Irish Research Council 2013/2014

k_tos

For those that got the award- Anyone receive an email from the IRC yet regarding acceptance? Research Office contacted me today saying it should have been sent, but nothing thus far?

Realt Dearg Sec

k_tos wrote: »

For those that got the award- Anyone receive an email from the IRC yet regarding acceptance? Research Office contacted me today saying it should have been sent, but nothing thus far?

No email from them. The college got in touch asking if I would be accepting it, and saying we should have gotten a mail by now, but then followed it up to say that a few people had told them they've received no mail yet. So it seems like everyone is still waiting on that mail by the sounds of things. Let us know if you do receive it.

Ravelleman

I haven't heard from Trinity yet.

k_tos

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

No email from them. The college got in touch asking if I would be accepting it, and saying we should have gotten a mail by now, but then followed it up to say that a few people had told them they've received no mail yet. So it seems like everyone is still waiting on that mail by the sounds of things. Let us know if you do receive it.

As usual boards is more informative than those in the know! I'm guessin ur UCC too then? Got the same mail it seems.

Good to know no one else has recieved anything- the initial email (pre 4pm on day of results) did say a letter would be sent rather than a mail which seems more in line with signing a contract.

Only thing of concern really is that if it is an email and there's a deadline for receipt- not getting it in the first place would provide a major headache.

Realt Dearg Sec

k_tos wrote: »

I'm guessin ur UCC too then?

I will be soon!

cailleach an airgid

I've heard nothing from UL either! The last email said that a formal letter would follow from the results on Monday - not sure if that means a post letter or email letter?

It would be lovely to get the process started and acceptance confirmed - I keep expecting someone to jump out and say just kidding, only joking we were just having some craic. When I get official confirmation I can stop all that irrationality!

k_tos

cailleach an airgid wrote: »

I've heard nothing from UL either! The last email said that a formal letter would follow from the results on Monday - not sure if that means a post letter or email letter?

It would be lovely to get the process started and acceptance confirmed - I keep expecting someone to jump out and say just kidding, only joking we were just having some craic. When I get official confirmation I can stop all that irrationality!

It's amazing the thoughts that go through your head eh!...I have checked the online system every now and again just to see if they did in fact make an error. Research office have been informed in UCC anyway of who the conditional awardees are- so that's something.

ProfanityURL

I hate this "Conditional" business. Does that mean anything, has anyone ever heard of a successful applicant being shot down after receiving a "Conditional Award" or is that just to cover their arse incase the government cuts funding?

k_tos

ProfanityURL wrote: »

I hate this "Conditional" business. Does that mean anything, has anyone ever heard of a successful applicant being shot down after receiving a "Conditional Award" or is that just to cover their arse incase the government cuts funding?

I think it's to cover the possibility of funds being cut and also binds you to the terms and conditions...

E.g., you must submit a progress report and it must be sufficient before they'll release funds for a quarter. Or as a I saw on another thread, that they can reduce your funds if there's a justification from their perspective etc.

To be honest, when I got accepted I thought, wahey let's party! A few days later and the gravity of responsibility to conform to their T &C's brings you back to earth fairly quick in terms of grafting for it etc,

ProfanityURL

Is there anything we need to be doing at the moment in terms of accepting, apart from just waiting for this elusive mail from the IRC?

I'm flat out working at the moment and haven't even had a chance to read the terms and conditions!

k_tos

ProfanityURL wrote: »

Is there anything we need to be doing at the moment in terms of accepting, apart from just waiting for this elusive mail from the IRC?

I'm flat out working at the moment and haven't even had a chance to read the terms and conditions!

I think it's a case of sit and wait to be honest for a snail mail letter- awaiting confirmation of that from the IRC so will post up when I hear

cailleach an airgid

I took an hour to really carefully read the t&c s yesterday. There's nothing scary in there, and I think they probably just need to state 'conditional' in case someone invented material for their application (there was a mention of sending n transcripts in the last email, so that might be part of it?). It's just to cover themselves (or so I get the impression).

I also need to check about my existing funding. A far as the terms go, I can hold it along with the irc as long as it doesn't go over 16000pa (which it doesn't). Do universities let you keep such things with the irc, or will I have to hand it back? Tbh, if I kept it, i would be saving it to cover conferences and my car (a good bit of travel will be involved in my interviews) for the remaining three years. I hope I can keep it...

Realt Dearg Sec

ProfanityURL wrote: »

I hate this "Conditional" business. Does that mean anything, has anyone ever heard of a successful applicant being shot down after receiving a "Conditional Award" or is that just to cover their arse incase the government cuts funding?

It's conditional in the sense that you will have to provide things like academic records to prove that you are the person you said you were. They could revoke it if they discover at some point between now and you getting started that you lied on the application.

