The awards are open to incoming PhD students within the School of Natural Sciences*.
The successful doctoral researcher will receive an annual stipend of €25,000 and the award will cover tuition fees (EU and non-EU) (excluding fees charged for student levies and charges).
The School of Natural Sciences will have one award to allocate.
The application process will follow a three-stage process.
Stage 1:
Candidates who wish to be considered for the award must identify a supervisor who agrees to supervise their PhD, and submit a completed application on SITS (please note this includes a non-refundable fee). Where relevant, students may also be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
Stage 2:
Candidates and supervisors should submit required documentation to the Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning (Micha.Ruhl@tcd.ie) and the administrator (oatridgg@tcd.ie) no later than Sunday 19th of April, 2026.
Candidates must submit the following documentation in a single pdf:
- Academic record (Academic transcripts UG and (where applicable) PG)
- 2 page personal statement
- 2 page CV
- 3 page research proposal
Supervisors must submit the following documentation:
- 2 page supervisor statement (use provided template)
In addition, candidates must ensure that two references are submitted as part of their SITS application.
Stage 3:
Following the receipt of applications, the School will convene a panel to review and rank candidate applications. This is expected to take place in May 2026. Indicative ranking criteria are included in the table below.
Following this meeting, the highest ranked candidate will be offered the award. If the highest ranked applicant declines the award, it will be offered to the second ranked candidate, etc.
*Students who have already started a PG-research degree are not eligible to apply
For full details see: Trinity Research Award 2026 School-based Call and Supervisor letter template - TRDA 2026