Scholarships and Awards

30% Club Scholarship 

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law in partnership with the 30% Club is offering a scholarship opportunity for the Master in Public Policy to one female candidate. This reflects UCD’s commitment to promote greater gender diversity in leadership positions within the public and not for profit sectors. (opens in a new window)https://30percentclub.org/about/chapters/ireland

The Master of Public Policy Programme is offering one full time or part time (EU fee waiver) scholarship to a female candidate.

Closing date for applications for September 2024 entry is 30th June 2024. All enquiries in relation to the scholarship to be made to (opens in a new window)mpp@ucd.ie

Applications for the scholarship will be competitively assessed based on the following criteria:

1. In order to be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must have submitted an application to UCD and have been offered a place on the programme.
2. Applicants should then submit a letter of motivation for the scholarship which should cover the following:
      - An outline of your career to date.
      - Why do you think you should be awarded this scholarship for a Master of Public Policy, in line with the objectives of the aim of the 30% Club to support women into  positions of leadership in all walks of life.

The motivation letter should be no less than 500 and not more than 1,200 words in length.

3. CV (maximum 2 pages)

The motivation letter and CV must be submitted in one file (preferable MS Word or pdf format) to (opens in a new window)mpp@ucd.ie

Application submissions should clearly state "30% Club Scholarship - Master of Public Policy". 

The closing date for applicants for this scholarship is 5pm on 30th June 2024.

Note: For applying for Master of Public Policy programme, please click this link.

Testimonial: Aine McDonough - 2023 awardee

It is a great privilege to have been awarded the 30% Club Scholarship for the Master of Public Policy in UCD in 2023. Having spent the last thirteen years in the Irish Army and served overseas on UN Peacekeeping missions in Lebanon in 2016 and 2019, I felt that the time was right to further my education. The MPP interested me because of the strong grounding in public policy offered by the core modules, as well as the variety of the optional modules. As I progress in my military career, I expect to have more interaction with government departments at home and also International and Non-Governmental Organisations abroad. I hope that the MPP course will give me an understanding of Irish public policy that will enable me to be an advocate for the Defence Forces, as I believe that we play a vital role in the defence of the State and in promoting Irish foreign policy. I also want to highlight the importance of improving the gender balance, particularly in leadership roles, in what has been a traditionally male-dominated environment. I am grateful to the Defence Forces for having supported me in pursuing the MPP part-time and would encourage other women to consider applying for a 30% Club Scholarship.

I feel incredibly honored to receive the 30% Club Scholarship for the Master of Public Policy at UCD. As a neurodiverse person, I feel it is so important to have visibility for women in leadership roles that represent the autistic community. Education has completely transformed my life, and I feel so appreciative of this opportunity to continue my educational journey. During my
time at UCD, I hope to increase my skill set while enhancing my understanding of the policy process. I believe the MPP will give me the tools to pursue a career within the nonprofit or voluntary sector, specifically in the area of disability and human rights. I am deeply passionate about working in a sector that promotes equality and participation in Irish society. My goal is to use the information I gain from the Master of Public Policy at UCD to affect real change through public policy development.

 

PhD Scholarship Opportunity

Mental health and Mindfulness: Professionals and the Populations they serve

University College Dublin (UCD)

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice. Dublin, Ireland

About the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice Scholarship

The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice aims to provide one student with outstanding potential and a strong desire to undertake a full-time PhD programme the opportunity to work within the area of mental health with the support of an excellent supervisor. This scholarship provides full tuition fees and a stipend over the course of the UCD four-year structured PhD programme and will be based at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice. University College Dublin is Ireland’s global university which is a world-leading centre for education and research in the social sciences and related disciplines. This PhD scholarship aims to provide one student who is passionate about research, has very strong analytical skills and is able to demonstrate outstanding academic performance the opportunity to work within an exciting multidisciplinary research field. We invite applications for the PhD programme, starting September 2023. On completion of the PhD, the successful candidate will earn a PhD in Social Work from University College Dublin, under the supervision of Dr. Alan Maddock.

Funding

Successful candidates will receive the following financial support for 4 years:

• Full funding for tuition fees.
• A stipend of €18,000 per annum to assist with living expenses.
• Research fund of €4,000 per year.
• A programme of training opportunities and events delivered by the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law.

Am I eligible?

Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applications are accepted from candidates from Ireland, the EU and worldwide.
• An academic background in Social Sciences or cognate disciplines.
• Candidates should have achieved a minimum 2.1 honours or international equivalent in a Masters degree cognate to the proposed thesis topic.
• A PhD research proposal that examines Mental health and Mindfulness: Professionals and the Populations they serve.
• UCD is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Learn more: ucd.ie/equality

How to apply

The PhD has a commencement date in September 2023. The application must be submitted via email to (opens in a new window)alan.maddock@ucd.ie no later than March 31, 2023, 23:59 Irish Time, and must include:

• Proof of English proficiency (6.5 IELTS minimum).
• Diploma and Transcripts of academic records (undergraduate and postgraduate).
• Research proposal (3,000 words maximum, not including references, See guidelines HERE).
• Personal Statement (1,000 words).
• Letters of recommendation (Two).

