Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme 2025/26

Applications for the prestigious Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme 2025/26 will open on 11 September 2025. Managed by Research Ireland and funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, this programme is one of Ireland’s most competitive national funding initiatives for postgraduate study.

The scholarship supports Master’s and PhD students across all disciplines, offering recognition, financial support, and research opportunities in Ireland’s world-class academic institutions.

About the Programme

The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is highly regarded for its merit-based selection process and its focus on empowering individual researchers.

Key Highlights:

Prestigious individual awards granted in the name of the applicant.
Independent international peer review for a rigorous and fair selection.
Open to all academic disciplines – from archaeology to zoology.
Encourages pioneering, creative, and interdisciplinary research proposals.
Supports non-directed, bottom-up research, except where linked to national strategic partners.

Eligibility Criteria (2026 Call)

From the 2026 application round, the programme will be open to:

New entrants to a Master’s or PhD programme.
First-year registered students in the programme for which funding is sought.

📌 Note: Supervisors may act as a Primary Supervisor for only one applicant per call, but may co-supervise multiple candidates.

Why Apply?

The programme is among the most competitive in Europe, with an average success rate of 18% over the past five years. Awardees are considered to have world-class potential and are recognised as emerging leaders in research.

Strategic Funding Partners

While most awards are non-directed, some are co-funded by strategic partners who align with Ireland’s national research priorities. Details on these partnerships will be outlined in the official 2026 Call Document.

Fellowship Timeline