2024 GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND PROGRAMMES

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship

Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship 

CALL DOCUMENT 

Key dates
Call open 31 August 2023
FAQ deadline 16:00 (Irish time) 05 October 2023
Applicant deadline 16:00 (Irish time) 12 October 2023
Supervisor, mentor deadline 16:00 (Irish time) 19 October 2023
Research office endorsement deadline 16:00 (Irish time) 26 October 2023
Call outcome April 2024
Award start date 1 September 2024

Due to heavy server traffic on the day of the applicant and academic supervisor/mentor
deadlines, all participants are strongly advised to submit their forms well in advance of the
relevant deadline.
Applications cannot be submitted once the deadline has passed. Academic
supervisor/mentor forms cannot be submitted once the deadline has passed.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. About the Irish Research Council .................................................................................................... 3
2. Purpose of this call document......................................................................................................... 3
3. Government of Ireland programmes .............................................................................................. 3
4. Strategic funding partners .............................................................................................................. 4
5. What we offer ................................................................................................................................. 4
6. Eligibility .......................................................................................................................................... 5
7. Government of Ireland Programmes .............................................................................................. 6
8. Ineligible applications...................................................................................................................... 9
9. Thinking about applying? .............................................................................................................. 10
10. Gender........................................................................................................................................... 11
11. Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) .............................................................................. 11
12. ORCID ............................................................................................................................................ 11
13. Plagiarism and related issues ........................................................................................................ 11
14. Assessment process ...................................................................................................................... 12
15. Notification and feedback ............................................................................................................. 13
APPENDIX 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 14
APPENDIX 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 17
APPENDIX 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 18
APPENDIX 4 ....................................................................................................................................... 20
APPENDIX 5 ....................................................................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX 6 ....................................................................................................................................... 25
APPENDIX 7 ....................................................................................................................................... 26

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1. About the Irish Research Council

The Irish Research Council is the national funder of excellent research across all disciplines. It
invests in discovery research and in ground-breaking ideas that address major societal challenges,
funding a diverse range of excellent individual researchers across all career stages.

The Irish Research Council collaborates with enterprise, civil society, and with government to
leverage the skills, knowledge, and talent of researchers to achieve maximum benefit for society.

Established in 2012, the Irish Research Council is an associated agency of the Department of
Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and operates under the aegis of
the Higher Education Authority.

2. Purpose of this call document

This call document provides information for applicants in preparing and submitting an application
for an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship or a Government
of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship. It also provides a general overview of the assessment process.
This document, in conjunction with the General Terms and Conditions for Early-Career Awards,
the letter of offer and the Irish Research Council’s policies and procedures, set out the terms and
conditions for all early-career awards funded by the Irish Research Council. The Irish Research
Council reserves the right to amend this call document at any time.

3. Government of Ireland programmes

The Government of Ireland programmes, namely the Government of Ireland Postgraduate

Scholarship Programme and the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme, are
established national initiatives, funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education,
Research, Innovation and Science and managed by the Irish Research Council. These programmes
support suitably qualified research master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates pursuing, or
intending to pursue, full-time research in any discipline.

The Government of Ireland programmes are unique in the Irish research landscape. Among their
features are:

• individual, prestigious awards for excellent research in the name of the applicant;
• the opportunity for awardees to direct their own research project at the early-career
stage, working with a supervisor or mentor as relevant;
• an objective selection process using international, independent expert peer review;
• funding across all disciplines, from archaeology to zoology; and
• awards for bottom-up, non-directed research, with the exception of those awards
funded by our strategic funding partners.

Applications can be made in any discipline. Please consult the Irish Research Council’s research
categorisation document for further descriptions of the primary areas, disciplines and other
research areas covered. Pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research or

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 those introducing creative, innovative approaches are welcomed. Proposals of an interdisciplinary
nature are also encouraged as it is recognised that advancing fundamental understanding is
achieved by integrating information, techniques, tools and perspectives from two or more
disciplines.

These programmes are highly competitive, with an average success rate over the past five years of
18% on the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme and 12% on the
Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme. Successful awardees under these
programmes are recognised as demonstrating world-class potential as future research leaders.

4. Strategic funding partners

A number of government departments and agencies partner with the Irish Research Council to
support the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme as a mechanism to
deliver on shared national objectives. The Irish Research Council’s strategic funding partners for
the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme 2024 are:

▪ Environmental Protection Agency – see appendix 1 for more information

▪ Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth – see
appendix 2 for more information
▪ Met Éireann – see appendix 3 for more information
▪ Department of Foreign Affairs – see appendix 4 for more information

While applicants may apply for one theme only, those who choose to apply for a strategic funding
partner award will also be considered for a Government of Ireland award should they not be
aligned with the strategic funding partner theme. The Irish Research Council will check that
applications submitted for consideration under a strategic funding partner strand are broadly
aligned with that theme. Eligible applications that clearly have no alignment with the relevant
strategic funding partner theme will go forward for assessment under the core programme only.

5. What we offer

5.1 Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme

These awards will support suitably qualified research master’s and doctoral candidates
pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research in any discipline. The duration of a
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship ranges from one to four years depending
on the type of degree being pursued and the date of first registration (where relevant).

The value of the scholarship will be up to a maximum of €28,000 per annum in any approved
year and will consist of the following:
▪ a stipend of €19,000;
▪ a contribution to fees, including non-European Union fees, paid to the host
institution, up to a maximum of €5,7501; and
▪ eligible direct research expenses of €3,250 to enable the awardee to carry out
the research project.

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Any differential in fees must be paid by the awardee and/or host institution.

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 Please note that the scholarship award is comprised of all three budget headings listed above.
Applicants should not apply to seek funding for one or two of the budget headings only.

