Nui Travelling Studentship

John Wells

Hi there. I've been shortlisted for an interview for an NUI Travelling Studentship in Humanities and Social Sciences and was just wondering if anyone out there has experience of the interview process that they care to divulge? Thanks!

blinkfan12

I was shortlisted too, I would really like to know if anyone has any experience of this!
Congrats on being shortlisted by the by John.

John Wells

blinkfan12 wrote: »

I was shortlisted too, I would really like to know if anyone has any experience of this!
Congrats on being shortlisted by the by John.

Cheers! You too! My interview is on Tuesday morning and another friend has his on Monday. I'm going to prepare for it the same way I did for my interview for English funding I think.

Shame that they've halved the number of grants to four this year but fingers crossed. I let you know if I hear any insights about past interviews!

blinkfan12

Yeah, it is a shame alright, but at least there's still grants out there! I had my interview moved from Tuesday to Monday, so I've lost a day's preparation which is a pain.
I'm just preparing by going over my application and trying to guess at the questions they'd ask, where I think my app is weakest etc.
Any idea of how many were shortlisted?

John Wells

blinkfan12 wrote: »

Yeah, it is a shame alright, but at least there's still grants out there! I had my interview moved from Tuesday to Monday, so I've lost a day's preparation which is a pain.
I'm just preparing by going over my application and trying to guess at the questions they'd ask, where I think my app is weakest etc.
Any idea of how many were shortlisted?

I'm pretty much doing the same regards preparation but I'm also just five weeks away from my MA thesis deadline (with loads of writing up still left to do) so the pressure is on!! One other friend has been shortlisted but I've no idea how many people have been called for interview in total.

I had an interview for AHRC funding in England based on an earlier draft of my proposal and they found more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. But it helped me when I redrafted my NUI proposal and hopefully it will help me with the interview.

blinkfan12

John Wells wrote: »

I'm pretty much doing the same regards preparation but I'm also just five weeks away from my MA thesis deadline (with loads of writing up still left to do) so the pressure is on!! One other friend has been shortlisted but I've no idea how many people have been called for interview in total.

I had an interview for AHRC funding in England based on an earlier draft of my proposal and they found more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. But it helped me when I redrafted my NUI proposal and hopefully it will help me with the interview.

Yeah I'd be worried mine is full of holes. I applied for IRCHSS and they said no, so it's obviously weak in certain areas, but got no feed back, whihc isn't helpful. :mad:

CathalMc

I've a few bits of advice that worked very well for me for the NUI TS:

(1) Research who'll be interviewing you.
(2) Prepare to talk at length about how what you study will benefit Ireland when you return. Stressing, of course, that you will return. Be able to bounce back and forth between your talking points and how they will all benefit Ireland.
(3) Give yourself lofty future goals: gaining the absolutely finest education from working with the absolute best in your field - that will ultimately benefit Ireland when you return and become a pillar and leader of academic, commercial, social and/or industrial Ireland. You intend to leverage any opportunity to make new contacts enabling you to create incredible cross-collaboration efforts.
(4) Based on the interests/background of those in (1), tie your prospective research to those interests. You'll visibly see their interest rising.

For instance, my own research was to be in wireless communication (electrical engineering). On my board was an engineer (easy preparation - get my facts in order), and among others, a medical doctor. So I looked up how wireless comms are used in medical devices, and dropped a few medical applications into my spiel, which the doctor - who was previously quiet and a little uninterested at some of the earlier technical descriptions, immediately became animated and started asking me questions.
Secondly, I tried to strike a rapport with the engineer on my board who would empathize most with my goals. So I threw out alot of common wisdoms and platitudes in the engineering community - Ireland needs more top engineers to secure large international investment, knowledge-based economy, wireless is a huge but under-staffed section of the Irish market etc. By the end, he was helping me argue my case to the others about just how damn important it, and by extension I, was.

Finally, don't be nervous, if you've made it this far, you've obviously got a lot going for you - and the interviewing board was very friendly.

John Wells

CathalMc wrote: »

I've a few bits of advice that worked very well for me for the NUI TS:

(1) Research who'll be interviewing you.
(2) Prepare to talk at length about how what you study will benefit Ireland when you return. Stressing, of course, that you will return. Be able to bounce back and forth between your talking points and how they will all benefit Ireland.
(3) Give yourself lofty future goals: gaining the absolutely finest education from working with the absolute best in your field - that will ultimately benefit Ireland when you return and become a pillar and leader of academic, commercial, social and/or industrial Ireland. You intend to leverage any opportunity to make new contacts enabling you to create incredible cross-collaboration efforts.
(4) Based on the interests/background of those in (1), tie your prospective research to those interests. You'll visibly see their interest rising.

