11 July: fyi -- scholarships, Ireland

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IRCSET / Embark Postgraduate Research Scholarship Programme 2007 – second
call now open – closing date 10 August 2007

(i) IRCSET / Embark Postgraduate Research Scholarship Programme 2007
(ii) TCD Signoff Procedure

(i) The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology
invites applications for funding from intending postgraduate researchers
under the Embark Initiative Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme
(Second Call) 2007.

Closing Date for Applicants: 5.00 pm, 10 August 2007.
Closing Date for Referees: 5.00 pm, 17 August 2007.

Website:
http://www.ircset.ie/grant_schemes/postgrad.html

The Embark Initiative's Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme is
designed for either Masters or Doctorate level researchers in the sciences,
engineering or technology. Approximately 50 awards will be funded in this
round, with the expectation that up to ten of these will be within the
Enterprise Partnership Scheme which fosters mutually beneficial
collaboration between the academic and commercial research sectors.

The scheme is open to candidates worldwide with a small number of the
scholarships available to exceptional candidates from non EU member states.
The IRCSET Executive has written to all possible host institutions and
compiled a list of institutions eligible to host non EU candidates. Only
institutions included in this list are eligible to host non EU
candidates:
http://www.ircset.ie/grant_schemes/postgrad/2007_noneu_students_postgrad_v1.pdf
[117Kb PDF file].

Under the Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme, funding of €24,003 is
provided for each of three years for Doctorate level research (total
funding of €72,009) and one year (€24,003) for Masters level research. Of
the €24,003 maximum per annum available to Masters and Doctorate students,
€16,002 goes directly to the student with the remainder available to fund
other forms of support such as fees, appropriate travel and other expenses.

Enterprise Partnership Scheme
Within this call, a number of Enterprise Partnership Awards are also being
offered in conjunction with participating industry partners. If you wish to
be considered in this regard then you need to click the relevant marker in
the online applications system. The Enterprise Partnership Scheme allows
scholars to be co-funded by both IRCSET and an Enterprise Partner. The
co-funding has enabled IRCSET to support many more young researchers in
Irish research bodies and gives applicants to the Embark Scholarship calls
a second chance for funding. The researcher receives the same financial
support as a postgraduate scholar under the normal Embark Initiative
Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme. However, they also receive additional
supervision and gain experience of research in an industrial
environment. The list of partners and projects is updated
periodically:
http://www.ircset.ie/eps/eps_scholars.html

SEI Scholarships
As part of its annual research scholarship programme in conjunction with
IRCSET, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will consider funding for 1-2
Doctoral Scholarships, specifically in the areas of: transport energy
efficiency, industrial energy efficiency, or building energy efficiency.
The research agendas should help provide a better understanding of
fundamental aspects of sectoral energy efficiency. Economic, as well as
scientific and engineering proposals are welcome. This scholarship(s) will
be funded by SEI and administered by IRCSET. SEI promotes and assists the
development of sustainable energy and has a lead role in developing and
maintaining comprehensive national and sectoral statistics for energy
production transformation and use. The closing date and application form
for the SEI scholarship is as for the IRCSET scholarships. If you wish to
apply for an SEI scholarship, please select ‘other’ in the Discipline field
in step 8 and type SEI in the associated text box.

The Marine Institute will be offering a number of scholarships as part of
this call; further details will be available shortly.

INTENDING CANDIDATES SHOULD READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION PRIOR TO
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.
Applications will only be received via the Online Grants Applications
System:
http://postgrad.egrants.edu.ie/eGrantPostGradApp/login.aspx

All candidates should carefully read the terms and conditions below for
details on eligibility criteria. Only candidates with academic records at
higher honours level are likely to be successful in receiving funding.

2007 Terms & Conditions [48kb
PDF]:
http://www.ircset.ie/grant_schemes/postgrad/2007_terms_conditions_2ndcall.pdf

2007 Assessment Procedures. [38kb
PDF]:
http://www.ircset.ie/grant_schemes/postgrad/2007_assessment_procedures_2ncdcall.pdf

Should any users experience technical difficulties with the online system
they should contact IRCSET immediately at
info@ircset.ie

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE TO CANDIDATES
All applicants require TWO references to support their application, as
follows:
(1) A reference from your proposed research supervisor.
(2) A reference from a professor, lecturer, tutor, research advisor or
other senior figure in the research domain covered by your application.
The reference process is accessed through the Online Applications System.
Reference forms will only become available to the referee once the
applicant has submitted their application form. We therefore encourage
applicants to submit their completed application forms as early as possible
in order to allow their referees the maximum time to complete their
references. In addition, the referee must also print out the reference
form, sign it and post the signed copy to the Embark Initiative by the
closing date for references of 5pm on Friday 17 August, 2007.

