National University of Ireland - NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship (Humanities and Social Sciences)

NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship (Humanities and Social Sciences)

You get up to 33,000 EUR per year for up to 4 years, which is up to 132,000 EUR in total, paid every quarter. Each year's amount is a stipend (living allowance) of 25,000 EUR plus up to 8,000 EUR towards your tuition fees, paid back against receipts. If you already get substantial funding from another source, NUI may instead give you a travel grant of up to 4,000 EUR per year. The National University of Ireland (NUI) pays this award from its own funds and has run it since 1910. For 2026 it gives 4 studentships across all subjects. This stream covers the humanities and social sciences, including arts, social sciences, business, law and psychology, and welcomes projects that mix several fields. One of the four is the NUI-French Embassy in Ireland Travelling Doctoral Studentship, for projects involving France: research trips to France, French studies, work with a French research lab, or a doctorate at a French institution.

Who can apply

• Your link to NUI: You graduated from an NUI member university or a linked or recognised college. Or you are in your first year of doctoral research at an NUI institution, or hold an offer to start one. NUI members include University College Dublin, University College Cork, Maynooth University and University of Galway.
• Your degree: You have an honours bachelor's degree (NFQ Level 8). Or you have an ordinary bachelor's degree (Level 7) plus a relevant master's (Level 9). You need results of at least a 2.1 (Second Class Honours, Grade 1) or equivalent.
• Study stage: If you are already enrolled, you must be in the first year of your doctorate when you apply.
• Time abroad: Your research must include a long stay abroad, either a doctorate overseas or significant research stays abroad as part of it.
• Field of study: Any humanities or social sciences subject.
• Previous applications: You have applied for this studentship no more than once before. You have never held an NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship or NUI E.J. Phelan Fellowship.

How to apply

You apply by email to NUI Awards. Send the application form and two confidential academic references. The deadline for 2026 is 6 March 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

In 2026, NUI gives 4 Travelling Doctoral Studentships in total, across both the humanities and social sciences and the sciences.