5.2 Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme:

These awards will support suitably qualified postdoctoral candidates pursuing full-time
research in any discipline. These awards can be either one or two years in duration and will
consist of the following:
▪ a salary of €42,783 in the first year of the award and €43,371 in the second year
of the award2;
▪ employer’s PRSI contribution; and
▪ eligible direct research expenses of €5,000 per annum.
Please note that the salary may be subject to change in line with changes to the IUA salary
scales. The purpose of a one-year fellowship is to prepare the applicant’s doctoral thesis for
publication through a variety of high quality published academic outputs e.g. monographs,
peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes. The purpose of a two-year fellowship is to develop
either a new research project or a research project that demonstrates a significant
development of the subject of the doctoral thesis through a variety of appropriate, feasible
and clear published outputs.

6. Eligibility

Potential applicants should carefully ascertain whether they are eligible in advance of applying to
either programme. All applicants will be required to complete and pass an eligibility quiz on the
online application system prior to accessing an application form. Further information outlining
what would deem an application ineligible is contained in section 8.
• There is no age limit for applicants to be eligible for either programme type.
• All applicants must be affiliated with an eligible Irish higher education institution or
research-performing organisation. 
• Applications will only be accepted in either the Irish or English language3.
• Applicants must not have had two previous unsuccessful applications to the relevant
programme, including to strategic partner themes. This applies regardless of whether the
applicant has changed their host institution or research topic since a previous
submission.
• The Irish Research Council is not in a position to award funding for research activity under
any of the following prohibited areas:  
▪ human cloning for reproductive purposes;  
▪ genetic modification of human beings that could make such changes heritable
(with the exception of research relating to cancer treatment of the gonads, which
may be funded); or   
▪ creation of human embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose
of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer.  

2
This corresponds with points 1 and 2 respectively on the IUA’s researcher salary scale at the time of call opening but may be subject to
change under the current national pay agreement. Any such changes will be applied in line with updates to the IUA’s researcher salary scale.
3 In order to facilitate assessment, those submitting an Irish language assessment are invited to accompany it with an English language

translation. Should an English translation not be provided by the applicant, the Irish Research Council will provide a translation to the
relevant assessors.

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7. Government of Ireland Programmes

7.1. Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme:

7.1.1. An applicant who is a new entrant to the postgraduate degree for which they are
seeking funding is eligible to apply for funding for the full duration of the degree as
outlined below:  

Degree type   Duration of funding to be awarded  

Research master’s degree   1 year  

Structured research master’s degree   2 years  

Traditional doctoral degree   3 years  
Structured doctoral degree   4 years
7.1.2. For applicants who have already completed part of the postgraduate degree for
which they are seeking funding, the duration of funding to be awarded is
dependent on the type of degree being pursued and the date of first registration
as outlined below:

Duration of
Academic
Degree type Date of first registration4 funding to be
year
awarded
Structured 1 Sep 23 – 31 Aug 24
research master’s (registrations prior to 2023/24   1 year
degree   1 Sep 23 are ineligible)
1 Sep 23 – 31 Aug 24 2023/24  2 years
Traditional 1 Sep 22 – 31 Aug 23
doctoral degree   (registrations prior to 2022/23 1 year
1 Sep 22 are ineligible)
1 Sep 23 – 31 Aug 24 2023/24 3 years
1 Sep 22 – 31 Aug 23 2022/23 2 years
Structured
1 Sep 21 – 31 Aug 22
doctoral degree  
(registrations prior to 2021/22 1 year
1 Sep 21 are ineligible)
7.1.3. All applicants must have a first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or
the equivalent, degree. If undergraduate examination results are not known at the
time of application, the Irish Research Council may make a provisional offer of a
scholarship on condition that the scholar’s bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree
result is a first class or upper second-class honours. If the applicant does not have a
first class or upper second-class honours bachelor’s, or the equivalent, degree, they
must possess a master’s degree. The Irish Research Council’s determination of an
applicant’s eligibility on these criteria is final5.

4 Exceptions to the above dates of first registration may only be made for those who have taken an eligible career break from their degree
programmes.
5
Host institutions are expected to be guided by QQI and the NFQ in terms of the recognition and equivalence of a degree.

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 7.1.4. All degree results as entered in the application form and endorsed by the host
institution must be the applicant’s overall results and verifiable as such on official
transcripts. Regardless of whether they are relevant to the eligibility requirements
listed in clause 7.1.3, conditional awardees will be required to submit official
transcripts for each degree listed in the application confirming the overall result,
date of graduation and awarding institution6. If such transcripts cannot be
presented, or do not verify the information exactly as detailed in the application,
any conditional offer of an award will be withdrawn.
7.1.5. Applicants for a research master’s degree must not currently hold, or have
previously held, an Irish Research Council scholarship.
7.1.6. Applicants for a doctoral degree must not currently hold, or have previously held,
any Irish Research Council scholarship other than one which would have enabled
them to obtain a research master’s degree.
7.1.7. All applications require an academic supervisor willing to guide the proposed
research project. The Irish Research Council is not in a position to assist applicants
in finding an academic supervisor for their application. It is also possible to include
a secondary or co-supervisor on the application.
7.1.8. Applicants from any country may hold a Government of Ireland Postgraduate
Scholarship, however applicants will fall under one of two categories based on
nationality and residency7:

Applicants must meet BOTH of the following criteria:

• be a national of a European Union member state
(including the Republic of Ireland) OR Iceland, Norway,
Liechtenstein, Switzerland or the United Kingdom or
Ukraine
AND
Category one
• have been ordinarily resident8 in a European Union
member state (including the Republic of
Ireland) OR Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland
or the United Kingdom or Ukraine for a continuous
period of three of the five years preceding 1 September
2024.
All other applicants who do NOT meet both of the above
Category two
criteria.
7.1.9 While the majority of scholarships will be awarded to applicants who fall under
category one, a proportion of scholarships will also be made to exceptional
applicants who fall under category two. In 2022, the success rates broken down by
category were as follows:

6 On request, supporting, non-returnable material must be forwarded by the Research Body to the Irish Research Council for inspection
before the award can commence. All transcripts must be appropriately stamped and signed to confirm that they are official documents of
the institution.
7 The Irish Research Council reserves the right to request documented evidence of an applicant’s nationality and residence.