It is the applicant’s responsibility, before submission of their
application, to contact their proposed referees in order to brief them on
the application and request their permission to provide their names to
IRCSET as referees. IRCSET will then contact referees through an automated
system using the email address for them provided by the applicant on the
application form. The applicant must ensure that the contact details they
provide for their referees are correct and that the referees are aware that
they will be required to complete a reference form and are available to do
so by the reference submission closing date. Whilst the closing date for
the receipt of electronic application forms is 5pm on Friday 10 August
2007, the closing date for the receipt of electronic reference forms is 5pm
on Friday 17 August 2007. Due to the large volume of applications and the
timescale for the assessment, late applications or reference forms will not
be accepted.

Information for candidates who have completed transfer reports
Those candidates who have completed and submitted to their institution, a
transfer report in order to transfer from the masters register to the PhD
register, and who wish to apply for funding to support the remainder of
their postgraduate research should complete the online application form and
include details of their current status in step 5 of the online application
form. Applicants within this category are required to post a hard copy of
their transfer thesis to the IRCSET offices by the closing date for the
call, 5pm on Friday 10 August 2007. Transfer reports should not be attached
to the online application form. In the section within step 5 ‘Other
details you wish to mention’you should indicate:

when you commenced your postgraduate research(dd/mm/yyyy)
when you submitted your transfer thesis (dd/mm/yyy)
if this transfer has been approved (yes/no, if yes when dd/mm/yyyy)
estimated time to complete PhD research/duration of funding requested
(dd/mm/yyyy)

For overall details regarding the applications process, please consult the
downloadable Terms and Conditions and Assessment Procedures above.

IRCSET wishes to thank all applicants for their assistance in meeting these
requirements.

Applications are subject to equal assessment, strictly on merit, by an
independent academic panel.

Online Application System
Operating System and Browser Requirements

This online application system is designed and tested to work with the
following operating systems and browser combinations:

Microsoft Windows XP: Microsoft Internet Explorer V.6; Mozilla Firefox
V.1.5; Netscape Navigator V.7.2
Mac OS X: Safari 1.3.1
Linux: Mozilla Firefox V.1.5

Note: The online applications system has been tested to work within the
above operating systems and cannot be guaranteed to work with other
operating environments.


****************************************************************

(ii) TCD SIGN OFF PROCEDURE
ENDORSEMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION

COLLEGE ENDORSEMENT FOR THIS SCHEME WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE HEAD OF THE
HOSTING SCHOOL. Once you have submitted your application using IRCSET's
on-line system, the Research Office will receive an email from IRCSET. The
Research Office will then send the Head of the hosting School a log-in name
and password, which will allow him/her to go on-line and endorse your
application.

It is up to the applicant to ensure that the Head of School will be
available to do this. Please also ensure that the Head of School is aware
of the application prior to submission.

For queries relating to the endorsement of these proposals, please contact
Maria Treanor, ext. 2870, maria.treanor@tcd.ie


NOTE – EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES: applicants are normally expected to bring
a copy of their application (with the signature of the Principal
Investigator / Mentor and Head of School) to the Research Office for
endorsement at least 48 hours before the sponsor’s deadline. In this case,
because endorsement is managed online by the Research Office and the Head
of School, applicants do not need to get their applications endorsed by the
Research Office.



___________________________________________________________
Doris Alexander, BA Mod, MSc Tel: +353-1-896 2412 *note new number
Research Development Officer
Research and Innovation Services Fax: +353-1-6798039
O'Reilly Institute
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland
E-mail: doris.alexander@tcd.ie
____________________________________________________________

A 16th Century university with 21st Century knowledge

What is a deadline?
- time when a project; assignment; task or job MUST be completed or turned in
- A boundary line in a prison that prisoners can cross only at the risk of
being shot!
_____________________________________________________________


Please allow 48 hours for proposal endorsement


New wording on social benefits clause which must be included in ALL budget
justifications to irish and international sponsors.

Social Benefits Clause
Fixed term contract workers have entitlements to benefits equivalent to
full time permanent staff. Obligations arising from legislation associated
with the employment of fixed term contract workers on the grant (including
but not limited to pension provision, sick pay, redundancy pay, paid
maternity leave or other paid or non-paid leave or entitlements) should be
borne by the sponsor. Acceptance of the grant contract is predicated on the
understanding that funding will be made available by the sponsor to cover
such existing and any future pay costs that arise because of legislation
and/or pay awards applied which are outside the control of the university.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ELECTRONIC MAIL TO, FROM OR WITHIN THE COLLEGE MAY BE THE
SUBJECT OF A REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

Index of July 2007 | Index of year: 2007 | Full index