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2015 Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme:
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs)
Version 3 – 23rd October 2014
Please note that the deadline for receipt of FAQs is 16:00 (GMT) Thursday 20th
November 2014. FAQs must be submitted no later than this date.
FAQs that have been added to this document since the last version was published
are in pink font.
Similar questions have been grouped below in the following themes:
1. Eligibility;
2. Eligible Funding;
3. Application Form;
4. Applying to the Scheme.
1. ELIGIBILITY
a. Am I eligible to apply to the GOI Postdoctoral Scheme?
If a previous application for the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral
Fellowship was not assessed by the IRC as it was not endorsed in due time
by the HEI, does that count as an ineligible application? If the applicant will
re-apply for the 2015 call, does s/he have to specify what was changed in the
proposal?
Applications that were deemed ineligible (e.g. because they were not endorsed by
the HEI) do not count towards this limit. As the application was never assessed, the
applicant does not need to specify what was changed in the proposal.
I would like to know whether or not, if, for example, you have unsuccessfully
applied twice for a 1-year GOI Fellowship, you can then apply for a 2-year GOI
fellowship?
The one-year and two-year GOI Postdoctoral Fellowships count as one scheme. So,
for example, if you have been unsuccessful twice before for the one-year Fellowship,
then you are not allowed to apply to the two-year GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Regarding the stipulation on number of previous applications, are ELEVATE
and standard postdoc applications considered to be the same? (i.e. If a
potential applicant this year applied last year to Elevate and applied for a one
year fellowship the previous year, is he ineligible this year?)
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While the one-year and two-year GOI Postdoctoral Fellowships count as one
scheme, ELEVATE consisted of a separate, EU COFUND scheme. Thus, if a
potential applicant has previously applied to the GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship
scheme on only one occasion, s/he is welcome to apply again to this scheme
(regardless of having submitted one or more previous applications to ELEVATE).
Is an IRCSET EMPOWER Fellow eligible to apply for the Government of Ireland
Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Following the merger of IRCHSS and IRCSET, the Government of Ireland
Postdoctoral Fellowship subsumes the previous IRCSET EMPOWER Fellowship
and IRCHSS Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship.
To be eligible for an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postdoctoral
Fellowship, the applicant must not hold, or have previously held, either of the
aforementioned awards. If an applicant currently holds an IRCSET EMPOWER
Fellowship they will not be eligible to apply for a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral
Fellowship.
b. Do I meet the cut-off point for application to the Scheme?
I had my viva on the 17th of June 2014. The hard bound copies of my thesis
were submitted last month and everything is passed and finished. I am due to
graduate in January 2015. As it stands I believe I would be eligible to apply
under criterion 4.2.1 as I will be awarded my doctoral degree before 28th
February 2015. If I were to defer my graduation until October 2015 would I still
be eligible to apply but under criterion 4.2.2 as I would have satisfied all the
requirements for the award of a doctoral degree, but not yet graduated, in the
five-year period before the 28th February 2015.
Whether or not this person decides to defer his/her graduation, s/he is eligible to
apply, as s/he will have been certified as having fulfilled within the five-year period
before the 28th February 2015 all the requirements for the award of a doctoral
degree, including a viva/thesis defence.
I have just submitted my PhD thesis, and I anticipate that my viva voce
examination will take place in April 2015. Am I eligible to apply?
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As stated in the Terms and Conditions (4.2.2), applicants who have not yet been
awarded their doctoral degree “must have been certified as having fulfilled within the
five-year period before the 28th February 2015 all the requirements for the award of
a doctoral degree, including a viva/thesis defence where such is required, but have
not yet graduated. For the purposes of this condition, the original viva/thesis defence
date and not the graduation date will be taken into account”. This person is not
eligible to apply, as his/her viva date will be after 28th February 2015.
I have passed my Viva but I will not have submitted my corrections before the
28th February 2015. Am I eligible to apply for the GOI PD scheme?
As stated in the Terms and Conditions (4.2.2), applicants who have not yet been
awarded their doctoral degree “must have been certified as having fulfilled within the
five-year period before the 28th February 2015 all the requirements for the award of
a doctoral degree, including a viva/thesis defence where such is required, but have
not yet graduated. For the purposes of this condition, the original viva/thesis defence
date and not the graduation date will be taken into account”.
Thus, the viva/thesis defence must be held before the 28th February 2015. The
applicant’s awarding HEI must be willing to certify that he/she has fulfilled all the
requirements for the award of a doctoral degree.
If an applicant has passed the viva with minor corrections before 28th February
2015, do they also have to submit these corrections before the deadline in
order to be eligible or will it suffice to submit these before the fellowship
begins?
As stated above, the viva/thesis defence must be held before the 28th February
2015, and the applicant’s awarding HEI must be willing to certify that he/she has
fulfilled all the requirements for the award of a doctoral degree. Ultimately, it is for
the HEI to decide whether an applicant whose thesis has been passed subject to
minor corrections has fulfilled all the requirements for the award of a doctoral degree
satisfactorily.
