Irish Research Council 2014/2015

Ravelleman

I suspect the earlier applications this year were due to staffing reasons.

aidoh

And I was frustrated enough with having to wait until May/June to know roughly what I'd be doing with my life for the next 4 years.
They should absolutely let applicants know how long they'll be waiting. I've a couple of other applications in for PhDs in the UK but I would take my proposed project here over them because I think I'd enjoy it more. Now I've no idea what to do if I get offered one while I'm waiting to be told about this IRC lark. I'd hate to turn down one in the UK and then NOT get the IRC funding.
Do not like the grown up world.

Paddy365

will they offer conditional offers this year? I work in industry-left college about 5 years ago and really want to go back to get my doctorate.

aidoh

As far as I know the 'conditional' offers are just on the condition that you have gotten the grades and stuff that you said in the application, so every successful person will be getting a 'conditional' offer first.
I think that's all they mean by the conditional part, anyway.

Ravelleman

aidoh wrote: »

As far as I know the 'conditional' offers are just on the condition that you have gotten the grades and stuff that you said in the application, so every successful person will be getting a 'conditional' offer first.
I think that's all they mean by the conditional part, anyway.

Yes, this was addressed earlier. All offers are conditional until the appropriate documentation is provided.

Spotfire

I think though that all the IRC want is your exam transcripts documentation wise

Ravelleman

Spotfire wrote: »

I think though that all the IRC want is your exam transcripts documentation wise

There is also significant documentation on the part of the host university.

Spotfire

Such as?

nialljf

aidoh wrote: »

And I was frustrated enough with having to wait until May/June to know roughly what I'd be doing with my life for the next 4 years.
They should absolutely let applicants know how long they'll be waiting. I've a couple of other applications in for PhDs in the UK but I would take my proposed project here over them because I think I'd enjoy it more. Now I've no idea what to do if I get offered one while I'm waiting to be told about this IRC lark. I'd hate to turn down one in the UK and then NOT get the IRC funding.
Do not like the grown up world.

exact same situation here. don't want to be waiting around half the summer to find out.

aidoh

It's especially annoying because I know plenty of folks who just sort of 'fell into' a PhD a few years back because they couldn't think of anything else to do. Most of them loved it in the end but some of them quit and ended up getting 'straight' jobs too.
I find it frustrating now that there are probably more people genuinely dying to make a career for themselves in research (biology, in my own case) but there is less funding and it's now open to a larger pool of people.
Poo, I say.

fifa3000

Yeah I don't understand why they can't even provide an estimate - I get that it would probably be a lot of hassle to have to backtrack on it if there were any issues, but still. Waiting around is painful! I have heard rumours before that this delay is deliberate on behalf of IRC to weed out those who might possibly reject it if they get another offer (thus causing more paperwork for IRC etc.) but I'm going to hope that's nonsense..

In my experience though, it's usually a month in advance of the time they state, so it could be around May. I would think the earlier submission date would mean an earlier award announcement, but it could have been to facilitate staffing issues as was said up thread.

ringthebells

fifa3000 wrote: »

Yeah I don't understand why they can't even provide an estimate

Didn't they? Just took a look through my email:

Dear ringthebells,

Please note this an automated email from Irish Research Council.

You have successfully submitted your application (Application ID: GOIPG/2014/XXX). Your application will only be complete once all forms have been submitted. These forms include your Supervisor/Mentor/Enterprise Mentor forms and two references as appropriate to your application.

The results of the assessment for this call are provisionally expected in early June 2014.

Regards,
The Irish Research Council

Although, granted, that may not mean a lot considering the delays last year!

fifa3000

ringthebells wrote: »

Didn't they? Just took a look through my email:

Dear ringthebells,

Please note this an automated email from Irish Research Council.

You have successfully submitted your application (Application ID: GOIPG/2014/XXX). Your application will only be complete once all forms have been submitted. These forms include your Supervisor/Mentor/Enterprise Mentor forms and two references as appropriate to your application.

The results of the assessment for this call are provisionally expected in early June 2014.

Regards,
The Irish Research Council

Although, granted, that may not mean a lot considering the delays last year!

That's the thing, in my experience they always over-estimate it by a month or two, which makes it difficult to plan around, so it doesn't seem hugely accurate. I don't see why they can't say it will be out on the 1st of June, and then keep people abreast of where they're at closer to the time. This is probably a bit pie in the sky as well, but it would be fantastic if they had various stages that you progressed through, similar to other application processes, so that the large percentage of people who were a straight no aren't waiting around for the full 6 months.

ringthebells

fifa3000 wrote: »

...it would be fantastic if they had various stages that you progressed through, similar to other application processes, so that the large percentage of people who were a straight no aren't waiting around for the full 6 months.

Yeah, that really would be handy and much less frustrating. Surely it would be doable too seeing as they do 'rank' us and there are cut-off points.

