Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship

UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship 2026 - Applications Now Open!

Deadline: Friday 30th January 2026 at 5pm Dublin time

Overview

The scholarship is named after Dr Iseult Honohan, one of the first female PhD graduates from the (then) Department of Ethics and Politics. She retired from teaching in 2015 after over 25 years of service to UCD as one of the leading academics in normative political theory.

The aim of the scholarship is to attract applicants of the highest academic calibre to pursue a PhD in the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, and to provide them with the training, experience and mentorship necessary to their professional development.

We welcome applications from all areas of the discipline including political science, political theory, international relations, European governance, computational social science, development and international political economy.

The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) is the oldest and largest school of its kind in the Republic of Ireland. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, UCD School of Politics and International Relations is ranked in the top 100 in the world.

Timeframe

The deadline for submission of applications is 5pm Dublin time on Friday, 30th January 2026.

Entries beyond the application deadline will not be considered.

Eligibility

• Applications are open to candidates interested in either of the following programmes:
  
  
  • PhD Politics and International Relations
  • PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science (only with a SPIRe supervisor)

• Continuing students, students with a non-September start, students with a supervisor outside of SPIRe or students transferring only part of their PhD studies to UCD are not eligible for the scholarship.
• Applicants must have a minimum grade of 2.1 (GPA: 3.6) in a relevant Master's degree.
• Applicants who have not yet completed a Master's degree are eligible to apply but the award will be conditional upon a final minimum grade of 2.1. For applicants not currently holding an MA degree, the quality of the research proposal is particularly important.

What it Covers

This scholarship:

• Covers full fees (EU and Non-EU)
• Provides a living stipend of €25,000 per year for up to four years
• Is open to EU and non-EU applicants

Contact

For queries relating to the application process, please email dara.gannon@ucd.ie

Application Procedure

Applicants must fill out and submit the Application Form below.

The following documents will be required as part of the application form submission.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.  Please do not include any unrequested documents such as passport pages, birth certs, etc. 

• Cover letter, stating reasons for interest in the SPIRe PhD programme.  

• Thesis proposal   (1,500-2,000 words maximum, excluding bibliography) which should include the following:

• • provisional thesis title
  • a statement of the research question
  • a brief literature review that points to research gaps the PhD project could address
  • an outline of theoretical approaches considered
  • a brief discussion of the proposed methodology

• Copies of Academic Transcripts   (Undergraduate and Postgraduate)

• C.V. or Resumé   (2 pages maximum)

• Evidence of English language competence
  Non-native English speaking applicants must provide a cert from one of the examining bodies listed on this page.
  The certificate should be no more than 2 years old and must meet the minimum requirements as noted on the above webpage.
  Certificates from examining bodies not on this list or that do not meet the UCD minimum requirements will not be considered.
  
  If you have obtained a degree from a university in an English-speaking country, you are exempt from having to provide an English certificate.

• Two academic referees: You are required to include the contact details of two academic referees, who have agreed to provide a reference, on the google form. If your application is successful, we will be contacting your referees to obtain references. 
  
  Note that we may need your referees to provide a reference within a week [on short notice] if contacted during the month of February.

(opens in a new window)UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship Application Form