For instance, my own research was to be in wireless communication (electrical engineering). On my board was an engineer (easy preparation - get my facts in order), and among others, a medical doctor. So I looked up how wireless comms are used in medical devices, and dropped a few medical applications into my spiel, which the doctor - who was previously quiet and a little uninterested at some of the earlier technical descriptions, immediately became animated and started asking me questions.
Secondly, I tried to strike a rapport with the engineer on my board who would empathize most with my goals. So I threw out alot of common wisdoms and platitudes in the engineering community - Ireland needs more top engineers to secure large international investment, knowledge-based economy, wireless is a huge but under-staffed section of the Irish market etc. By the end, he was helping me argue my case to the others about just how damn important it, and by extension I, was.

Finally, don't be nervous, if you've made it this far, you've obviously got a lot going for you - and the interviewing board was very friendly.

Thanks so much for the insight Cathal. Those points are really great. Luckily there is a knowledge gap in Ireland regarding my research area so I can really press that point home as you suggested.

Also the department I'm hoping to study at is top notch and my supervisors are the best people I could hope to work with in the world for my subject.

Just one other question. How did you find out who would be on the interview panel? Thanks again!

CathalMc

I actually don't remember, sorry John. Scour the NUI webpage and do some googling I suppose.

Esmereldina

I have never applied or been interview for an NUI award ... I've been successful in getting a few others. I would just second what Cathal said about the lofty future goals. It seems you can't underestimate the importance of what you are, so be as ambitious as you want to when you are talking to them, and especially in terms of how it will impact on the wider public (if at all possible).

blinkfan12

Thanks Cathal and Esmereldina for the advice, it's a great help!
Also John, it seems there still are six scholarships, with two being put aside for science and four for humanities. I don't know if it was always this way, but perhaps they just made it more evident this year!
Best of luck in the interview, hopefully we both get it!

thehairyone

Well Lads,

Could you let us know how ye got on and what kind of questions they asked you. I've applied for the Science scholarship but have yet to hear anything from them, seems a bit strange as I thought that I had a strong application, perhaps the science interviews are after the arts ones.

However, its abit annoying that the interviews were not on earlier in the summer as it doesnt give you much time to prepare for the college you want to go to.

Ouf of interest, what colleges did you guys apply for, I'm a bit worried that mine is not prestigous enough, its a middle of the road college in the UK but I suppose you have to go where the supervisors are (i don't want to mention the college I've applied for until I've had the interview (assuming I'm called for one)).

Thanks for any info you can provide and best of luck.

John Wells

thehairyone wrote: »

Well Lads,

Could you let us know how ye got on and what kind of questions they asked you. I've applied for the Science scholarship but have yet to hear anything from them, seems a bit strange as I thought that I had a strong application, perhaps the science interviews are after the arts ones.

However, its abit annoying that the interviews were not on earlier in the summer as it doesnt give you much time to prepare for the college you want to go to.

Ouf of interest, what colleges did you guys apply for, I'm a bit worried that mine is not prestigous enough, its a middle of the road college in the UK but I suppose you have to go where the supervisors are (i don't want to mention the college I've applied for until I've had the interview (assuming I'm called for one)).

Thanks for any info you can provide and best of luck.

Cheers for the good luck wish!

I'd give the NUI a call and ask them when the interviews are on. It's annoying about the lateness of the interviews alright. Hopefully they won't take too long to let us know afterwards. As you said it doesn't leave much time to get on your feet in your new college.

Regarding the college you want to go to, if your potential supervisor is the best in your area of research I wouldn't worry too much about the reputation of the university. It would be a lame argument just to want to go to Oxford or Cambridge because of the name/prestige rather than the quality of your potential supervisor.

I'm currently finishing an MA in England at the uni where I want to study next year (UCL). The department is the best in its field by a country mile and the British Library is within spitting distance of the campus. Also I just found out that my main supervisor has been upgraded to professor due to his research over the last couple of years. So all in all I should have no problem selling the department. Now I need to work on selling my project!!

thehairyone

Thanks for the reply John,

Will get on to the NUI next week and see what the story is.

Let us know how you get on in the end.

thehairyone

John Wells

A friend of mine had his interview today and said they started by asking him to describe his project for 5 minutes and then focused for the rest of the 45 minutes solely on his proposal: scope, methodology etc. Seemed to be tough going. I'm on tomorrow so better get back to the preparation. Hope this post can be of some help to anyone else being interviewed tomorrow!!

choc1111

Has anybody heard back from their interview yet? Best of luck to everyone.

CathalMc

There's a nice little award ceremony if you win too. Also, if you read between the lines of my post you'll notice that you're obliged to buy me a beer if you win using something I said. So best of luck!

tomcheetah

Hey everyone,

Did anyone get any information about the interviews for the traveling studentship in the sciences. Any idea when they are on?