Applicants will be shortlisted and then interviewed by an authorized appointment committee.

 

Find out more

For more information about the structure of the PhD programme in Social Work please consult the School website: www.ucd.ie/socialpolicyworkjustice/study/graduateprogrammes/phdsocialpolicysocialworkandsocialjustice

 

About the School

The School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice is part of the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law and operates a Structured PhD programme. This programme has proven to be highly successful and enables our PhD candidates to gain the best possible experience of graduate research and training.

 

About the lead investigator

1. Dr. Alan Maddock is an Assistant Professor/Ad Astra Fellow at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice. Alan is a professionally qualified social worker who worked for a number of years as a mental health social worker with persons experiencing homelessness, and subsequently as youth mental health social worker in a primary care setting. Alan has a PhD in Psychology from Trinity College, Dublin. His research expertise spans the topics of Mental health and Mindfulness: Professionals and the Populations they serve based on research undertaken in Cambodia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. His latest publications can be found here: (opens in a new window)Alan Maddock Publications | University College Dublin (ucd.ie)

The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice aims to provide one student with outstanding potential and a strong desire to undertake a full-time PhD programme with the opportunity to be part of pioneering research on reduced worktime and weekly schedules, under an excellent supervisor.  The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of global experts researching the economic, social and environmental implications of a shorter working week, using data from the (opens in a new window)4 Day Week Global Trials and other sources.  The successful candidate will be part of an active and expanding research project. They will gain experience in a range of research activities including; research design, project management, data collection and analysis, under Dr Orla Kelly's supervision.

The candidate will have the opportunity to explore the impact of reduced work time on various employee outcomes, including financial security, health and wellbeing outcomes, the gendered distribution of household labour, pro-environmental behaviour, and energy use.  The project involves both quantitative and qualitative research. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to further their skills during the doctoral degree but is expected to already have a strong foundation in quantitative methods.

This scholarship provides full tuition fees and stipends throughout the UCD three-year structured PhD programme.  The successful candidate will be expected to also apply for other sources of further funding under the guidance of the project supervisor.

The candidate will be based at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice.  University College Dublin is Ireland's global university, a world-leading centre for education and research in the social sciences and related disciplines. 

This PhD scholarship aims to provide one student who is passionate about research, has solid analytical skills and is able to demonstrate outstanding academic performance the opportunity to work within an exciting multidisciplinary research field. On completion of the PhD, the successful candidate will earn a PhD in Social Policy from University College Dublin, under the supervision of Dr Orla Kelly.  We invite applications for the PhD programme, starting September 2023 or January 2024, depending on the candidate’s preference.

 

Am I eligible?

Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applications are accepted from candidates from Ireland, the EU and worldwide but will need to be based in Ireland for the degree.
• An academic background in Social Sciences or cognate disciplines.
• Candidates should have achieved at least 2.1 honours or international equivalent in a Masters's degree cognate to the proposed thesis topic.

• UCD is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Learn more: www.ucd.ie/equality

How to apply

The PhD has a commencement date in September 2023 or January 2024.  The application must be submitted via email to orla.kelly1@ucd.ie no later than April 30, 2023, 23:59 Irish Time.

• Proof of English proficiency (6.5 IELTS minimum).
• Diploma and Transcripts of academic records (undergraduate and postgraduate).
• Research Statement (Max 2500 words). This should address;
  • your motivations for studying work time reduction;
  • details on what aspect of worktime reduction / the 4 Day Week you are interested in exploring and why;
  • how your existing training and experience could add to the research team.
• A list of two academic references.

Documents should be send as a single pdf file.

Find out more

For more information about the structure of the PhD programme in Social Policy please consult the School website: www.ucd.ie/socialpolicyworkjustice/study/graduateprogrammes/phdsocialpolicysocialworkandsocialjustice

About the School

The School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice is part of the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law and operates a Structured PhD programme.  This programme has proven to be highly successful and enables our PhD candidates to gain the best possible experience of graduate research and training.

About the Supervisor

Dr Orla Kelly is an Assistant Professor in Social Policy at the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice.  She specialises in studying sustainable human wellbeing, eco-social policies, degrowth, sustainable development, and the social dimensions of climate change.  She has expertise in quantitative research and mixed methodologies.  Dr Kelly is the Principal Investigator of a research pilot exploring the economic, social and environmental impacts of reduced work time in Ireland.  She is also part of the international academic research team investigating the implications of reduced worktime trials led by the 4-day Week Global campaign across the UK, USA and Australia.  Her profile can be found (opens in a new window)here.

Funding Notes

Successful candidates will receive the following financial support for three years:

• Full funding for tuition fees.
• A stipend of €18,000 per annum to assist with living expenses.
• A programme of training opportunities and events delivered by the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law.