8 Ordinarily resident refers to the applicant’s place of legal and permanent residence. This will not be deemed as having been interrupted if

an absence from the country of ordinary residency has been caused by the training, education or employment of the applicant or the
applicant’s spouse or parents.

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 Success rate for
Overall success rate9 category two
applicants10
Science, technology,
engineering and 17% 3%
mathematics (STEM)
Arts, humanities and
19% 4.5%
social sciences (AHSS)

7.2 Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

7.2.1 All applicants must:
▪ have been awarded their doctoral degree within the five-year period before 31
May 2024. For the purposes of this condition, the date of graduation will be taken
into account; or 
▪ have been certified as having fulfilled within the five-year period before 31
May 2024 all the requirements for the award of a doctoral degree, including the
submission of the hardbound corrected thesis, but have not yet graduated. 
7.2.2 An applicant’s period of eligibility may be extended as a result of any properly
documented eligible career break, provided the grounds for the extension started
before the call deadline. Eligible career breaks include maternity leave, paternity
leave, adoptive leave, parental leave, parent’s leave, extended sick leave and carer’s
leave.
7.2.3 Only career breaks taken by the applicant as a statutory entitlement will be
considered eligible. Career breaks explained by working outside of academia or by
being unemployed for a period of time will not be considered as valid reasons to
extend the eligibility window.
7.2.4 If an applicant wishes to extend their period of eligibility, they must produce
evidence, birth certificate(s), medical certificate(s) and/or documents from the HR
office of their employer at the time of the eligible break(s):
• For maternity leave, applicants will be granted an 18-month extension for
each child born before or after the first PhD award, regardless of how long the
applicant took for maternity leave. If the applicant can document a longer
maternity leave, the eligibility period will be extended by the documented
amount of actual leave taken until the call deadline. The same principle also
applies for child adoption.
• For paternity leave, applicants will be granted an extension equal to the
documented amount of paternity leave actually taken for each child born
before or after the first PhD award. The same principle also applies for child
adoption.
• For long-term illness (over ninety days for the applicant or a close family
member, i.e. child, spouse, parent, sibling), applicants will be granted an
extension equal to the documented amount of leave actually taken by the
applicant for each incident which occurred after the first PhD award.

9 Awards as a percentage of all eligible applications within the stream.

10
Awards as a percentage of eligible category two applications.

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 • For all other eligible career breaks, applicants will be granted an extension
equal to the documented amount of leave actually taken by the applicant for
each incident which occurred after the first PhD award.

7.2.5 All applicants must:

▪ have authored or co-authored at least one published peer-reviewed research
publication11; or
▪ have demonstrable equivalent intellectual property output; or
▪ provide a copy of the table of contents and one chapter from their doctoral
thesis. Please note that submission of more than one chapter will render your
application ineligible. 
7.2.6 All degree results as entered in the application form and endorsed by the host
institution must be the applicant’s overall results and verifiable as such on official
transcripts. Regardless of whether they are relevant to the eligibility requirements
listed in clause 7.2.1, conditional awardees will be required to submit official
transcripts for each degree listed in the application confirming the overall result,
date of graduation and awarding institution6. If such transcripts cannot be
presented, or do not verify the information exactly as detailed in the application,
any conditional offer of an award will be withdrawn.
7.2.7 Applicants must not currently hold, or have previously held, a Government of Ireland
postdoctoral fellowship.
7.2.8 All applications require an academic mentor willing to guide the proposed research
project. The Irish Research Council is not in a position to assist applicants in finding
an academic mentor for their application.
7.2.9 Applicants must not have been employed as a postdoctoral researcher for more than
five years as at 31 May 2024.
7.2.10 Applicants must not be a permanent member of staff in either an Irish or
international higher education institution or research-performing organisation.
7.2.11 Applicants from any country may hold a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral
Fellowship.

8. Ineligible applications

8.1. In addition to section 6 and 7 above, applications will be deemed ineligible and will not be
considered for funding if:
• an applicant submits more than one application to a given call;
• an application has not been submitted via the online system by the relevant
deadline. No hardcopies or email forms will be accepted;
• an application does not have all the required participant forms, i.e. academic
supervisor or mentor (as relevant), completed in full and submitted via the online
system by the relevant deadline. No hardcopies or email forms will be accepted;
• the name of the academic supervisor or mentor included in the eligibility quiz on the
online system does not match that on the application form;

11A journal article in an international journal, or a peer-reviewed conference proceedings paper, that has been published or accepted for
publication. Articles submitted or in preparation are not acceptable.

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 • more than one academic supervisor or mentor’s name is included in the eligibility
quiz on the online system;
• The eligibility quiz on the online system is submitted without an academic
supervisor’s or mentor’s name;
• an application is incomplete or exceeds the word limits;
• an application includes additional materials other than those requested;
• an application includes materials in a format other than those requested;
• it is found at any stage during the process that any section of an application has been
plagiarised or is not the applicant’s own work (see section 13 for more information);
• any information supplied in an application is false, misleading or unverifiable with
appropriate documentation;
• the research project as proposed in the application form is currently or has
previously been funded either in full, or in part, by the Irish Research Council or any
other funding agency;
• the application is not endorsed by the applicant’s host institution, i.e. the vice-
president/dean of research or their authorised nominee, via the online system by
the relevant deadline;
• canvassing on behalf of the applicant occurs.

