Irish Research Council 2014/2015

ringthebells

Congratulations to those who got the postdoc prize & commiserations to those who didn't!

Just wondering - has any conditional postgrad award holder heard anything from IRC yet? I've got nothing from them yet, thought I read someone in this thread contacted them and they said letters, etc, would go out last week.

Fedwards

ringthebells wrote: »

Congratulations to those who got the postdoc prize & commiserations to those who didn't!

Just wondering - has any conditional postgrad award holder heard anything from IRC yet? I've got nothing from them yet, thought I read someone in this thread contacted them and they said letters, etc, would go out last week.

I'm in the same boat as you, conditional award, but no sign of the letter yet!

Sklarker

Does anyone if the IRC send out any communication (to unsuccessful applicants) letting you know what grade you got or do you need to contact them directly? Can't believe I'm already thinking about going through this process again next year...

aidoh

ringthebells wrote: »

Congratulations to those who got the postdoc prize & commiserations to those who didn't!

Just wondering - has any conditional postgrad award holder heard anything from IRC yet? I've got nothing from them yet, thought I read someone in this thread contacted them and they said letters, etc, would go out last week.

They sent an email about two or three weeks ago that was posted a few pages back (so I won't re-post it).
One thing the email said was that official offers would be sent out in the post, so people should login to the IRC website and make sure that their house address is correct by Wednesday the 11th.
So assuming they were issuing out offers in the post since then, we should be hearing from them very soon.

mikehayes83

Sklarker wrote: »

Does anyone if the IRC send out any communication (to unsuccessful applicants) letting you know what grade you got or do you need to contact them directly? Can't believe I'm already thinking about going through this process again next year...

I am the same as you skylarker I want feedback to see where I go from here and if it's worth re applying next year. I think they said they would give feedback on how everyone scored but when is the thing???

candle_wax

mikehayes83 wrote: »

I am the same as you skylarker I want feedback to see where I go from here and if it's worth re applying next year. I think they said they would give feedback on how everyone scored but when is the thing???

Someone I know got a letter from them a few weeks ago with the score breakdown, telling her the number of applicants and the cut-off score. It told her how she got on in each section, so 20/30 for host institution, etc.

Who Knows?

Yes, I saw one last years (postdoc) and you will get a breakdown on each component of the application in summary form. You'll get a few lines of feedback on what the reviewers though of your application and a score for each section. An overall score is also provided. There are no real suggestions or value in the feedback from what I read. There isn't much comfort in it but as academics we need a benchmark to self-assess our application etc. As one of the discussions above suggest, they do score your host university (out of 15 or 20) which is a little bizarre that about one fifth of your application comes down to whether you choose UCC, UL, UCD, NUIG over another etc???

Anyway, not sure how many time can you apply for the IRC postdoc fund? Any ideas? I know you can apply twice but not sure about 3+

aidoh

Any postgrads get their forms today?
I'm confused as to who signs and stamps the 'host institution' dealy.

Spotfire

IRC funding is a total lottery

jtkc

aidoh wrote: »

Any postgrads get their forms today?
I'm confused as to who signs and stamps the 'host institution' dealy.

I haven't received any forms yet... Do they give a deadline when you need to return your decision?

aidoh

Yeah,
Mine is the 18th of July.

LordJimbob

I'm curious how reserve works with the acceptance deadline of the 18th of July. It says that if we (reserve people) don't find out by the 16th July if we've gotten a position, then we haven't.

Maybe they are just assuming that not everyone will wait until the last day to confirm their acceptance.

aidoh

It says towards the end of the letter of offer:

"If you intend to decline this award, please notify the Council as soon as possible as we operate a reserve list for the scheme."

catfips

Only found this thread a week ago. Got an email out of the blue from IRC to tell me that I had moved from Reserve to Conditional and that a letter would be sent to me in several days to accept/decline. Anyone else get one?

candle_wax

catfips wrote: »

Only found this thread a week ago. Got an email out of the blue from IRC to tell me that I had moved from Reserve to Conditional and that a letter would be sent to me in several days to accept/decline. Anyone else get one?

