IRCSET offers Fellowships to exceptional candidates who wish to pursue a defined programme of work after the PhD award in target “host” laboratories. This work is under the direction of the Fellow but with the assistance of a nominated mentor at the host location.
IRCSET is currently offering EMPOWER fellowships:
EMPOWER: Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowships in Science, Engineering and Technology
IRCSET will continue to offer their sought-after fellowships based at an Irish host laboratory. The candidates must have been employed for no more than 36 months as a postdoctoral researcher before the closing date of the Call, and propose pursuing their work for 24 months at an Irish research laboratory. They must be able to provide evidence of at least one significant research output, such as a published peer-reviewed article or equivalent intellectual property output. For more detailed information on the eligibility criteria, please download the 'EMPOWER Terms & Conditions' document from the EMPOWER page. Applications for EMPOWER will be accepted via one call for Postdoctoral Fellowships in autumn each year. For more information on this scheme, including how to apply, please follow the link in the left-hand menu.
The number of EMPOWER fellowships to be awarded in 2012 shall amount to approximately 20. Due to the small number of awards available, a Principal Investigator will only be permitted to support only one applicant to the 2011/2012 call. For more information, please download the Call documentation from the EMPOWER page.
Enterprise Partnership Scheme
IRCSET also offers fellowships funded under the Enterprise Partnership Scheme, an innovative initiative where IRCSET links with private enterprise and eligible public bodies to co-fund postgraduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships among the most promising researchers in Ireland. The scheme offers researchers the opportunity to gain additional beneficial experience and insight into the commercial arena while completing their research.
There are two methods of applying for an Enterprise Partnership Scheme Fellowship:
- Where an Enterprise Partner has been identified and has agreed to co-fund a fellowship, applicants should only apply directly to the Enterprise Partnership Scheme. For details please link here.
- Where an Enterprise Partner has not been identified, EMPOWER applicants can indicate their interest in also being considered for an Enterprise Partnership Scheme fellowship by completing the appropriate section of the EMPOWER online application form. By completing this section of the form, the applicant authorises IRCSET to discuss their EMPOWER application with potential Enterprise Partners with a view to possible co-funding of a Fellowship. This process will not begin until after the results of the EMPOWER Call have been announced.
The Call for Fellowships in 2012 is currently open. It will close in December 2011. The results will be announced in April 2012. For a full list of precise call dates, please link here. Please link here for the results of the 2010/2011 Call.
INSPIRE: IRCSET-Marie Curie International Mobility Fellowships in Science Engineering and Technology
In 2008 and 2009, IRCSET offered these prestigious IRCSET-Marie Curie co-funded awards. Candidates must have been within 5 “academic years” from the award of PhD or equivalent, and proposed pursuing their work for up to 24 months at a research laboratory in any country of their choice worldwide, followed by a 12 month reintegration period at an Irish research laboratory. No further calls for INSPIRE fellowships are currently planned.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they they adhere to the Terms & Conditions of the scheme, including fulfilling the eligibility requirements. Previously unsuccessful applicants may re-apply, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. Individuals who currently hold or have held an IRCSET Postdoctoral Fellowship cannot reapply for the EMPOWER or Enterprise Partnership schemes.
The allocation of awards under this competition will be subject to the availability of funding from the Department of Education and Skills.
For queries please first visit the FAQ page. If the answer to the query is not there, please contact fellowships [at] ircset.ie