9. Thinking about applying?

For reasons of transparency and fairness to all applicants, we will not enter into written or
telephone correspondence with any individual about the assessment process or their eligibility to
apply. In the first instance, you should contact the research office in your proposed host
institution for information and clarification on the call. It is highly recommended that applicants
contact the office well in advance of submitting an application. If your research office is unable
to answer your query, they should email it to [email protected] or [email protected] as
relevant for answer through the frequently asked questions (FAQ) process. An updated FAQ
document will be published weekly under the relevant Call on the Irish Research Council’s website.

Potential applicants are invited to consider the general application feedback provided by our
assessors in advance of submitting their applications. Please find this information under the “FAQ”
tab on the website of the Call. Details of scoring under each criteria according to the relevant
programme are provided in appendix 6 and 7.

You should not add an academic supervisor or mentor to your application without their prior
approval. Prior to creating an application, you should contact and discuss your research project
with your proposed academic supervisor or mentor as relevant. It is the sole responsibility of the
applicant to inform the proposed academic supervisor or mentor of their nomination. This should
be done well in advance of completing the online application.

It is strongly encouraged that application and participant forms are submitted well in advance of
the relevant deadline as heavy server traffic on the day may slow down their submission.
Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the day of the deadline to register on the
system or submit their application. If you need to submit your application on the closing day,
please do this at least six hours before the deadline.

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 While an academic supervisor or mentor at an Irish host institution is permitted to support more
than one award holder under each programme, this should not be used as a means for academic
supervisors or mentors to form research teams. Each application must be in support of an
individual and original project, written by the applicant and distinctively different to other
applications which may be received under the same academic supervisor or mentor.

Please note that no alterations can be made to an eligibility quiz once it has been submitted. Once
you submit your eligibility quiz, you will not be able to access it again. Please also note that, no
alterations can be made to an application once it has been submitted. It is therefore important to
check and re-check the eligibility quiz and the application form until being fully satisfied with all
sections before submitting them. If successful, an applicant will only be offered funding to carry
out the project as detailed in the application.

10. Gender

A key feature of the Irish Research Council’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan is to provide equal
outcomes for all applicants so that Ireland can attract and retain the most talented, creative and
innovative researchers, thereby maximising its collective research intelligence. To ensure a level
playing field for all applicants, the Irish Research Council seeks to gender-blind the assessment
process for these programmes.

As such, profile information containing the name and gender of applicants is not provided to
reviewers during the assessment process. Applicants are therefore asked to refrain from
identifying their gender when completing their application forms. We also ask that supervisors
and mentors use ‘the applicant’, ‘s/he/’, ‘they’ and ‘his/her’, ‘their’ when providing their
observations rather than the person's name or pronouns which would identify their gender.
Applicants are advised to consult the sex/gender dimension statement in appendix 5 in advance
of completing the personal, ethical and sex/gender statements section of their application.

11. Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

The Irish Research Council is signatory to the San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment
(DORA) and, as such, we are aligning our assessment processes with DORA principles. To this end,
all types of research output are recognised and we are committed to assessing the quality and
impact of research through means other than journal impact factors.

12. ORCID

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from each other and,
through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports
automated linkages between a researcher and their professional activities ensuring that their
work is recognised. If an applicant does not currently have an ORCID, please register for one at
www.orcid.org in advance of submitting an application.

13. Plagiarism and related issues

Applications are expected to be entirely the applicant’s own work. Random sampling for evidence
of plagiarism and excessive duplication will be carried out during the application and award

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 process. Plagiarism is defined as the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results,
or words without giving appropriate credit. It will be deemed that excessive duplication has arisen
when significant portions of multiple applications to the Irish Research Council are similar or
identical in content.

If such instances of plagiarism or excessive duplication are identified by the Irish Research Council
at any stage during the application or award process, the relevant application(s) will be deemed
ineligible, award offers will be withdrawn, or active awards will be terminated with one month’s
notice. Such instances of plagiarism or excessive duplication will also be brought to the attention
of the host institution and the applicant in question will be prohibited from applying for Irish
Research Council funding in the future.

14. Assessment process

Applications are first checked by the Irish Research Council for eligibility. All applications will be
assessed solely on the basis of the material provided at the time of submission. Award holders will
be selected following a transparent, merit-based, impartial and equitable selection procedure,
based on international peer review. There are separate funding streams for STEM and AHSS. Each
stream is assessed independently on a competitive basis. Profile information containing the name,
date of birth and gender of applicants is not provided to reviewers during the assessment process.

Eligible applications will be sent for remote evaluation to an outer international assessment board
(IAB). Each application is assessed by at least two remote independent, international reviewers.
Each assessor submits their evaluation, and the applications are ranked in order of merit. The top
ranked applications are then referred to an inner IAB where they are assessed by two further
independent, international reviewers before being discussed at an inner IAB panel meeting
relevant to the particular funding stream. The primary responsibility of the inner IAB is to
determine a quantitative ranking of the applications presented to it, arrive at an overall judgement
of standard and make final recommendations to the Irish Research Council. The Irish Research
Council will then fund down the ranked list presented to it by the inner IABs until funding is
exhausted. The Irish Research Council’s decision on whether to make an award under either
programme is final.

