Career Awards, Scholarships & Bursaries

You are eligible to apply if you are a full-time undergraduate student at Trinity, (including both EU and Non-EU students) and not already in receipt of funding from the Careers Service, e.g. Laidlaw Scholarship.

Work experience opportunities for current final year students must be begun by the end of the summer following your final examinations.

You will be eligible to apply for any figure up to and including a maximum of €500 over the course of your undergraduate journey. You can apply multiple times as the need arises but you will not be eligible to apply again once you have reached the maximum limit of €500.

It is important to show in detail how you calculated the amount you are applying for, how it will be spent and why it is necessary. You will be required to provide detailed receipts after the work experience has occurred. There is no guarantee that an application will be successful or that you will receive the full amount requested. If funds are awarded but you fail to provide full receipts after the experience, then you must repay the relevant funding amount to Trinity.

This Bursary can only be used to cover related travel, accommodation, family care, equipment, or work clothing costs incurred as a result of undertaking the work experience. You must provide a detailed breakdown of the amount you are requesting. e.g. Instead of €200 for clothes, please detail what clothes you need to buy and what price each category will be: trousers, shirts, shoes etc. If the cost is flights or accommodation, detail the price, company, organisation etc.

The Summer 2025 Employability Bursary is now closed for applications. Please keep an eye out next Spring for The Summer 2026 Employability Bursary Application Form.

Please see below for examples of documents that you will be asked for in your application.

You will be asked to include the following with your application:

1. A one-page CV

2. Details of the Bursary amount you are applying for and its intended use

3. A personal statement on why you should be offered the Bursary (300 words maximum)

4. Proof of the work experience opportunity offered to you (Letter of Offer)

All applications must be made in advance of the work experience.

All applications will be considered on an individual basis by the Bursary Review Committee based on the information provided in your application.

Bursaries will be assessed on the strength of the information provided in the application form. Trinity reserves the right to assess the suitability of the work experience as part of the application process and its decision is final.

In considering applications, the Bursary Review Committee will be looking for evidence that the opportunity:

1. Complies with the criteria as outlined above;
2. Contributes to your personal development;

and/or

3. Supports development of your employability skills;

and/or

4. Supports your future career aspirations;

Trinity reserves the right to interview applicants, either remotely (by telephone/video call) or in person should we wish to do so.

Once a Bursary is approved, you will receive the funding requested as soon as possible

At the end of the work experience you will need to:

• Provide proof that you have undertaken and completed the work experience/opportunity as set out in your Bursary award, e.g. an email/letter from the organisation/individual.

• Submit receipts to prove expenditure for the total amount awarded to you. Failure to do so will mean that you will have to repay the Bursary funding. Any unspent funds must be refunded to Trinity.

You will be required to provide a written (500 words minimum), audio or video reflection on your work experience and its impact on supporting, influencing or making a difference to your career choices and decisions. This reflection should address the questions below:

• Can you describe in detail if and how this experience enhanced your skills and employability? (c. 250 words)
• What did you learn from this experience that will influence your next steps on your career journey? (c. 250 words)

In creating this reflective work, you are encouraged to consider your development of the Trinity Graduate Attributes while participating in this work experience and may wish to refer to the Trinity guidelines on Reflection and information on using Trinity's Guided Reflection Tool.

NOTE: You will also be expected to participate in Trinity meetings/events relating to your Bursary experience if required.

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

• Irish citizens
• Enrolled on a undergraduate or postgraduate (diploma/masters) degree programme in an Irish university
• Interested in careers in international policy, including work in international development, human rights and humanitarian work

• 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 €6,000 towards costs

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
• Clear communication of what the Fellow hopes to achieve through the Iveagh Fellowship award
• 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

The 2025 Iveagh Fellowship has not yet been announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs.  As soon as details are available all eligible students will be notified by email.

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 and the two (2) Trinity nominees will be notified by [to be confirmed by DFA]. A reference letter from a Faculty member, and a writing sample will be sought at this time
3. Nominee details will be forwarded by Trinity to the DFA by [to be confirmed by DFA] for consideration for the Fellowship
4. The DFA will announce the Fellows selected by [to be confirmed by DFA]

Questions? Contact us at careers@tcd.ie.

Bursaries will be assessed on the strength of the information provided in the application form. Trinity reserves the right to assess the suitability of the work experience as part of the application process and its decision is final.

In considering applications, the Bursary Review Committee will be looking for evidence that the opportunity:

1. Complies with the criteria as outlined above;
2. Contributes to your personal development;

and/or

3. Supports development of your employability skills;

and/or

4. Supports your future career aspirations;

Trinity reserves the right to interview applicants, either remotely (by telephone/video call) or in person should we wish to do so.