Oh well

aidoh

fifa3000 wrote: »

That's the thing, in my experience they always over-estimate it by a month or two, which makes it difficult to plan around, so it doesn't seem hugely accurate. I don't see why they can't say it will be out on the 1st of June, and then keep people abreast of where they're at closer to the time. This is probably a bit pie in the sky as well, but it would be fantastic if they had various stages that you progressed through, similar to other application processes, so that the large percentage of people who were a straight no aren't waiting around for the full 6 months.

So are you sort of thinking there's a possibility that we might be told earlier than "early June"? That'd be delish.

fifa3000

aidoh wrote: »

So are you sort of thinking there's a possibility that we might be told earlier than "early June"? That'd be delish.

I would hope so..but I can only speak from my experiences and from others in my dept, they very well could be out in June or later this year! IRC is an enigma

dublinlush

Without being presumptuous - does anyone know how long it takes (roughly) to receive exam transcripts from various universities? I understand that TCD is very quick but the likes of DIT are far slower, particularly at the end of term when they are supposedly very busy collating current exam results. Especially if your transcripts are from the last century...!! If conditional offers are made by the IRC in June, then it's probably terrible timing for extracting transcripts from that shower. Any advice from successful candidates?

Yarghhh

dublinlush wrote: »

Without being presumptuous - does anyone know how long it takes (roughly) to receive exam transcripts from various universities? I understand that TCD is very quick but the likes of DIT are far slower, particularly at the end of term when they are supposedly very busy collating current exam results. Especially if your transcripts are from the last century...!! If conditional offers are made by the IRC in June, then it's probably terrible timing for extracting transcripts from that shower. Any advice from successful candidates?

Your hands are tied if you are still sitting exams as they want your latest transcript. If you want to be as organised as possible order the transcript as soon as you get your final results. Nothing else you can do...

dublinlush

Thanks very much for your reply Yarghhh... for some reason I'm not being notified of responses by email... so apologies for this late one. I'm not sitting exams thankfully. My degrees are fairly old at this stage - I'm a very mature student!! I might order transcripts just in case and if I'm not successful I'll have them for next year's shot at it anyway. Beats worrying about delays with them if offers are made in June.

aidoh

Where did you graduate from? I know a few universities now have a facility where you can login and electronic copies of your transcript for free. Maybe you won't be able to if you're out for a number of years but it's probably worth ringing up your old school office and seeing what the craic is - could get them totally free.

Paddy365

My supervisor asked for my transcripts already-do we need to send them to the IRC also? Again I am a mature student so I have all my exam resutls already. wish they'd say yes or no already if you have your exam results-least then I could plan the furture

dublinlush

I graduated from Bolton St DIT first off and then a Masters later from TCD. The latter will send the transcripts for free through an online enquiry on the TCD website. Bolton St have to dig deep into their dungeons to find my exam results from the 1990s. Costs 15 euro but probably worth the few quid to get them before exam chaos in May/June. Even if I don't get the scholarship this year (which I probably won't as my application was a bit half-arsed) then I'll have them in case I go for it next year. I agree with Paddy 365 - it's a very tedious wait till June!

Paddy365

Anyone else counting down hours until we know?

mikehayes83

Paddy365 wrote: »

Anyone else counting down hours until we know?

I am checking everyday lol!

aidoh

Yeah same here!

Paddy365

Anyone know the date in June we can expect to hear? I'm thinking late June given that most current college students won't get exam results until then.

aidoh

Very good point. I was hoping for May, myself but I know that's wishful thinking.
Then again, they could give out offers based on peoples' applications, on the condition that they'll earn the grades they said they would in the application. Still could be late May, you never know!
Could also be a case of letting people know as they make their decisions. i.e. not everybody would be told at the same time.

I don't know why it's so hard for them to just say "Students will be informed of the status of their funding application no later than the Xth of May" instead of this "you'll hear when you hear" type bull-ish.
Very frustrating trying to vaguely plan the next few months and years without knowing about this even.

bren2001

aidoh wrote: »

Very good point. I was hoping for May, myself but I know that's wishful thinking.
Then again, they could give out offers based on peoples' applications, on the condition that they'll earn the grades they said they would in the application. Still could be late May, you never know!
Could also be a case of letting people know as they make their decisions. i.e. not everybody would be told at the same time.

I don't know why it's so hard for them to just say "Students will be informed of the status of their funding application no later than the Xth of May" instead of this "you'll hear when you hear" type bull-ish.
Very frustrating trying to vaguely plan the next few months and years without knowing about this even.

I wouldn't be hoping for an early announcement. You will only end up torturing yourself by checking every day (when there is no point, the email you the date first). The best thing to do is assume the very last day in June, if it is earlier, great, if not it will be easier.

The release of exam results doesn't make much difference, it's not like they automatically get sent a copy after they come out, in any case a conditional offer is made provided requested materials including proof of exam results is supplied to them.

Spotfire

I wouldn't hold my breath on the IRC releasing the results on time. If you look up the IRC thread on this forum for last year - they were waiting a considerable amount of time after the 'due' date.

I know its a disaster to try and make plans around the IRC proposal. I myself have managed to secure a job until end of June, but of course have no guarantee that I'll know whether to ask to be kept on or that I'll be doing a PhD and can leave my job.