While outer IAB members may be more familiar with your specific research field, the inner IAB
will be made up of representatives with significant overarching experience who will have a more
general understanding of your field. Thus, it is important that you write your application so that
both outer and inner IAB members can clearly understand the research proposed therein and
form a fair evaluation and assessment of whether it is of a sufficient standard to recommend for
funding. Applications are assessed under four headings:
• applicant;
• project;
• training and career development aspects of the proposal; and
• environment.

Assessors consider all four headings and allocate scores as per the evaluation criteria detailed in
appendices 6 and 7. Applicants are advised to familiarise themselves fully with the evaluation
criteria prior to making an application. If the total average score is the same between two or more

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 applications, applications with the same average scores will be ranked according to average score
under the project category.

15. Notification and feedback

The Irish Research Council is precluded from discussing results of the competition or the outcome
of individual applications over the telephone or in writing. Feedback to unsuccessful candidates
will consist of the score assigned by the IAB. Additional qualitative feedback will be provided to
applicants under the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme only. Feedback
derived from the commentary of the assessors must be requested by applicants within 3 weeks
of notification of the outcome. Once this window has passed, no further requests for feedback will
be permitted. Feedback will likely be provided in early summer after the overall review process
has concluded. Under no circumstance will feedback provided by the Irish Research Council
compromise the confidentiality of any participant in the process.

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 APPENDIX 1
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

BACKGROUND

In partnership with the Irish Research Council, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites
applications for an Environmental Protection Agency Postgraduate Scholarship, hereinafter referred
to as an EPA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The EPA is an independent public body established in July 1993 under the Environmental Protection
Agency Act, 1992. Its purpose is to protect, improve and restore our environment through
regulation, scientific knowledge and working with others. As part of its wide range of functions the
EPA manages an environmental research programme that delivers essential scientific support for
environmental policy development, implementation and broader decision making. EPA Research
focuses on achieving environmental objectives, informing policy and bringing together researchers
and research users. The EPA also has responsibility for coordinating environmental research in
Ireland.

The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the
Environment, Climate and Communications.

More information on the EPA and its Research Programme is available at: www.epa.ie

EPA RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2021-2030

EPA Research 2030 is a ten-year high-level framework for the EPA's research programming (2021-
2030), designed to be agile, responsive and flexible. Within this framework, the EPA research
programme plays an important role in generating evidence to support the design and
implementation of effective and robust policy, evaluate its outcomes, and demonstrate its value.

EPA Research 2030 has a thematic structure, comprising the following four interconnected hubs that
bring an integrated and cross-sectoral approach, enabling holistic management and protection of
our environment:
• Addressing climate change evidence needs
• Facilitating a green and circular economy
• Delivering a healthy environment
• Protecting and restoring our natural environment

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As part of EPA Research 2030, a detailed consultation is undertaken on a three-year cycle to identify
key research areas and actions, including emerging challenges and knowledge requirements for each
of these research hubs. The EPA Research Thematic Assessment 2021-2023 is available on our
website.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

The EPA Research Programme has a strong focus on policy and is driven by national regulations and
European directives. The scope of EPA-funded research is informed by its relevance to policy and its
alignment with the key activities of the EPA. Consideration of the interactions between social,
behavioural and economic factors as an integral component of environmental research will lead to
enhanced governance and more effective implementation of environmental policies and strategies.

Proposals are invited for innovative research to provide evidence to support environmental policy
in Ireland. Applicants must clearly demonstrate the relevance of their proposed research to the
work of the EPA and national policy and should consider some or all of the following in the
preparation of their proposal:
• EPA Research 2030;
• EPA Research Thematic Assessment 2021-2023;
• National environmental policy context;
• Key activities of the EPA; and
• Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to consider whether Earth Observation (e.g.,
COPERNICUS) could be used to address their selected research question.

Thematic research areas of strategic interest include:

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a. Addressing climate change evidence needs

Climate change is already having an impact in Ireland and strong mitigation and adaptation
measures are needed. Research is essential in providing the evidence necessary to improve
our knowledge systems and inform policy decisions that will advance our ambitions to be
carbon neutral and resilient to climate disruption.

b. Facilitating a green and circular economy

Environmental and sustainability challenges are inextricably linked to economic activities

and lifestyles. Research is needed to contribute to the mainstreaming of sustainable
management of natural resources and waste, unlocking the potential of the circular and bio-
economies, and boosting competitiveness, through resource efficiency and deployment of
innovative technologies and solutions.

c. Delivering a healthy environment

A clean, vibrant and safe environment is a prerequisite for good health and wellbeing.
Environmental degradation, pollution, as well as known and emerging substances of concern
threaten our health and that of our supporting ecosystems. Research will contribute to
understanding the risks and benefits, and to identifying appropriate policy and behavioural
responses.

d. Protecting and restoring our natural environment

Our natural environment provides us with clean air and water, food and the raw materials to
sustain us and our economy. Research is required to inform and support a cross-sectoral
approach to managing our natural environment and for the development of policies relating
to the regulation of emissions and activities, and the protection of our water, land and
ecosystems.

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 APPENDIX 2
POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN CHILDHOOD DISADVANTAGE IN IRELAND

BACKGROUND

In partnership with the Irish Research Council, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,
Integration and Youth invites applications for the Postgraduate Scholarship in Childhood Disadvantage
in Ireland. One scholarship will be made to the top ranked applicant recommended for funding.

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, EQUALITY, DISABILITY, INTEGRATION AND YOUTH

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s mission is to enhance the
lives of children, young people, adults, families and communities, recognising diversity and promoting
equality of opportunity. Please read the Department’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 for a
comprehensive overview of current strategic priorities. These include:

• Developing, implementing and influencing evidence informed policies and legislation that improve
the outcomes for those we serve.
• Ensuring the provision of a range of quality and sustainable services, underpinned by strategic
investment, that meet the needs of individuals, families and communities.
• Helping those who are vulnerable, including children, young people and at risk individuals, to
overcome adverse circumstances and to achieve their full potential.
• Promoting the development of a progressive, respectful and equal society, informed by the
experiences of past generations and seeking to respond to the needs of survivors.
• Working in partnership with individuals, families and communities, and across Government
Departments, public bodies and civil society to achieve better outcomes.

POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN CHILDHOOD DISADVANTAGE IN IRELAND

This scholarship has been established in memory of the children who died in Mother and Baby
Institutions. Applications are invited from those wishing to undertake research in the area of
childhood disadvantage. Possible areas of strategic interest include, but are not limited to the
following themes:

Possible thematic areas of strategic interest include:

a) Children who live/have lived with social and/or economic disadvantage.

b) Children who experience/have experienced difficulties or disadvantage due to living with

disabilities or additional needs (broadly defined).
c) Children from migrant populations, Travellers, or Roma who experience/or have
experienced disadvantage as a result.
d) Any relevant socio-historical research.

17
 APPENDIX 3
MET ÉIREANN POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

BACKGROUND

In partnership with the Irish Research Council (IRC), Met Éireann invites applications for Met Éireann
Postgraduate Scholarships. A maximum of five Met Éireann Postgraduate Scholarships will be made
to the top ranked Met Éireann applications recommended for funding.

MET ÉIREANN

Met Éireann is the Irish National Meteorological Service as recognised by the World Meteorological
Organisation under an international convention since 1950 and is a division of the Department of
Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Met Éireann is responsible for the collection and production
of high-quality meteorological data, the communication of authoritative weather and climate services
to protect life and property and the promotion of wider societal and economic wellbeing. Met Éireann
conducts research into weather and climate and develops weather and climate services for Irish
society and to inform Government policy and decision-making. Met Éireann maintains mission critical
24/7 operational offices, systems and infrastructure needed for successful provision of weather
forecasts, severe weather warnings and regulated services to citizens, decision-makers, emergency
management and Irish aviation.

Priorities

• Met Éireann continues to provide an effective authoritative voice on meteorology and

climatology in Ireland, supported by focused research, underpinned by a strong ongoing
commitment to excellent customer service standards and by exploiting the traditional, digital and
social media communications platforms. Met Éireann leads the national Destination Earth
coordination group;

• Met Éireann continues to strengthen its support for emergency management during extreme
weather events by focusing on users’ needs and increasing the relevance of weather information
to users’ concerns. This effort includes development of impact-based forecast services, using
stakeholder vulnerability and exposure datasets and Met Éireann’s state-of-the-art meteorological
information;

• Met Éireann is prioritising the development of the climate services it provides to support improved
societal outcomes in relation to planning and preparing for climate change impacts, through the
translation and transfer of climate knowledge to researchers and decision-makers in policy and
business. For example, Met Éireann’s TRANSLATE project is producing standardised national
climate projections and helping produce future climate information to further support climate
adaptation in Ireland, leveraging the considerable international research already underway;

• Met Éireann is developing flood forecasting capacity and targeting pre-operational trials of its
Flood Forecasting Centre for fluvial and coastal flood events. Fluvial (river) models for all Irish

18
 catchments have been developed and the transfer of the OPW’s Tide and Storm Surge Forecasting
Service to Met Éireann is on the way. To ensure effective communication of flood alerts and
advisories to the main stakeholders, a communications strategy has been put in place and its
implementation will be aided through the procurement of an appropriate dissemination system;

• Met Éireann continues to develop a modern integrated meteorological infrastructure. Increased

high performance computing capacity, an improved observational dataset, robust business
continuity management capability, modern weather radar network and resilient and agile ICT
services are essential to provide better weather and climate services. Investing in meteorological
and climate research will generate new products and new forms of industrial cooperation and
support innovation, competitiveness, growth and job creation.

MET ÉIREANN POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

In partnership with the Irish Research Council, Met Éireann invites applications for Met Éireann
Scholarships which will develop innovative research to provide evidence in support of specific
thematic areas of strategic interest to Met Éireann (see below).

Please read Met Éireann’s Strategic Plan 2017 – 2027, entitled “Making Ireland Weather and Climate
Prepared - Helping Irish society to be ready for and responsive to weather and climate risks”.

Possible thematic areas of strategic interest include:

• Climate services;

• Climate modelling;

• Specialised weather & climate research, e.g. impact, satellite, marine-, agri-meteorology;

• Applications of AI, Machine Learning, Data Analytics to weather & climate services;

• Weather & climate monitoring and observing systems and instrumentation;

• Numerical Weather Predication (NWP) modelling;

• General forecasting & flood forecasting;

• Dissemination & communication of weather & climate information;

• Perception & interpretation of weather & climate information;

• Decision making & emergency management in extreme weather events;

• Socio-economic impact of weather & climate information;

• Multi-hazard early warning system.

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 APPENDIX 4
ANDREW GRENE POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

BACKGROUND

In partnership with the Irish Research Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) invites
applications for one Andrew Grene Postgraduate Scholarship in Conflict Resolution.

Ireland’s policy for international development, A Better World, is a whole of government policy for
Ireland’s international development cooperation. It updates Ireland’s traditional focus on ‘the poorest
of the poor’ to realise the pledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reach ‘the
furthest behind first’.

The vision outlined in A Better World is of a more equal, peaceful and sustainable global community.
It incorporates Ireland’s international development cooperation and humanitarian action, along with
human rights, peacekeeping, disarmament and security policies and actions. It commits Ireland to
developing regional approaches to dealing with instability and conflict, highlighting specific needs
across the African continent, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Small Island Developing States.

