NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentships
The NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship Scheme is one of the University’s longest running competitions and has been in existence since 1910. Funded by the University from its own resources, it continues an earlier scheme established by the Royal University of Ireland, which preceded NUI.
The NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship Scheme has as its main objectives:
to encourage students in the NUI federal system to pursue research; to enable these students to undertake postgraduate research abroad, in the most reputable universities, towards a doctoral degree, or to assist students registered in NUI institutions to foster international partnerships by undertaking substantial research periods overseas as part of their doctoral studies; to attract these scholars back to enrich the learning community within NUI.
In 2026, the maximum value of a full Travelling Doctoral Studentship will be €33,000 per annum to include a stipend of €25,000 and a contribution towards fees of up to €8,000, where appropriate.
To mark 100 years of partnership between NUI and the French Embassy in Ireland, one NUI-French Embassy in Ireland Travelling Doctoral Studentship will be offered among the four travelling doctoral studentships for 2026. Eligible applications will involve one or more of the below:
- A research project with one or more research trips to France
- A research project in French studies (e.g. language, literature, film studies)
- A research project in partnership with a French research laboratory
- A doctoral research programme hosted in a French higher education institution.
Applications must be submitted to NUI Awards (awards@nui.ie) by 6 March 2026
Regulations (265kb) Application Form (272kb) Confidential Reference Form (190kb)Please download the pdf to your computer (right click and save) and complete the form using Adobe Reader as not all internet browsers support on screen completion of pdf documents
Recent Recipients of NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentships
Ellen O’Neill in Pharmacology & Cancer Research -
Finn McCaffrey in Organic Chemistry
NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentships in the Sciences 2025
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Klara Trane in Geography -
Debora Lira de Lacerda in Law & Transitional Justice -
Daniel Lee in Neurophilosophy
NUI Travelling Doctoral Studentship in the Humanities and Social Sciences 2025
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