Irish Research Council Postgrad awards 2015

MonaDD

Couldn't find a thread for this year's postgrad funding (surprisingly!)
Any body have any idea when we will hear about who has been successful? Or even an update on progress?
The last contact I have from the IRC said mid-April... impatience (and worry!) beginning to set in now...

myons1

I think the outcome for the first phase has been announced today. Last year they told you whether you made it to the second phase in an email, but this year it looks like emails have just been sent out to inform everyone that their application status will have either changed to 'unsuccessful', or they are through the second phase.

spaceylou

Same email suggested that the final results will be out the week beginning 29th June - so when they say results in June, they really do mean the very very end of the month :rolleyes:

Fingers crossed!

lilylarkin

At what point do we see feedback or scoring to see where our application failed?

myons1

lilylarkin wrote: »

At what point do we see feedback or scoring to see where our application failed?

I think last year the letters providing feedback were sent out at some point in August/early September, so I expect that the same will happen this year at a similar time.

Kavrocks

myons1 wrote: »

I think last year the letters providing feedback were sent out at some point in August/early September, so I expect that the same will happen this year at a similar time.

If I remember correctly I got mine around 2 - 3 weeks after the final round of results, when applications were set to 'Conditional Award', etc. That was around mid to late June. I'm not sure if it varies based on whether your application was successful or unsuccessful though.

myons1

Kavrocks wrote: »

If I remember correctly I got mine around 2 - 3 weeks after the final round of results, when applications were set to 'Conditional Award', etc. That was around mid to late June. I'm not sure if it varies based on whether your application was successful or unsuccessful though.

I think it does - was yours successful last year Kavrocks? I think there's usually a much longer wait for unsuccessful applicants, although it may be different for those who don't reach the second round.

Kavrocks

myons1 wrote: »

I think it does - was yours successful last year Kavrocks? I think there's usually a much longer wait for unsuccessful applicants, although it may be different for those who don't reach the second round.

Yeah it was successful.

mickstupp

The last email I received said that if unsuccessful... "Scores will be posted to the address provided on your online profile so we ask that you check your address and update if necessary by Wednesday 27th May."

I would've taken that to mean they'd be posting them last week or this week?

myons1

mickstupp wrote: »

The last email I received said that if unsuccessful... "Scores will be posted to the address provided on your online profile so we ask that you check your address and update if necessary by Wednesday 27th May."

I would've taken that to mean they'd be posting them last week or this week?

You're probably right about applications that didn't make it through the first round, although they do always seem to be slightly slower than they suggest, with a couple of notable exceptions.

myons1

So the results of the second assessment came out a week ago on Monday..... and I made the reserve list. How did everyone else do? Congratulations to everyone who got a conditional award, and commiserations to those who weren't successful. This is my second attempt, so I'm still holding out for this last chance.

Has anyone had any previous experience with being on the reserve list, and/or have any idea how the process works? The email said that they may still make offers to people on the reserve list until 29th July, which seems to be a shorter timeline than in previous years, but I'm not sure if that indicates anything. All I can gather is that another frustrating wait is in store...

Deeluu

I also made the reserve list. My supervisor told me that last year no-one on their reserve list got an offer but that the year before everyone on their reserve list got an offer...so that doesn't really help. But I assume getting on offer depends on someone who got a conditional award not meeting the criteria or refusing the scholarship. Both instances are unlikely enough but I am trying to remain hopeful. Another month of uncertainty though...so annoying. Does anyone know how many people are "reserved" each year or is that a closely guarded secret?

cullenni

Hi all, I'm bit late to the thread but congrats to those who got a conditional award. Also got on the reserve list but as far as I know there is no way to find out where you are on the reserve list or how many people are on it. Deeluu did your supervisor say how long it took for the people on the reserve list to get offers? My feeling is that the longer that goes by the less chance there is and this has been dragging on for way too long already!

myons1

So I've been scrutinising last year's thread, as well as working with the information that I already have, and here's what I've speculatively established.

Last year, I applied for the AHSS stream. Apparently the lowest score required to get a conditional award for this stream was 86.5%. I got 82%, and didn't make the reserve list. On the thread last year, someone apparently did get on the reserve list with a score of 83.5%. So it seems one can conclude that to have got on the reserve list last year, one needed to score 3-4% below the threshold score (so lowest score between 82.5% and 83.5%). Presumably whichever percentage it was, it could either stay the same every year, or it could be chosen to put only a certain number of people on the reserve list (which perhaps may be more likely).