ANDREW GRENE POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Eligibility

1. Thematic
Applicants’ proposed research must be coherent with one or more of the four policy priorities
identified in A Better World, within the overarching objective to reach those furthest behind first:
• Gender equality;
• Reducing humanitarian need;
• Climate action;
• Strengthened governance.

2. Regional
DFA’s preference is that proposals should focus on at least one of Ireland’s key partner countries
and/or on specific countries supported by Ireland that are affected by conflict and fragility12.

DFA will award funding to successful proposals that focus on one of the two following areas:

a. Women, peace and security

Ireland’s Third National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related
resolutions (known collectively as the Women, Peace and Security Agenda), was launched in
June 2019. The National Action Plan (NAP), which aligns closely with A Better World, sets out

12
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda
Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Colombia, Laos, Myanmar,
Palestine, Vietnam; Small Island Developing States.

20
 how Ireland will continue and enhance its implementation of the WPS agenda across the four
pillars of Prevention, Participation, Protection and Promotion and will run for a five-year
period from 2019-2024. The NAP is a key instrument in driving Ireland’s strong commitment
to gender equality in fragile and conflict affected contexts, including:

• strengthening women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peace processes,

peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention;
• addressing root causes of conflict;
• strengthening protection of women and girls from conflict related harm;
• promoting a gender perspective and expertise in peace and security.

Research is encouraged in particular in improving the evidence-base for women’s

participation in decision-making around peace and security and in understanding the impact
of harmful social norms, including masculinities and discriminatory gender norms on gender
equality and on positive engagement of men and boys as stakeholders and advocates for
supporting the WPS agenda.

b. Post-conflict reconciliation
Reconciliation involves rebuilding relationships and trust damaged during conflict, whether
between different groups or between citizens and the State. As each conflict is unique,
reconciliation takes different forms in different post-conflict settings: as national political
dialogue; truth-telling; transitional justice and prosecutions; reparations (individual and
collective); reintegration; peace education; and human rights-sensitive institutional reform.
Reconciliation is context-specific and context-sensitive, meaning that each society must find
its own way towards reconciliation, informed by the particular nature of the conflict or the
character of the transition, and by the crucial role played by women in reconciliation
processes. Ireland has actively sought to engage in two-way lesson-sharing with countries that
have gone through and/or are going through their own reconciliation processes. Research is
encouraged on comparative lessons in these contexts and in particular relation to Ireland’s
key partner countries and specific countries affected by conflict and fragility13.

13
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda
Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Colombia, Laos, Myanmar,
Palestine, Vietnam; Small Island Developing States.

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 APPENDIX 5
GUIDANCE ON THE SEX/GENDER DIMENSION STATEMENT

While there are research projects in which biological sex and/or gender may not be relevant in terms
of the research content, it is well established that, where relevant, integrating sex and gender analysis
into the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of the research can lead to better
results and opportunities. If relevant sex-gender issues are missed or poorly addressed, research
results will be partial and potentially biased. In worst-case scenarios poor consideration of the sex-
gender dimension in research can result in real-world applications based on inaccurate results or
conceptions. Full consideration of the sex-gender dimension in research content is a requirement for
all Irish Research Council awards.

The integration of the sex-gender dimension in research is commonly mistaken for the integration of
gender balance in research teams. These are two distinct matters, and the gender balance of a team
should not be used to answer the sex-gender dimension in research question. We recommend this
short video here from the European Commission on the integration of sex/gender dimension in
research.

Definitions

Sex refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals. It is primarily associated with
physical and physiological features including chromosomes, gene expression, hormone levels and
function, and reproductive/sexual anatomy. Sex is usually categorised as female or male.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women,
boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other,
how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender is usually
conceptualised as a binary (girl/woman and boy/man) yet there is considerable diversity in how
individuals and groups understand, experience, and express it. The Irish charity, BelongTo provides a
list of terminology associated with gender here.

Resources

The following links provide positive and negative examples that result from the inclusion or exclusion
of sex and gender in research respectively. These may be useful for applicants to complete the sex-
gender dimension statement in the application:

General

• Stanford University resource concerning the sex-gender aspects of research

STEM

• Online training for integrating sex and gender in health research

• Article about the dangers of drug testing on all-male animal populations (animal studies,
drug design)
• Gender research focus in agricultural technology and botanical science (agriculture,
botanical science)
• Transport Infrastructure Ireland report on the implications of transport design for women in
Ireland (transportation engineering)

AHSS

22
 • Article on urban design principles that take into account the needs of women and minority
groups (urban design)
• Oxfam study about the gendered impacts of mining (geoscience)

How to consider the potential gender dimension and implications for your research

The following is provided to help applicants complete the sex/gender dimension statement in the
application. This is taken from the ‘Gender in EU-funded research’ toolkit, which aims to give the
research community practical tools to integrate gender aspects into their research, including gender
equality (equal outcomes for women and men) and integration of sex/gender analysis in research
content.

