Postgraduate Research Funding

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Postgraduate Research Funding

• Vicky Garnett
• Embark Initiative
• 16th February 2006

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Postgraduate careers

• Postgraduate education
• Graduate training
• Voluntary work

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Postgraduate education

• Is it the best option?
• How do you begin?
• What can you start doing now?

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Is it the best option?

• Talk to postgraduate students
• Go to open days
• Take part in University based research programmes
  /summer internships in labs

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In the beginning

• Irish Research Funding was Project based
• Enterprise Ireland
• Science Foundation Ireland
• Health Research Board
• European Science Foundation
• Funding through a combination of these

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then in 2001..

• Dept. of Education and Science announced new
  Public Body to improve state research funding.
• IRCSET
• IRCHSS
• Gave more choice to the young researcher
• Choice of project
• Choice of University/ IT

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About us

• Chaired by Prof. Jane Grimson, with a Council of
  representatives from research institutions and
  industry
• Mission is to train researchers of the first rank
  and to promote excellence across a broad range of
  research in science, engineering and technology.
• Does not target research projects with an
  industrial or economic focus but instead aims to
  support researchers in exploring ideas and
  bringing vision to reality
• IRCSET STAND Number 93 here today.

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Embark Initiative Postgrad Scholarships

• 2 calls per year
• Spring Call - up to 150 scholarships
• Summer Call up to 30 scholarships
• Enterprise Partnership Scheme scholarships
• Up to 100 over both Spring and Summer Calls and
  throughout year

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Embark Initiative Postgrad Scholarships

• Open to all EU citizens who want to study at a
  Research Body within Ireland
• Open to all those wishing to carry out Basic
  Research in the field of Science, Engineering or
  Technology

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Embark Initiative Postgrad Scholarships

• Whats it worth
• EU24,003 per annum
• EU16,002 personal maintenance (rent, food)
• EU6501 expenses (travel costs, lab
  consumables, modestly priced computer)
• EU1500 transferable skills training

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Embark Initiative Postgrad Scholarships

• What you need to prepare
• Practise writing your personal statement and get
  this up to scratch. Talk it over with your
  career advisors, this is your opportunity to sell
  yourself!
• Look into project areas that interest you
• Approach potential referees

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Assessment

• 10 Research project
• Need to show focus, discuss this with potential
  supervisor
• 30 Academic Career
• Your CV, basically!
• 30 Personal Statement
• Need to show that research is a considered career
  path, its not the easy option!
• 30 References
• Get the referees to comment on just how fabulous
  you are! This will also include your position in
  class.

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Enterprise Partnership Scheme

• Allows applicants a second chance
• Co-funding with an Enterprise partner and IRCSET
  (1/3 enterprise, 2/3 IRCSET)
• Applications made mainly through postgrad
  scholarship call
• When completing online application form, make
  sure you tick the industrial partnership box

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How to begin

• Approach lecturers in the areas most interesting
  to you
• Are there any projects coming up that you could
  be involved in?
• Ask as much as you can
• Become familiar to the Faculty!

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What can you do now?

• Choose research topics based on your interests
• Start making friends with potential referees!
• Talk to postgrad researchers
• Do your homework on potential supervisors
• What areas are they particularly focused on
• Do they have any links with other research bodies
  / enterprise partners?
• What is their publications record like?
• Speak to their current students

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When the call opens (Feb / June)

• READ the Terms and Conditions before beginning
  application
• 9 times out of 10 this will answer all your
  questions!
• Register to the online applications system as
  soon as possible
• Familiarise yourself with the form, its quite
  detailed
• Tell your supervisor you are applying!
• The university or IoT WONT endorse your
  application if they have never heard of you
• Take time to fill out your form
• Check, double check, triple check your
  application before you submit, changes CANNOT be
  made afterwards

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Dont just take my word for it

• Dont be shy to approach or email any of the
  scientists they were in this position once and
  everybody understands that it is difficult to
  secure a PhD position while studying for final
  exams. The only way to get good current
  information is to contact the scientists
  themselves.
• TCD Embark Scholar

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• With new funding opportunities like IRCSET, the
  future supervisor need not have money to cover
  for a student so just email any prospective
  supervisor and ask if they're interested in
  taking on a PhD student. You dont need to
  commit to them until you've met and discussed
  your views with them.

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Useful websites

• Irish Research Council for Science Engineering
  and Technology/Embark Initiative
• www.ircset.ie
• Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social
  Sciences
• www.irchss.ie
• Expertise Ireland
• www.expertiseireland.com
• Researchers Mobility Portal
• www.researchcareersireland.com
• PostgradIreland and GradIreland
• www.postgradireland.com
• Irish Universities Promoting Science
• www.universityscience.ie

• Health Research Board
• www.hrb.ie
• Irish Universities Association
• www.iua.ie
• HETAC
• www.hetac.ie
• Higher Education Authority
• www.hea.ie

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Useful links

• Questions to help select a Supervisor
• http//www.phd-survey.org/advice/Advice20-20sect
  ion20three.htm
• Others that go close to addressing the issue are
• http//www.grad.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Onlin
  e_resources/What_Do_PhDs_Do_/Getting_the_most_from
  _a_PhD/p!eXeccpL
• www.google.ie
• - glaringly obvious, but surprisingly overlooked!

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International Websites

• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
  Council (UK)
• www.epsrc.co.uk
• Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
  (UK)
• www.pparc.ac.uk
• Council for the Central Laboratory of the
  Research Councils
• www.cclrc.ac.uk
• Research Councils UK
• www.rcuk.ac.uk
• European Science Foundation
• www.esf.org

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Contact details

• Vicky Garnett
• IRCSET
• Brooklawn House
• Shelbourne Road
• Dublin 4
• vgarnett_at_ircset.ie
• Tel [phone]