IRCHSS results

MonaDD

According to that general mail we all got "The assessment of this scheme will not be concluded before August 2012, at which point applicants will be informed by letter of the outcome" so this could indicate that it could be at any stage in August we could hear, but not to expct anything before, or does anyone have another (perhaps more hopeful!) interpretation of this?!!

gutenberg

Apparently last year it was also stated that it would not conclude until August, but then the letters appeared in early July; I know that my (would-be) head of department expected it to be a similar story this year, but that was before the problems they had with their online system so who knows really....?

kellyi3

The sooner the better though, at least when we know whether we get it or not (but we all will because we're fantastic and I'm in a really good mood today so I'll spread the joy) we can all begin the anxious wait for next year

In all seriousness (something I very rarely am) I hope the results are announced soon because it would allow me to plan for next year.

gutenberg

kellyi3 wrote: »

The sooner the better though, at least when we know whether we get it or not (but we all will because we're fantastic and I'm in a really good mood today so I'll spread the joy) we can all begin the anxious wait for next year

In all seriousness (something I very rarely am) I hope the results are announced soon because it would allow me to plan for next year.

It is utterly ridiculous that they are this late in announcing results at all really, regardless of whether it's July/August. The British universities try to have their funding rounds concluded by May or so (though I have heard of some that go on later, such as some college scholarships at Oxford/Cambridge), and similarly the major universities in the US that give out fellowships for PhDs if you are accepted also do this by the spring. It's completely unfair to leave people in limbo like this, with very little time to start planning for either eventuality: the beginning of a PhD, or else a year out to reapply if the person can't afford to self-fund for a year. Similarly I have friends who won't be able to continue to self-fund if they don't get IRCHSS this year, and at the moment all they can do is keep going and hope that the work hasn't been for nothing if they don't get it. The application should be organised for earlier in the year, on par with the British/American systems so that it can be concluded a reasonable amount of time before the start of the new academic year: it's people's lives that they're dallying with.

It just makes me so :mad:

But I'm keeping everything crossed for people in this thread, and for my other friends (though maybe some of you are the same people, who knows?? :eek:)

PepePareja

I'd love to know if anyone has heard back from IRCHSS yet? I have no fingernails left.

Frank Grimes

PepePareja wrote: »

I'd love to know if anyone has heard back from IRCHSS yet? I have no fingernails left.

Nope. Every time I see a new notification for this thread my hopes get up - only to be dashed each time Can't be much longer now; I just wish they'd get it over with.

MonaDD

Tell me about it! I'm away for the summer aswell so I am relying on an update on this thread to know when they are posted out!

kellyi3

They're out and I got a negative. Good luck folks.

Frank Grimes

kellyi3 wrote: »

They're out and I got a negative. Good luck folks.

Yeah same here, hopefully there'll be another chance next year.

PepePareja

News - Lukewarm off the press. The decisions are out.

I also got my letter just a few minutes ago.

Unfortunately I didn't get the funding. Congratulations to the 100 people who did. Best of luck to each of you with your PhD.

Pepe.

gutenberg

Commiserations to those who didn't get it, there's always next year.

Good luck to everyone who hasn't heard.

I'm awaiting the arrival of our postman... Last week he didn't deliver in our area until 4pm :rolleyes:

EDIT: I got it :eek:

Plautus

The letters most certainly have arrived. And I'm one of the lucky 100.

Congratulations and comiserations in equal measure.

PepePareja

Plautus wrote: »

The letters most certainly have arrived. And I'm one of the lucky 100.

Congratulations and comiserations in equal measure.

Well done to you. Enjoy.

Frank Grimes

Congrats folks!

dyl10

Well done to everyone who got it and to those who didn't, best of luck next year!

Sir Ophiuchus

I'm away at a conference in Germany. Just got an email from my Dad saying that a letter arrived and I got it! Utterly shocked and delighted.

Commiserations to those who didn't get it, and congratulations to those who did.

camusflage

In July I received my second letter of rejection from IRCHSS and therefore had resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to get it. However, this morning I got an email from IRCHSS saying that I had been placed on a reserve list by the International Assessment Board and that the Council had decided to activate this list thereby awarding me funding. I was sceptical at first as IRCHSS rarely email people but it all seems legitimate. Just wondering if anyone else out there had the same surprising experience today?

gutenberg

camusflage wrote: »

In July I received my second letter of rejection from IRCHSS and therefore had resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to get it. However, this morning I got an email from IRCHSS saying that I had been placed on a reserve list by the International Assessment Board and that the Council had decided to activate this list thereby awarding me funding. I was sceptical at first as IRCHSS rarely email people but it all seems legitimate. Just wondering if anyone else out there had the same surprising experience today?

