Funding Opportunities 23/24
A range of funding opportunities are available to postgraduate students, and the Department of Philosophy makes every effort to secure funding for students accepted into the programme. Some of these opportunities are identified below, and further details are available from the websites listed.
Irish Research Council
The Irish Research Council (IRC) provides funding for students from the EU to pursue postgraduate work. The closing date for the receipt of applications for postgraduate funding through the IRC is usually February or March (please consult the IRC's website for the most up-to-date submission deadlines). Students do not need to have been offered a place in the Ph.D. programme before they can apply for funding through the IRC, but they do need the support of their proposed supervisor.
John Dillon Fellowship in Ancient Philosophy
The Department of Philosophy is accepts applications from continuing and incoming students for the John Dillion Fellowship in Ancient Philosophy. The fellowship is a one-year PhD studentship that covers full fees and a stipend of €13,500. The holder may be required to teach, but will be entitled to extra pay for any teaching.
To be eligible for the fellowship, the student’s thesis must be in the area of Ancient Philosophy and the student must not be in receipt of other funding for that year. Incoming students will automatically be considered for the fellowship when they apply to the PhD program.
Continuing students should submit the following materials to the PhD Programme Director, currently Alison Fernandes, by 31 March:
- Statement regarding your funding situation outlining what funding you have received previously and what funding you are currently applying for.
- Optionally, a short statement of no more than 1 page outlining any additional relevant research activity (beyond coursework and dissertation research), such as presenting at conferences, submitting papers for publication, etc. This does not need to be a formal statement, but can be a bulleted list.
- A statement from your supervisor (not more than 1 page) sent directly to the Programme Directo outlining your current progress in the PhD program and any additional relevant research activity.
Trinity College Postgraduate Awards and Scholarships
The University offers two classes of awards to postgraduate research students:
Postgraduate Ussher Fellowships
These fellowships are available to new entrants on the research register. The fellowships aim to support and develop gifted research students. They are highly competitive and are awarded on the basis of academic merit.
The fellowship fully covers EU and non-EU fees and provides annual maintenance of €13,000 per year for three years.
Students are nominated for the competition by the Philosophy Department’s PhD Admissions Committee. Any nominated student will be requested to complete an application for a College Research Award, in addition to their PhD application. Nominations are assessed after 1st May. Candidates are informed of the outcome of their application from June/July onwards.
Postgraduate Research Studentships
Studentships are open to new entrants to the full-time PhD register as well as continuing students in a given academic year. Their aim is to support and develop gifted research students. They are competitive and are awarded on the basis of academic merit.
The fellowship fully covers EU and non-EU fees and provides annual maintenance of €6,500 per year for three years.
This studentship is typically only available to Philosophy students once every four years. If available, the award is awarded by the Departmental PhD Admissions Committee.
Additional Funding Opportunities
Teaching Assistantships
Each year the Department offers a number of Teaching Assistantships to postgraduate students. These entail providing weekly tutorials for undergraduate students and marking undergraduate essays. Rates of payment are set each year by the Head of Department.
Students who wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship may apply to the Head of Department, Professor John Divers. The Head of the Department may also directly request postgraduate students to serve as Teaching Assistants, especially if such duties are required as a condition of financial award.
Funding for Conference Travel
Graduate students may apply to the Department for a grant for conference travel or books. The amount of the grant varies and grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis. Alternatively, students may apply for funding for conference travel through the Trinity Trust Travel Grant administered by the Graduate Studies Office.
External Funding Opportunities
The Graduate Studies office provides a list of sources for external funding.