Also, based on what was said in the thread last year, offers were made to applicants on the reserve list through the following process: in order to avoid one applicant on the reserve list getting an offer and not another applicant with the same score, I think the IRC wait until enough awards are spare (through applicants with awards either not meeting the conditions or rejecting their offer) to be able to send offers to all the applicants who got .5% below the threshold score (I think .5% is the smallest increment). So in the case of last year, once the number of spare awards was equal to the number of applicants who got 86%, .5% below the threshold mark, offers were sent to all of those applicants. Then I think the process was repeated; offers were then made to applicants with a score .5% below that (85.5%) once the number of spare awards was equal to the number of those who scored 85.5%. Presumably one can infer that this process is repeated until the number of spare awards is lower than the number of applicants with the score at the increment reached. So like last year, the process can result in the total amount of offers being taken up being lower than the amount of awards that were available. Hopefully the pot of money left over might get put forward for the following year.

In any case, finally, basing this again only on what I've read on previous threads, it looks like offers to applicants on the reserve list came out in two bursts last year - the first burst being about two weeks after the final results were announced, and then another two weeks after that (this may be why the IRC have only given a month this year to send out offers to those on the reserve list, as last year that was the time it took to send out these offers). So based on all of this, I think that maybe after two weeks, offers were sent to applicants who scored 86%, and then two weeks after that offers were sent to those who scored 85.5%. So in the end, if we've scored either .5% or 1% below the threshold mark, then perhaps we may be in for a chance. However, we might have scored as much as 4% below the threshold mark (or maybe even lower than that), and if that's the case, we're unlikely to have any luck.

So really I don't think I've established anything really helpful, but it's still clear that the IRC keep to themselves these rather significant processes, for reasons that escape me. It would be a much less torturous experience for us if they could just be transparent about all of this. Then again, I clearly am a basket case of an obsessively speculating applicant, so maybe I'm not in the best position to judge.

Deeluu

Cullenni I think myons1 has a good point. I don't think they hand out second round offers until they are sure that they can cover a certain percentage. My supervisor said it took almost a month for offers to be made to the applicants under his care.
I don't think there is any proper way to demystify the process unfortunately, we just have to sit tight.

cullenni

Yep your right, its time to stop speculating and get on with things! If only I could stop checking my email 40 times a day........

Deeluu

Is this your first or second time applying?

cullenni

Its my second so I am basically consigned to waiting in the last chance saloon for another 3 weeks. A straight no would have been less painful!

Deeluu

Its the uncertainty of it all that gets me. I put in my first scholarship application in November and my last (of three) in February. I've been reserved for two, so I won't know the outcome until July, and if it is a no in the end, then in September I'll have to start the application process all over again. Its frustrating. But I also appreciate that the Irish Research Council cannot just give out this amount of money willy nilly. It is reassuring that the standards are high. This is my first time applying to IRC but the thought of having to do it again makes me want to weep.

cullenni

I said the same last year but its amazing how quickly you forget the pain. They also send out feedback on how you did for each section and although its not specific it is actually really helpful if you are re-applying. Hopefully you will get one of your scholarships and you wont have to go through it all again anyway:-)

Deeluu

Thanks cullenni. The scholarship I'm more likely to receive a second round offer for has a requirement in it that you HAVE to apply for IRC funding if you still meet the criteria. I like to think of it all as character building. At least in a few week's time we will know either way, and I hope it is good news for us all!

myons1

So it's basically been three weeks now since the results came out, with 9 days left for those on the reserve list to be sent offers.

Has anyone heard anything at all? My hope is fading as the days go by. I just wish this would be over now.

Deeluu

No I haven't heard anything either. But they will let us know either way, so maybe, for the time being, no news is good news. That's what I'm trying to tell myself anyway!

cullenni

Nothing here either. Someone in my office was emailed the day after being put on the reserve list and offered a conditional award. I would imagine that if people aren't taking up offers that they would let the IRC know pretty quick but again I'm just speculating.

Deeluu

Did anyone else get the letter from the IRC this morning giving their score and telling them that they will let reserve candidates know their position by July 31st?

The score needed to get funding was 88 this year for the Arts Stream.

cullenni

Haven't checked the post yet. Are you far off 88?

Deeluu

85.5 so I won't be holding my breath. It's a good starting point for next year's application at least.

cullenni

actually sorry too personal don't tell me! :-)

Deeluu

It's only personal if you know who I am! 😄 I'm proud of that score just sad it wasn't enough! Good luck to everyone else though!

cullenni

WOW that's basically an A++ right? maybe dont give up just yet....

Deeluu

Thanks! I will retain some optimistic hope! 😆