Tom

thehairyone

tomcheetah wrote: »

Hey everyone,

Did anyone get any information about the interviews for the traveling studentship in the sciences. Any idea when they are on?

Tom

Hi tomcheetah,

I applied for the science studentship and rang them in mid July - early August wondering what the hold up was, I was told that the interviews would be held during the first two weeks of September. I havn't heard anything since, they should be soon though.

Best of luck if you applied. Will post here if I hear anything.

thehairyone

tomcheetah

Hi thehairyone,

Yeah same situation for me, I had emailed them over the summer and was told to expect a reply mid to late august.

blinkfan12

I heard today that I didn't get it from one of the interview panel who I met in college.
Sort of damages my PhD not to have the money seeing as I can't travel for research and conferences etc. Have to see if I have any more luck next year.

thehairyone

Sorry to hear that blinkfan12. Better luck next year. Any information you can tell us about the interview would be of great benefit e.g. length of interview, number of people on the panel, type of questions etc. etc.

Just got an email today saying I have been selected for interview on the 22nd of September for the studentship in the sciences. Will have to start studying.

Thanks,

thahairyone

CathalMc

Hard luck. Not a terribly damning reflection on you of course, I'm sure the world and its mother is applying for postgrad courses in this climate, so the numbers applying for, and the standard of applicant being shortlisted is probably the highest it has been in years.

x in the city

CathalMc wrote: »

Hard luck. Not a terribly damning reflection on you of course, I'm sure the world and its mother is applying for postgrad courses in this climate, so the numbers applying for, and the standard of applicant being shortlisted is probably the highest it has been in years.

hey Cathal

I am also interested in wireless and medical areas, are you working/researching this field?

CathalMc

Yup, I'm still researching pure wireless comms / data converters - and as it turns out I'm setting up a medical device company with some other engineers and business people too. So I didn't completely exaggerate in the interview it seems.

blinkfan12

Yes, I'm sure it's not. I was told I made the top ten of the 17 interviewed, so only missed out by 3 or 4 places, which is annoying. Strange thing is IRCHSS didn't want me either, so I'm somehow top 10 but also outside the top 350. :mad:
Just a bit damaging, because I'm heading into my 2nd unfunded year now, and won't be able to secure third year funding without travelling and now can't afford to travel. Sort of a catch 22.

The Interview panel was 6 people, they sit at a table and you sit on the other side, you've got water etc. They question you about what you put in your application, obviously, so it pays to go over that with a fine tooth comb and pick out what you think are the waek parts. Apart from that the interview is about 35 minutes, at least I think that's what mine was. Not much more to say really!

x in the city

CathalMc wrote: »

Yup, I'm still researching pure wireless comms / data converters - and as it turns out I'm setting up a medical device company with some other engineers and business people too. So I didn't completely exaggerate in the interview it seems.

nice going, I went for an interview last year with a north company who did medical stuff, remote sensor monitors for patients etc. i have not enough embedded programming tho.

doing a masters now in vhdl, c++ and embedded. Are you doing this work in Ireland or abroad, sound interesting.

CathalMc

Sounds like a good choice of Masters material. Mine (in Ireland) was a little too theoretical for my liking.

I'm doing this in California, alongside my PhD. Ireland's not terribly start-up friendly generally, very much so right now. The disincentives to return seem to increase in number every year. I'd have been kicking myself in a major way if I'd taken Fullbright money.

x in the city

CathalMc wrote: »

Sounds like a good choice of Masters material. Mine (in Ireland) was a little too theoretical for my liking.

I'm doing this in California, alongside my PhD. Ireland's not terribly start-up friendly generally, very much so right now. The disincentives to return seem to increase in number every year. I'd have been kicking myself in a major way if I'd taken Fullbright money.

should have done that ages ago

It will open up more opportunities for work abroad anyway as I wont be settling down in Ireland I think.

Are you at some uni in cali? must be very cool place to study.

CathalMc

I'm at UCLA, its really nice. Surfing and snowboarding a few hours apart, rollerblading by the beach, its all pretty stereotypical California but I like it.

thehairyone

Hi All,

Had my interview today for the Science Studentship.

Just thought I'd let people know in case anybody is interested in the future. Its pretty much the same experience as has been mentioned above.

A total of 8 people were interviewed by a panel of five lecturers from the NUI colleges.

They started off by asking me how I came up with my research proposal and from then on in it was all about the methodology.

So, my advise for future applicants is pretty obvious, know your proposal inside out.

As for my interview, went alright but could have been better, would be surprised if I got it.

To anybody who were interviewed today, best of luck.

thehairyone

blinkfan12

I was shortlisted again this year for the interview, I imagine it'll be the same set up. For anyone that's interested I rang the NUI last year for the names of those on the panel, so might be helpful to do that. Although when I did it last year they then sent the info to everyone, so hopefully the same happens again.
Best of luck to all who got shortlisted!