in 2023/24 academic year are 20 October 2023 for first round and 9 February 2024 for the second round.
Click here to submit your applicationTCD Association and Trust Grant Application Form
By submitting this webform, applicants agree that the application, including the applicant's contact details, may be shared with the Executive Committee of the Trinity Trust for the specific purpose of assessing and awarding grants.
TCD Affinity Credit Card
One of the main sources of funding for the TCD Association and Trust grants comes from the TCD Affinity Credit Card. With over 10,000 cardholders to date, a percentage of the annual turnover on these cards is donated back to Trinity by the Bank of Ireland.
FAQs on Funding Criteria
Who can apply:
Grants are available to students and staff.
When do I need to apply?
There are two opportunities per year to apply for grants. Grants are not awarded retrospectively. Normally, applications should be for projects which will take place within a year from the date of application. Closing dates for the current academic year are:
5pm on Friday, 20 October 2023
5pm on Friday, 9 February 2024
When will I know if I have been successful?
Applicants can expect to have a response on their application approximately four weeks after the deadlines.
What and how much can I apply for?
The Trust allocates funding for the ‘advancement of learning and education in the College and the University and the maintenance and development of the educational and other charitable activities of the College and University’. Categories include:
- ‘Seed’ money: to develop proposals that might attract large grants from other bodies.
- Publications – Academic: publication of books by academic and other staff. Maximum Grant: €1500. A copy of the publication must be provided to the Trust and Association.
- Publications – Students: student publications linked to a student society. Maximum grant: €500. A copy of the publication must be provided to the Trust.
- Exhibitions and Events: grants to College Societies towards cultural and other events. NB the cost of accommodation, food or drink will NOT be covered.
- Training and Education: contribution to training and educational projects. NB fees for College courses will NOT be covered.
- Welfare and Charity: contributions to student welfare and charitable projects. NB In some cases, grants may be administered through a College officer who may also advise about the value of a project.
- Equipment: grants to Sports Clubs to fund equipment NB reference to DUCAC is essential before submission of an application.
- Travel – Sports Clubs: grants to Sports Clubs to fund the travelling expenses of teams/individuals on significant tours or equivalent events.
- Travel - Postgraduates: Postgraduate travel to conferences and research institutes or libraries (administered by the Dean of Graduate Studies). Post-Doctoral researchers may apply for travel grants through their Head of School. NB other funding sources for the applicant will be taken into account.
- Travel – Undergraduates: students going with recognised schemes, e.g. DOVE, MOVE, etc. Maximum grant: up to €200 (UK), €350 (Europe) and €500) (rest of world). NB Participants may not return to their country of origin.
What is funding not available for?
- Loans
- Food and drink costs
- Accommodation costs
- College courses fees / administration costs
- Grants for Postgraduates already being sponsored by a funding agency such as IRC, IRCSET, and SFI
- Printing tickets for events - please consider online ticketless alternatives
Although support is not usually provided for repeated applications, it is recognised that different generations of students may benefit from such projects
What information do I need to include in the grant application?
- A description of what you are applying for
- A budget explaining how the grant would be spent
- What other sources of funding have been applied for (if any), and the outcome from these requests
- An indication of how you could increase awareness of the Trinity Alumni Affinity Credit Card should you receive a grant.
What are the terms and conditions if I receive a grant?
Should you receive a grant, you should raise awareness of:
- The Alumni Affinity Credit Card
- The Trust as a grant allocation body to which students and academics can apply
You can do this by:
- Advertising the Trinity Affinity Credit Card in all publications
- Tagging @TCDTrust on Twitter to acknowledge the grant
- Distributing flyers at your event
- Having a pop-up stand advertising the Trust
- Other methods
Additionally, you must submit an activity report including photographs of the activity (cleared for use in an annual report and other Trust publicity) before funds can be drawn down.
Academic Publications - acknowledgement of support from the Trust and Association is required in the publication. Proof that the book is being published must be produced before any grant is released. Should the book be a commercial success, the author is expected to return the grant.