The National University of Ireland is now accepting applications for the NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentships 2026. This is a prestigious, fully funded doctoral scholarship designed to support PhD research with a strong international research component.
Established in 1910, the scheme promotes academic excellence, global research collaboration, and the development of future academic leaders within the NUI system.
Scholarship Overview
For the 2026 cycle, four full Travelling Doctoral Studentships will be awarded across multiple disciplines. One award will be reserved as the NUI–French Embassy in Ireland Travelling Doctoral Studentship to mark 100 years of academic partnership, supporting research linked to France or French institutions.
Fields of Study
The scholarship supports doctoral research in:
Humanities and Social Sciences including arts, humanities, social sciences, business, law, and psychology
Sciences and Engineering including natural and life sciences, engineering, architecture, agricultural science, computing science, food science, and veterinary, medical, and health sciences
Funding Value and Duration
The NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship is tenable for up to four years.
Funding includes a maximum total value of €132,000, with up to €33,000 per year. This covers a €25,000 annual stipend and up to €8,000 per year towards tuition fees, subject to receipts. Payments are made quarterly.
Where applicants already hold significant alternative funding, the award may be limited to travel support of up to €4,000 per year.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be graduates of an NUI constituent or linked institution, or be first-year doctoral students at an NUI institution, or hold an offer of admission to an NUI doctoral programme.
Applicants must hold at least a Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2.1) or equivalent, be in the first year of doctoral studies, and submit two confidential academic referee reports. Previous recipients of the award and full-time permanent academic staff are not eligible.
Application Process
Applicants must submit a complete application by email, including an application form, research proposal, abstract, CV, certified transcripts, and referee reports. All documents must be submitted as PDFs in a single compressed zip file not exceeding 20MB.
Application Deadline
Deadline: Friday, 6 March 2026
Applications should be sent to: awards@nui.ie
Applicants are advised to visit the official National University of Ireland website for full guidelines and application details.
