The 2025-2026 application is now closed. The 2026-2027 competition will open in Spring 2025.

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Ireland

2 Fulbright/RCSI PhD Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Fall Start
Grant Length
12 Months
Award Type
Special Study/Research
Specialized Grant Types
  • Science/Public Health
Fulbright Graduate Degree Grants
  • Yes
Award Profile

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is an innovative, pioneering international health sciences education and research institution dedicated toward breakthroughs and service of excellence in human health. It has been the practice in the past both for the RCSI and Fulbright to develop linkages with other entities, both public and private, foreign and domestic, in order to advance their objectives. RCSI and Fulbright share common and fundamental interests in the advancement of research, the dissemination of knowledge, and the promotion of social and cultural development. 

The purpose of this grant is to enable US citizens who are resident in the US to complete a fully funded PhD at RCSI over a period of 4 years. Prospective fellows interested in these PhD awards should review the RCSI StAR PhD Programme brochure to identify the potential studies for their PhD: https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/research-and-innovation/research-careers/star-programme/star-phd

The StAR PhD programme aims to attract high-achieving international students to an efficient four-year structured, fully funded PhD training programme at RCSI.

The programme aims to encourage scientists to develop innovative research projects in one of RCSI’s areas of research strength, including but not limited to:

Two grants are expected be awarded in 2025-2026.  However, the PhD tuition funding will last for all four years of the PhD programme. 

Grant Length
12 Months
Grant Period
Fall Start

Grant period commences September 1st 2025.

The minimum programme duration is for 48 months (this is the time required to be registered in order to fulfil the submission criteria for the award of PhD). The Fulbright award part thereof is for 12 months, with RCSI providing fee waivers and funding for the additional 3 years of the 4 year programmme.

Orientation
In-Country Orientation

Orientation typically takes place in October once the majority of grantees are in-country.

Candidate Profile

Must be holders of an honours bachelor degree, grade 2.1 or above, or a Master’s degree from a Recognised College in a relevant discipline. Applicants may use the GPA calculator to determine equivalency.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Ireland is a friendly, engaging and vibrant country with centuries of U.S. interaction as part of its DNA. As an increasingly diverse society with a highly educated workforce, competitive educational system and millennia of culture, it is a popular choice for U.S. Student applicants.

Higher education in Ireland is provided by 12 universities, 2 Institutes of Technology, and a number of specialist colleges in art, business, law, music, medicine and theology. There are also a significant number of well-funded research centres and cultural institutions that may be considered as host options.

Irish colleges typically operate on a two-semester academic year: September to December and January to May. Further information on higher education in Ireland can be found here.

Most Higher Education Institutions are supported by the Irish government. For example, universities and Institutes of technology receive more than 90 percent of their income from the state. The Irish government has invested 2.5 billion euro establishing advanced centres of research, and world-class research facilities and programs that are an attractive destination for international exchange visitors.

Fulbright Alumni cite the following advantages associated with coming to Ireland: English-speaking; very welcoming; family-friendly; safe; intellectually challenging; culturally rich and diverse; and accessible. Please see the Commission’s Coming to Ireland page for more information and resources. Helpful advice on living and studying in Ireland can also be found on the official website of the Government of Ireland here.

Please contact the Fulbright Commission in Ireland via email at awards@fulbright.ie

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqPQGZKWc0 – Irish Fulbright Commission

For further information on Fulbright Alumni, please see the Alumni Directory here. A complete list of Fulbright Campus Ambassadors is also available to search and view.

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
12 Months
Dual citizens of this country are eligible
Degree Level of Applicant
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Special Application Instructions

In your Fulbright online application, for Award Name, please select the specific award you are applying for from the drop down menu.

Foreign Language Proficiency
Not Required
Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
No
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
Yes
Affiliation
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
Letter required at deadline

Applicants will need to apply for admission to their school of choice in RCSI.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition covered in grant benefits

The maximum value of the award will be €170,400 over a maximum of four years.

Award Benefits
  • A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
  • International travel benefits
  • Accident & sickness health benefits
  • 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
  • 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

1541 monthly stipend amount in
€ [Euro]
Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

The estimated monthly cost of living is €1750 to €2000.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available
Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EUR@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
http://www.fulbright.ie/
How to Apply

Firstly, you must identify a potential RCSI supervisor, to help you with this please click here to look at the research areas and supervisors. Once you identify a supervisor, you need contact them directly to see if they are willing to support the project and application. If the RCSI supervisor aggress to be involved with your project and supports your application,  the supervisor must send a copy of your CV and the letter of support to postgraduateschool@rcsi.ie.  Once approved, you will be issued with a letter of support that you will be required to upload to the Letter of Affiliation section before submitting the official application via Fulbright website.

Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Paula Melvin: paula.melvin@fulbright.ie
Additional Online Resources
GPA Calculator: https://www.scholaro.com/gpa-calculator/