1. The best possible research validity: Research should take into account the differences
between men and women in the research population, and results will be more
representative. General categories such as ‘people’, ‘patients’ or ‘users’ do not distinguish
between men and women. Research based on such categories may well draw partial
conclusions based on partial data. For example, research on a new breast cancer
treatment should include male patients, so as to draw a complete picture. Most basic
research with animal models focuses on males to the exclusion of females (Zucker et al.,
2010; Marts et al., 2004). Research on economic migrants cannot limit itself to male points
of view if it wants to understand the whole migrant population.
2. Research ideas and hypotheses: The relevance of biological sex and/or gender for and
within the subject matter needs to be analysed and an assessment made as to whether
these are relevant variables. The formulation of hypotheses can draw upon previous
research and existing literature. Indeed, the body of knowledge on sex/gender issues has
been steadily growing over recent decades and can serve as interesting reference material
to build new hypotheses for future research.
3. Project design and research methodology: While research methodologies may vary, they
all strive to represent (aspects of) reality. Whenever this reality concerns humans, any
sound methodology should differentiate between the sexes and take into account the
men’s and women’s situations equally. Groups such as ‘citizens’, ‘patients’, ‘consumers’,
‘victims’ or ‘children’ are therefore too general as categories.
4. Research implementation: Data collection tools (such as questionnaires and interview
checklists) need to be gender-sensitive, use gender neutral language, and should make it
possible to detect the different realities of men and women. This will help to avoid gender
bias. For example, answers to be provided by the ‘head of household’ are not necessarily
valid for all household members.
5. Data analysis: In most research concerning human subjects, data is routinely
disaggregated by sex, which would logically lead to analyses according to sex. However,
to date this is still not common practice. Systematically taking sex as a central variable and
analysing other variables with respect to it (e.g. sex and age, sex and income, sex and
mobility, sex and labour) will provide significant and useful insights. Involving gender-
balanced end-user groups in the course of the research is also a good way of guaranteeing
the highest impact.
6. Dissemination phase – reporting of data: Collecting and analysing sex and/or gender
specific data is not enough if they are omitted from the published results. Sex and/or
gender should be included in ‘mainstream’ publications as it is as much part of daily reality
as any other variable studied. Specific dissemination actions (publications or events) for

23
 sex and/or gender findings can be considered. Institutions and departments that focus on
gender should be included in the target groups for dissemination. Publications should use
gender-neutral language.

Checklist for sex and/or gender in research content

Research ideas phase:

• If the research involves humans as research objects, has the relevance of biological sex and/or
gender to the research topic been analysed?
• If the research does not directly involve humans, are the possibly differentiated relations of
men and women to the research subject sufficiently clear?
• Have you reviewed literature and other sources relating to differences in the research field?

Proposal phase:
• Does the methodology ensure that (possible) sex/gender differences will be investigated: that
sex/gender differentiated data will be collected and analysed throughout the research cycle
and will be part of the final publication?
• Does the proposal explicitly and comprehensively explain how sex/gender issues will be
handled (e.g. in a specific work package)?
• Have possibly differentiated outcomes and impacts of the research on women and men been
considered?

Research phase:
• Are questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, etc. designed to unravel potentially relevant sex
and/or gender differences in your data?
• Are the groups involved in the project (e.g. samples, testing groups) gender-balanced? Is data
analysed according to the sex variable? Are other relevant variables analysed with respect to
sex?

Dissemination phase:
• Do analyses present statistics, tables, figures and descriptions that focus on the relevant
sex/gender differences that came up in the course of the project?
• Are institutions, departments and journals that focus on gender included among the target
groups for dissemination, along with mainstream research magazines?
• Have you considered a specific publication or event on sex/gender-related findings?

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 APPENDIX 6
GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation criteria and detail Maximum marks

APPLICANT, including:
• Track record and research potential of the applicant
- Quality
- Significance and relevance of the applicant’s key achievements
- Applicant’s personal statement
40
• Match between the applicant's profile and the proposed research
project
• Evidence of independent thinking
• Quality of the reference provided by the academic supervisor

PROJECT, including:
• Clarity and coherence of the proposed research
• Quality of the proposed research design and methodologies
• Feasibility of the proposed milestones, deliverables and
contingency plans
• Consideration as to how the proposed research will advance state
of the art and make a contribution to existing knowledge 40
• Plans for dissemination and knowledge exchange of the proposed
research
• Consideration of the relevant ethical issues and sex/gender
dimension
• Where relevant, does the application directly align with the
strategic funding partner’s themes and priorities?

TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSAL,

including:
• Clarity and quality of training and career development plan
• Potential for the development of new research-related and
transferable skills and competencies, including those relevant to 10
employment outside the traditional academic sector
• Capacity to acquire new knowledge
• Clarity of thought as to how the scholarship will impact on the
applicant's career path

ENVIRONMENT, including:
• Suitability and ability of the supervisor(s) to provide adequate
supervision
• Quality of infrastructure and facilities provided by the host 10
institution
• Match between the applicant, supervisor(s) and the host institution

25
 APPENDIX 7
GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation criteria and detail Maximum marks

APPLICANT, including:
• Track record and research potential of the applicant14,
- Quality
- Significance and relevance of the applicant’s key achievements
- Applicant’s personal statement 30
• Match between the applicant’s profile and the proposed project
• Evidence of independent thinking and leadership qualities
• Quality of the reference provided by the academic mentor

PROJECT, including:
• Clarity and coherence of the proposed research
• Quality of the proposed research design and methodologies
• Feasibility of the proposed milestones, deliverables and
contingency plans
• Consideration as to how the proposed research will advance state 35
of the art and make a contribution to existing knowledge
• Plans for dissemination and knowledge exchange of the proposed
research
• Consideration of the relevant ethical issues and sex/gender
dimension

TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSAL,

including:
• Clarity and quality of training and career development plan
• Potential for the development of new research-related and
transferable skills and competencies, including those relevant to 25
employment outside the traditional academic sector
• Capacity to acquire new knowledge
• Clarity of thought as to how the fellowship will impact on the
applicant's career path, including their professional independence

ENVIRONMENT, including:
• Suitability and track record of the mentor, with a particular focus on
their experience in developing researchers
• Quality of infrastructure and facilities provided by the host 10
institution
• Match between the applicant, mentor and the host institution

14
For instance, collaboration, networking, generation of knowledge, contribution to research and higher
education, leadership and management experience etc may be considered.

26