PhD Bursaries

Applications are invited from excellent candidates to pursue PhD projects in either History or Geography. One bursary will be awarded to each subject. Interested candidates may apply to undertake PhD research in the following areas of expertise:

Early modern and modern Ireland and Europe
US Foreign Relations and Twentieth-Century International History
History of Family and Sexualities (18th-19th centuries)
Eighteenth-Century Irish Social and Political History
Nineteenth- and Twentieth Century Irish Social and Cultural History
Cultural and political History of the Early Modern Spanish Monarchy
History of Modern Australia
Irish Art and Architectural History (18th-19th centuries)
The German-speaking lands of the Holy Roman Empire in the early modern period
The Reformation in central Europe
The Medieval and Early Modern University
Public History and Cultural Heritage
The Irish Revolution and Revolutionary Movements
History of locality, particularly of the Munster region
Religion and Society in Ireland, 1690-1950

GIS, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data Science
Earth observation, machine learning and big data
Agricultural Sciences, Forestry and Phenology
Climate Change and Environmental Geography
Natural Hazards and Climate Hazard Adaption
Air Pollution Transport
Geographies of Development and Innovation
Irish-British migrations and how migration impacts on identity, belonging and emotional engagement with place
Historical Geographies and the History of Cartography of Britain and Ireland (c.1500-1850).
Digital Humanities, Spatial Humanities and Geographic Information Systems
Community Heritage

In advance of an application, prospective applicants are required to make contact with the member of staff whose research area covers their proposed doctoral work. Applications in research areas not listed above may also be considered, provided the applicant has identified a suitable research supervisor from among the members of the staff.

For faculty research interests see:

History: https://www.ul.ie/artsoc/history/history-staff

Geography:https://www.ul.ie/artsoc/history-geography/geography/staff

Applications made without the agreement of a potential supervisor will not be considered.

Entry Requirements	A First/Second class Honour’s Grade1 Bachelors Degree or a First/Second class Honours Grade 1 Masters Degree in History/Geography or cognate discipline
Bursary	The PhD Bursary covers EU fees (currently € 5,600 per annum) for a four-year period and provides an annual stipend of €2,500. For non-EU applicants, a partial fee waiver of €5,600 will be available to cover part of the non-EU fee (a difference of approximately €6,900 p.a.).
Applications	Applications can be made by submitting: (1) a current two-page academic CV and (2) a draft PhD proposal (using the application form here) to History.Geography@ul.ie with the subject ‘PhD Bursary’. The documents should be submitted in PDF format. Closing date: 30 May 2025, 5pm (Irish Standard Time).
Evaluation	Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: Quality of the research proposal (including originality, potential research contribution and impact, clarity with which project elucidated and the overall scope); feasibility of the proposed research; strength and suitability of the candidate; and match with the proposed supervisor and School. Interviews may be conducted as part of the process of evaluation. The School of History and Geography reserve the right not to make an award.
Queries	Queries may be addressed to the History.Geography@ul.ie

In advance of submitting this application, applicants must discuss the research proposal with a member of academic staff in the School.

All sections of this form must be completed, and the form emailed to history.geography@ul.ie before 5pm on 30 May 2025.

Doctoral Research Bursary application form

Contact the School of History and Geography