I didn't receive the email, but I was successful with IRCHSS in July and actually turned it down, along with at least one other person I know, so hopefully this means they are re-allocating the money (I had been told that they only operate a reserve list for postdoctoral funding). I really really hope the email is legit as they should have some money 'spare' if you will from people declining it.

Well done!

sureitsgrand

Great stuff camusflage!

Alas, no lovely email for me...It is good to hear they're re-allocating money as opposed to just holding on to it though.

Congratulations!

camusflage

Thanks for your replies. I got a letter in the post this morning verifying the offer. I guess I should say thanks Gutenberg - I hope your reasons for declining the offer were due to a better offer & that you are happy in whatever you pursue. And I hope there are some other lucky (it is all luck) people out there!

gutenberg

camusflage wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I got a letter in the post this morning verifying the offer. I guess I should say thanks Gutenberg - I hope your reasons for declining the offer were due to a better offer & that you are happy in whatever you pursue. And I hope there are some other lucky (it is all luck) people out there!

Thankfully I did receive another and (for me at least) better offer, so thanks for your kind wishes. You have no idea how pleased I am that someone else will be receiving research money, given how tight everything is at the moment; I felt so awfully guilty declining it when I thought that they did not operate a reserve list, so you made my day with your post

Best of luck with it!

gutenberg

I now know of two people who have been offered it in the 'second round' if you will (three if you include camusflage, although maybe I do actually know them in real life... :eek:), so glad that there seems to have been a reserve list in operation.

MonaDD

Just got the 'feedback report' from IRCHSS. Very disappointing, it gives absolutely no feedback whatsoever, apart from the table. Does anyone know the breakdown of the percentages on the table at least?

Frank Grimes

MonaDD wrote: »

Just got the 'feedback report' from IRCHSS. Very disappointing, it gives absolutely no feedback whatsoever, apart from the table. Does anyone know the breakdown of the percentages on the table at least?

Did you get a second page; all the people in my department who applied got this - it has three separate scores for the proposal, scholar's rating, and institutional support (I can't think of the exact wording off the top of my head). There was no other feedback for any of us besides these scores.

MonaDD

That's the one Frank, do you know what the percentage weighting was for each of those categories? I was hoping for actual feedback on the proposal, but this give absolutely no indication of anything, disappointing!

Frank Grimes

MonaDD wrote: »

That's the one Frank, do you know what the percentage weighting was for each of those categories? I was hoping for actual feedback on the proposal, but this give absolutely no indication of anything, disappointing!

I didn't see the breakdown anywhere, but I'm working under the assumption that it's x/50 and then x/25 and x/25. And yes, I was hoping for something a little more helpful than numbers because I can apply once more (assume there is anything left to apply for) so it would be helpful to have some indication but obviously we're not getting that!

MonaDD

Me too, it would be helpful to know what areas need tightening up/ what needs to be worked on to apply again!
Even an explanation of what each of those categories means would be something!

FanillaIce

The research office in my uni told us when we were applying that it is marked as follows:
Quality of student: /20
Quality of proposal: /60
Institutional support: /20

Hope that helps! I don't know why they couldn't just put that on the form -most confusing feedback ever!

Frank Grimes

MonaDD wrote: »

Even an explanation of what each of those categories means would be something!

Yeah, the institutional support one is the one I'm most interested in - does anyone know the criteria they use to assess this beyond the obvious (supervisor's experience etc.)?

FanillaIce wrote:

Hope that helps! I don't know why they couldn't just put that on the form -most confusing feedback ever!

Great, thanks - yeah I don't understand why they just can't say this on the 'feedback' form.

gutenberg

Frank Grimes wrote: »

Yeah, the institutional support one is the one I'm most interested in - does anyone know the criteria they use to assess this beyond the obvious (supervisor's experience etc.)?

I'm not sure about this either, perhaps they look at staff with similar interests to yours in the same department, library resources, access to workshops/seminars etc? I really don't know.

I'm actually more curious about the 'quality of scholar' one? How is that scored? Do they give points for, for instance, whether you have Master's degree, your undergrad classification, references...?