That's great, congrats


Re: host institution stamp, I checked with our graduate studies office and they said they sign/stamp it, once the supervisor has signed.
Also got my transcripts today (and paid for the privilege, of course...)

catfips

I'm on the Doctoral Fellowship Scholarship in NUIG so hopefully that should free up a place for someone else here too. Must go and get my transcripts too! Maybe after I get to sit in the sun!!!

LordJimbob

I'm in reserve but I got no email sadly. Perhaps they are sending them out gradually as positions become freed up? What date did you get your email? Today?

SNiB

Yep I got one too!

catfips

Hey LordJimbob. I got the email on the 30th June. Yeah, I think they're sending them out as Conditional offers are being rejected/not taken up by people. They said that if you didn't hear by July 16th then you didn't get one. Still two weeks to hear. Good luck and post when you get some word please!

rintu87

My application has also been moved from reserve list to conditional award on 30th June. I have replied to the email by accepting the offer. They have informed that they will send some documents to tell the process shortly. Does anyone know when the document is expected to arrive. I am still awaiting my PhD viva which I am expecting to get in the last week of July. Does anyone know when I have to send my degree transcripts and if this is negotiable or not??

catfips

My email seemed to imply that an official letter will be sent offering the conditional award and that once I officially accept it they will then ask me for the relevant documents, ie. transcripts, proof of place in PhD programme, etc. Someone who got their award at the end of May will of course know more than I do at this stage.

Tick_Tock

Hi All,

Are you guys talking about being moved from reserve to conditional for the Postgraduate or Postdoctoral awards? I'm on the reserve list for GOI Post Doc and am just wondering whether they have started making offers to reserve candidates??

I also note that some people are saying that they have been made conditional offers but have not completed their PhD vivas. It was my understanding that it was a requirement to apply for the post-doc that you had to have your viva completed and passed???

rintu87

Yes they have gradually started to make offers to the reserve list candidate also. I wish you will get your offer soon. My best wishes to you. Hope you will get your offer soon.

To mention here there was an option in the application form where it has been asked if you have completed your PhD or not. If not completed then expected date of award. So I think perhaps completed degree was not necessary.

stinkle

Tick_Tock wrote: »

Hi All,

Are you guys talking about being moved from reserve to conditional for the Postgraduate or Postdoctoral awards? I'm on the reserve list for GOI Post Doc and am just wondering whether they have started making offers to reserve candidates??

I also note that some people are saying that they have been made conditional offers but have not completed their PhD vivas. It was my understanding that it was a requirement to apply for the post-doc that you had to have your viva completed and passed???

Have you received anything in the post Tick_Tock? I'm postdoc too and got nothing yet, and am conditional. I took the postdoc awards to mean you could have defended, but not graduated at the time of application in Feb.

catfips

Sorry Tick-Tock, I was talking about the Postgrad, should have made that clearer.

Spotfire

Hey guys - what supporting materials & documentation do the council want for conditional award holders?

Is it just your academic transcripts?

aidoh

Spotfire wrote: »

Hey guys - what supporting materials & documentation do the council want for conditional award holders?

Is it just your academic transcripts?

Yep and the letter of offer signed by yourself, your supervisor, someone form your university research office and stamped by someone from the research office too.

catfips

How long after you received the confirmation email did you receive the letter? I'm asking because my supervisor is away until the 14th and I'm away for 3 weeks from the 16th. Is the 4 weeks you have to reply from when you got the confirmation email? Sorry to get so complicated (mind you, if you got through the IRC application this should be a doddle!!!).

aidoh

catfips wrote: »

How long after you received the confirmation email did you receive the letter? I'm asking because my supervisor is away until the 14th and I'm away for 3 weeks from the 16th. Is the 4 weeks you have to reply from when you got the confirmation email? Sorry to get so complicated (mind you, if you got through the IRC application this should be a doddle!!!).

I was actually sent my letter of offer a week or two before I got an email about it.
It just gave me a deadline to send in the completed letter and transcripts (18 July for me).

It will have your deadline on the letter anyway. If you're going to have to send it in and get it signed and stamped last minute I'd recommend getting your transcripts sorted now because they can take a week or two to get sent out.

catfips

Thanks Aidoh, will just go and do that right now!