Will calculations regarding eligibility of candidates in terms of Postdoctoral
experience be based on months or days: e.g. is a researcher with exactly five
years’ (i.e. 60 months’) experience eligible to apply for an IRC Government of
Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Please note that calculations should be exact, and precise information must be
supplied within the application. Where an applicant’s doctoral degree has already
been awarded, the applicant will be required to supply an exact graduation date.
NOTE: In order to be eligible, the PhD graduation date must be after the 28th
February 2010 and no later than 28th February 2015.
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Could you please clarify the eligibility here? Candidate received PhD in May
2009 and didn't work in research until April 2013, so it is only for the last 1.5
years he is working as a postdoctoral researchers. The career breaks you
mention do not include unconventional career path, such as working in
industry. Would this candidate be eligible to apply for GOI postdoc
fellowship?
As stated in the Terms and Conditions, Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellows
must not have been employed as a Postdoctoral Researcher for more than 5 years
at the closing date of the call.
Extension to this five-year period can be considered on provision of documented
evidence of an eligible career break; career breaks of up to 5 years are taken into
account. Eligible career breaks include: maternity leave, paternity leave, adoptive
leave, parental leave, prolonged sick leave, carer’s leave. Working in industry is not
an eligible career break for this scheme.
2. ELIGIBLE FUNDING
Is the application at a disadvantage if the proposed research includes a
number of trips of more than four weeks away from the Host Institution?
It is up to the Applicant to justify the proposed time away in the context of the overall
project and to demonstrate how the proposed time away is relevant to the proposed
work and how it assists the successful completion of the project.
3. APPLICATION FORM
I applied last year for the 12 month dissemination fellowship and considering
reapplying this year. However, feedback received criticized lack of new
research project. This was the main criticism and dissemination plans were
described as excellent. Would it be better not to fill in sections such as
methodology, research aims etc. if applying for the dissemination fellowship
to avoid any confusion and to make clear that this is not intended to be a new
research project?
The one-year Fellowship is intended to enable the applicant to prepare a doctoral
dissertation for publication through a variety of high quality published outputs: e.g.
monographs, peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes, etc. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to convey the merits of his/her proposed project and its schedule (e.g.
including any supplementary research that such dissemination plans might require)
in light of this. Please note that, aside from issuing feedback after a funding call has
closed, the Irish Research Council does not offer advice to applicants with regard to
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the content of their applications. Please note that some sections (e.g. methodology)
include mandatory fields and cannot be left blank.
If an applicant wants to apply in Irish, do they have to complete an application
in Irish and in English (i.e. doubling the work involved)?
Applicants are welcome to apply in Irish. In so doing, they may wish to upload an
English-language translation of the application (in PDF format). Please note that
there is no obligation on applicants who apply in Irish to supply an English-language
translation. When an English-language translation is not supplied by the applicant,
the Irish Research Council acquires a professional translation of the entire
application. Of course, applicants may prefer to supply their own translation due to
the complete level of control that this will give them over the translated application
that the International Assessment Board will ultimately view.
The application form asks whether the applicant has currently or previously
held an Irish Research Council Award. I have never held an IRC award as such
but I did hold an IRCHSS postgraduate scholarship. Should I select 'yes' or
'no' in answer to this question?
The applicant should answer ‘yes’ to this question. Please note that, following the
merger of IRCHSS and IRCSET, the Government of Ireland Postgraduate
Scholarship subsumes the previous IRCSET EMBARK Scholarship and IRCHSS
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship.
In Section 5 of the applicant form information is requested about
undergraduate qualifications (Bachelors Degree or equivalent - 5.1), Masters
Degree Details (5.2), and Doctorate Degree Details (5.3). I entered the doctoral
program that led to my Ph.D. on the basis of Recognition of Prior Learning. I
have no undergraduate qualification or Masters Degree. How should I
complete section 5.1?
The online application form includes sections relating to the applicant’s
‘Undergraduate Qualifications’ and ‘Postgraduate Qualifications’. Please note that
the ‘Undergraduate Qualifications’ section includes required fields: i.e. the applicant
must complete this section. Thus, we suggest that the applicant should include
details of his/her prior learning in the ‘Undergraduate Qualifications’ section, and
that he/she should use the ‘Additional Information’ box to include explanatory
information. The Master’s Degree section is not mandatory: i.e. it can be left blank.
There are also ‘Other Education’ and ‘Research Achievements’ sections in the
online application form, where the applicant may include ‘additional information
relevant to your academic background’ (e.g. training courses) that may add weight
to his/her application.
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The application form asks for the date of birth. I am a mature student. What is
the purpose of this information? Will my age make me less likely to receive
the fellowship?
The date of birth is requested as an identifier in the case of applicants with the same
name.