Ravelleman

cailleach an airgid wrote: »

I also need to check about my existing funding. A far as the terms go, I can hold it along with the irc as long as it doesn't go over 16000pa (which it doesn't). Do universities let you keep such things with the irc, or will I have to hand it back? Tbh, if I kept it, i would be saving it to cover conferences and my car (a good bit of travel will be involved in my interviews) for the remaining three years. I hope I can keep it...

You can claim some expenses, like travel to approved conferences, as part of the IRC grant.

Most universities will also have an upper limit on the total amount you can receive in funding. In Trinity the total is €18,000 so that means you can't hold any of their studentships with monthly stipends, while in receipt of IRC funding. In some cases you can receive smaller amounts for special trips or producing good work but these are allowed by the IRC if you inform them.

The rules also speak of case by case assessments for other major awards up to €16,000 but these are only in exceptional circumstances.

To be honest, it would feel wrong to me to receive two stipendiary grants at the same time. Surviving on the IRC grant should be pretty easy and tying up another grant could mean the difference between another person starting their research and being unable to do so. If that's what you're suggesting, I would reconsider if I were you.

cailleach an airgid

My supervisor felt that because i have already accessed half of it in my first year, it might not be possible to 're-release' the money to other researchers and that it might be ploughed back into the university. I was warned in the past by another faculty member about rescinding on a previous short term research grant due to a job offer i got (she advised it is seen as a negative to exit a grant early). I know people in ul who hold other grants on top of IRC. It's not really a subsistence matter, just want to make sure that everything is above board. I was completely honest about my existing funding in my application, so irc know - will wait and see from them and uni what's best to do. I'd hate for the money to be just plunged back into the uni and not to fund research. If that would be the case (when giving it up) I would rather save it for conference attendance and other research related activity.

Long term, my plan with my supervisors is to publish a book based on my phd area (and other work on this project). I'd really like to see the extra used for the project ('maybe fees for a research masters) or to fund future research/dissemination/publication costs.

Realt Dearg Sec

Huh...it's almost f**k-this-s**t o'clock on a Friday and still no email from the IRC. That doesn't bother me as long as it's the same for everyone else. So...is it?

BumblebeeGirl

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Huh...it's almost f**k-this-s**t o'clock on a Friday and still no email from the IRC. That doesn't bother me as long as it's the same for everyone else. So...is it?

Havent received anything either

Realt Dearg Sec

BumblebeeGirl wrote: »

Havent received anything either

Grand so!

k_tos

Made contact with IRC and got an email back saying they apologise for the confusion that they will be, in fact, contacting awardees by email rather than post due to the fact that individuals may be travelling or whatever.

And they will be sending out the email, they hope due to the larger number of postragraduates, within the next two weeks. Acceptance will be by email and will require a signature which can be electronically typed with a hard copy contract to follow later.

BumblebeeGirl

Fair play for contacting them!

Ravelleman

It's all slipping into place...

cailleach an airgid

An email just came around in work with the precall notifications for next years awards - the tentative date for 2014 PG awards seems to be an earlier application deadline of January this year, with the call coming out in November - they did say this was the earliest intended dates and they could be later.

Just in case anyone is intending to apply next year, start to keep an eye for a call around November.

Realt Dearg Sec

Anyone hear from them?

Duddy

Nothing yet! Thanks for contacting them k_tos

Anyone else feel like they don't want to say they've got it in case IRC ring you to say they've made a terrible mistake?:P

Realt Dearg Sec

Duddy wrote: »

Nothing yet! Thanks for contacting them k_tos

Anyone else feel like they don't want to say they've got it in case IRC ring you to say they've made a terrible mistake?:P

It's the kind of thing you'd fear alright and I checked several times to make sure conditional award meant what I thought. If they made a mistake at this stage people would have made plans and preparations, so it would be a legal issue. So don't worry, you have it alright, well done!

Duddy

Haha thanks, I guess its just a feeling of unreality after telling myself there was no hope of getting it for so long! Looking forward to hearing from them to make it a bit more real!

AnCailin

Hey guys, has anyone else had trouble getting onto the IRC website recently? I'm getting nothing but 404 errors. I was hoping to have a good read of the t&c's.

nialljf

cailleach an airgid wrote: »

An email just came around in work with the precall notifications for next years awards - the tentative date for 2014 PG awards seems to be an earlier application deadline of January this year, with the call coming out in November - they did say this was the earliest intended dates and they could be later.

Just in case anyone is intending to apply next year, start to keep an eye for a call around November.

Was this an email from the IRC or your institution? That seems very early. I'll be applying next time around, as I begin a PhD.

Ravelleman

I have yet to be contacted by anyone about my award. Anyone else in the same boat? From what I understand my university does know about it. The IRC have yet to email me though.

BumblebeeGirl

University contacted me last week but nothing yet from IRC.

I wonder how long it will take to receive our first months wage?