PhD Funding in Ireland – Fees, Scholarships and More

Fully funded PhDs are available in Ireland for both international and domestic students. Common international funding options include the Enterprise Partnership Programme, the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, and the Irish Research Council Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme. The amount you get paid on these programmes varies, but several pay an annual stipend of €22,000. Other funding options are also available, such as university scholarships.

Did you know that Ireland used to use the Irish pound rather than the euro? Did you also know that the ten pence coin had the picture of a salmon on it? Pretty nifty! Of course, if you’re looking for PhD funding in Ireland, you’re probably looking for more recent (and less aquatic) currency.

Handily for you, I’ve got some info to help you along. I’ll go through fees, details on scholarships, and a few other funding sources you might want to keep in mind. You won’t need any coins for this info, salmon-based or not…though the Irish euros have harps on them, for what it’s worth. That’s gotta be the ideal coinage to pay for your Spotify subscription, right?

Before we get to the scholarships, you’ll want to know what the fees are so you have a point of reference. Bear in mind these are general ranges, so you’ll need to check with your university to find fees for specific programmes.

With all that said, a PhD in Ireland usually costs between €4,000-€9,000 a year for domestic students. International students usually pay a higher fee of at least €9,950 a year, but some courses may be as high as €32,000. Subjects like Medicine and Business Studies can sometimes be more expensive than others, so watch out for that.

All in all, tuition fees for PhDs in Ireland are less than other parts of the world (I’m looking at you, USA). Having said that, there’s more to costs than just tuition. Check out our living in Ireland guide if you’d like an idea on accommodation and other living costs.

Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme (EBP)

The Employment-based Postgraduate Programme is not open for applications in 2025. We'll keep you updated with any new developments.

The Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme (EBP) is quite similar to the EPS in principle, likewise linking research students with industry partners. So what’s the difference?

• For the EPS, you’ll primarily be based at the university. For the EBP, you’ll spend more time with the industry partner.
• The EPS employment partner can be international; the EBP partner needs to be based in Ireland.
• The EPS has more engagement time with your academic supervisor; the EBP has more engagement time with your employment mentor.

One thing that’s similar is the funding you’ll get, which is:

• €22,000 contribution to your salary
• €5,750 towards tuition fees
• €3,250 towards direct research expenses

You should apply through the Irish Research Council’s online application portal (the deadline is usually at the end of February). Before beginning your application, you’ll need to contact – and receive approval from – an academic supervisor and an employment mentor, as well as two referees.

Find out more about the Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme.

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme

The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is funded by the Irish Department of Education and Skills and administered by the Irish Research Council. You can use it to fund a research Masters or a PhD in any discipline at an Irish university.

The scholarship programme is open to domestic and international students from around the world. You’ll need to have a first-class or upper second-class Bachelors (or the international equivalent) degree in order to be eligible.

If you’re successful in applying for a scholarship, you’ll receive the following financial support:

• An annual stipend of €22,000
• A contribution to your tuition fees of up to €5,750 per year
• A contribution to your direct research expenses of €3,250 per year

Online applications open at the beginning of September, with a deadline at the start of November.

You’ll need to find a primary supervisor who will supervise your research project and provide the details of two academic referees.

You can read more about the scholarship programme on the Irish Research Council website.

International scholarships from Irish universities

Another option for PhD funding is to check what opportunities are offered by the university you intend to apply for. Many universities have in-house incentives for researchers from different backgrounds or studying particular subjects. Opportunities could range from fee reductions and grant awards to full scholarships.

Here are links to the university funding pages (hope they help!):

• Dublin City University
• Maynooth University
• University of Galway
• University College Cork
• University College Dublin
• University of Limerick
• Trinity College Dublin

Foreign scholarship schemes

Ireland has many connections with foreign institutions to help encourage a diverse and more globalised educational environment. Some examples of foreign scholarships include:

• Fulbright Scholarships which supports US student studying in Ireland and Irish students to study in the US.
• Claddagh Scholarship Programme offers funding to Chinese students looking to study in Ireland.

Tips from the author

#1 Keep portfolio funding in mind

If you’re an international student especially, you might find yourself a bit short on tuition fees if you’re applying for Irish government sources. You only get a contribution towards your tuition fees, so that means you need to cover the rest some other way. Tapping charities and other funding sources will be the solution to this particular problem, bringing together a variety of small sources into one decent pot.

#2 Consider other options if you need to

Ireland is cool, but incurring student debt during your PhD is considerably less cool (the harp euros only go so far, y’know). Irish PhD fees aren’t as high as some countries, but they still aren’t low, especially for international students. If portfolio funding above doesn’t plug the gap, you might want to keep other countries in mind. We happen to have a blog on cheap PhD countries, so you might wanna check that out.

Frequently asked questions

You may also like...