Personal details in relation to the applicant such as name, age, sex and nationality
are not visible to the international assessors.
4. APPLYING TO THE SCHEME
a. How do I apply to this scheme?
I wish to apply for Post doc. Please find resume is attached with this email.
An application to the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme will be
deemed ineligible and will not be considered for funding if it has not been submitted
via the online application system. No hardcopies or emailed forms will be accepted.
I wish to apply for a 2015 GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship. However, I had surgery
and I am off work for the coming weeks, meaning that it is unlikely that I can
meet the application deadline. I have medical certification for this period and
am receiving illness benefit. Is there any possibility of an extension to the
application deadline?
We regret to inform you that the Council cannot accommodate any individual
applicants by extending the Applicant Deadline.
What was the success rate for each of the postdoctoral funding schemes in
the 2014 call? Is it possible to get the success rate according to whether the
applicant was applying to be based within their existing HEI (at the time of
application) as host or if they were applying to be based within a new HEI?
The overall success rate for the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship
2014 scheme was 17.3%. Further statistics will be available on the Irish Research
Council website at a later date.
b. What publications and supporting documentation should be
included?
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In the ‘Peer-reviewed publications’ section, why is there no field for ‘Author
name(s)’? What is the point of indicating ‘Author Role’?
In the spirit of fairness, consistency and transparency, the Irish Research Council
endeavours to ensure that personal details in relation to the applicant (such as
name, age, sex and nationality) are not visible to the international assessment panel.
For this reason, applicants are asked to indicate the role that they had in relation to
the publication instead of listing the name(s) of the author(s) involved.
For peer-reviewed publications, can monographs be listed provided that they
are published in peer-reviewed collections?
As stated above, your top 5 peer-reviewed publications (where applicable) should
be included in the ‘peer-reviewed publications’ section. Peer-reviewed publications
that have been published or accepted for publication are acceptable. If the applicant
has published an essay or a book-chapter in a peer-reviewed collection, this may
be included.
Can an applicant use the bibliography from her PhD or does it need to be
modified and include a prospective bibliography?
In the ‘Proposed Research’ section of the application, there is a specific field for
‘References and Select Bibliography’. The bibliography should contain key
references of direct relevance to the proposed research only. We do not recommend
inclusion of a full PhD bibliography, as it is likely to be of excessive length.
c. How do I choose a Mentor and Host Institution?
Can you put me in connection with an Irish Academic Mentor for details, or do
I need to find him?
I am a PhD student outside of Ireland. I am planning to do a postdoc research
project in Ireland. May I get help in having a host university or research
institute?
It is the applicant’s responsibility to locate a Host Organisation and an Academic
Mentor. The Irish Research Council does not offer advice in this regard.
Can an Academic Mentor support more than one postdoctoral application?
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Can you please confirm that I can support more than one application to this
scheme (as Mentor)? I have three very good candidates and I am going to
prepare three proposals.
Yes. As per the Terms and Conditions (6.2), “An Academic Mentor at an Irish
HEI/RPO is permitted to support more than one Fellow under each type of
Postdoctoral Fellowship available in the 2015 call”.
Can the applicant’s Academic Mentor also act as one of his/her referees?
No. Two references are required and the applicant’s Academic Mentor may not act
as one of these referees.
d. Can I have two Academic Mentors?
Can a postdoc applicant have more than one Academic Mentor?
For Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowships (one-year and two-year), only
one Academic Mentor can be formally nominated. In the event that more than one
Academic Mentor is involved, only one Academic Mentor will be provided with login
details to access the system and to complete the Academic Mentor in Ireland Form.
Both Academic Mentors will be asked to confirm their willingness to co-mentor the
applicant after the offer of an award has been made.
When will the Postdoctoral Fellowships begin?
All Postdoctoral Fellowships must commence on 1st October 2015.
e. General online-application queries.
My word count is saying it is exceeded limits but I know I have 300 words.
Any bullet points pasted from Microsoft Word into the application will count as one
word each. For example, a 300 word paragraph that has five bullet points in it will
result in 305 words when pasted into the online system.
Are the referees contacted as soon as the applicant adds them to their draft
application or are they contacted after the final deadline?
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Referees will receive an initial registration email when they are added to the online
application system for the very first time (i.e. the first time that they are registered by
someone as a referee; this may have occurred under a previous call). This
registration email will include login details with username and password.


Referees will automatically receive an email when the applicant has added
the Referee to his/her application.
Should a referee forget his/her password, he/she can easily reset this by
clicking the link on the online application system’s login page.
NOTE: The referees can complete the Referee Form while the application is in
‘Draft’ status. (They do not have to wait until the application has been submitted.)
Once the application has been submitted, the applicant will be able to monitor
whether a Mentor form and references have been uploaded in the online
application system.
When can the Mentor supply his/her reference?
Mentors can create and submit the Academic Mentor in Ireland Form as soon as the
applicant has submitted his/her application.
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