Centre for Cross Border Studies - North-South Scholarship

What you get

You will receive 25,000 EUR for your first year of Master’s study to study at a university across the Irish border. Winners from Northern Ireland will receive the same amount in pounds sterling. The funding covers the costs of an accredited full-time Master’s programme or the first year of a PhD programme. The programme is administered by ‘Universities Ireland’, the organisation that promotes collaboration between higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. At least four scholarships are awarded each year (five in the year 2025).

Who can apply

• What you study: A full-time Master’s degree programme or the first year of a PhD programme at one of the listed higher education institutions in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
• The border move: Your place on a postgraduate programme must be in the part of Ireland that is opposite to the one in which you obtained your previous degree. If you obtained your bachelor’s degree in the Republic of Ireland, your master’s or doctoral programme must take place in Northern Ireland, and vice versa.
• Your record so far: You are currently enrolled on a Bachelor’s degree programme or have completed one within the last 10 years with a grade of 2.1 or higher. Alternatively, you have completed a Master’s degree programme (or will complete one in 2026) and would like to pursue a PhD abroad.
• Field of study: All participants are eligible to take part.
• Nationality: Any nationality and any place of birth.
• Born in Ireland but studying elsewhere: If you were born on the island of Ireland and are studying in England, Scotland or Wales, you may also apply, provided that you are studying for your master’s or doctoral degree in the Irish administrative region in which you were not born.
• Who is ruled out: You are not eligible to apply if you have already obtained a bachelor’s degree in one Irish province and a master’s degree in another Irish province, or if you have already received a scholarship from ‘Universities Ireland’.

How to apply

Complete the application form on the ‘Universities Ireland’ website. You must also write an essay of between 2,000 and 2,500 words, explaining how your studies will contribute to a pan-Irish perspective. The application deadline is 14 May. Selection will be based solely on the written application and the essay; there will be no interviews. The results will be announced in June.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is highly selective: only a handful of scholarships are awarded each year, and you must cross the Irish border between two specific administrative districts whilst maintaining very good grades. This keeps the pool of eligible applicants small. The decision is based solely on an essay, so a clear and compelling presentation of your ‘All-Ireland’ approach is of the utmost importance. The organisers may award fewer scholarships if the standard is not high enough; therefore, a well-reasoned essay is what will set you apart from the rest.