2018 IRC Postgraduate Funding

iamyourending · 07-02-2018 7:44pm #1

Hey everyone,

The other threads on IRC funding are older so I've started this one for those of us waiting for news at the end of March.

I got an email this week to say I've progressed to the second phase of assessment, with the cut-off for the AHSS stream being 88.

Anyone else feel like the next few weeks are going to drag? :P

BlowInYank · 09-02-2018 8:02pm

Oh yeah! I wasn't even looking for it, it appeared while I was waiting to hear from a job interview! Now the excitement is going to fester into anxiety while I hope to make it to the important stage, the one with the funding

iamyourending · 12-02-2018 6:41pm

I know, it's pretty nerve-wracking now that the results are getting closer. It's great to have gotten this far but of course it'll be really disappointing to fall at the final hurdle. We live in hope...Are you STEM or AHSS, BlowInYank?

BlowInYank · 12-02-2018 10:48pm

iamyourending wrote: »

STEM or AHSS, BlowInYank?

AHSS. Medieval history, specifically. Yourself?

murph86m · 03-03-2018 8:30pm

Hi, I'm also through to the second round. I had applied and then put it out of my mind. That email then got my hopes up, finding it very difficult not to check the irc website most days now! Fingers and toes crossed, it would be an amazing opportunity...

jollystorm · 05-03-2018 2:41pm

Same here, applied and was thinking meh, I'll never get it and so I wasn't really nervous or anything. And now that I passed the first round it got my hope up and it's becoming really nerve-recking. Silly question, but do you know what the chance is at that stage?
Anyways, good luck to all of you.

murph86m · 05-03-2018 4:37pm

Thanks Jollystorm, same to you! No idea, is it the top 40% that get into the second round? It'll be a long few weeks!

iamyourending · 07-03-2018 11:20pm

BlowInYank wrote: »

AHSS. Medieval history, specifically. Yourself?

AHSS here too, but on the Management side of things.

I think I heard at an information session before that the overall success rate is less than 20%, so it's very possible that the top 40% get put through to the final round. I know someone who got funding a few years back and the final cut off that year was 87, so a requirement of 88 just to get to the final round must mean things are more competitive this year.

It's just a waiting game now. March is really dragging on though!

Zoinks · 10-03-2018 4:47pm

murph86m wrote: »

Thanks Jollystorm, same to you! No idea, is it the top 40% that get into the second round? It'll be a long few weeks!

I think this was the case last year, and about 200 (both streams) will get the award. So approximately the top 20% (give or take 5%). All things being equal, your odds should be 50/50 at this point. If last year's schedule holds, you should receive your results in the next 2 weeks.

Not everyone will make it (but there's few people posting here, you could all well do so!

)--do keep your eyes peeled for school funding, many schools are matching the IRC for at least 3 years funding.

FakePie · 12-03-2018 4:11pm

This is almost certainly the wrong place to ask but - there was an initiative in british universities years ago for those pursuing physiotherapy, in terms of funding assistence.
Anyone have any info on that - or links as to where I may find out more?

BlowInYank · 14-03-2018 10:36am

Is there a space on the IRC or the SmartSimple websites to get an update? I got the email, but the only place I see any change on the site is that under 'Submitted Applications' my status is 'Under Assessment'.

In my circle of friends, 7 applications were rejected and 3 of us including me are on to the second round. One of us in the second round is a second-time applicant. My supervisor says the competition is brutal this year. Of my particular programme of 4 first-years, I was the only one to get to the second round. I found this astonishing as 2 of the rejected are Irish citizens and I am not, and I presumed that not being a citizen would be a (fair) impediment to me.

murph86m · 14-03-2018 4:00pm

Hi BlowInYank,

No, that's all I can see too- 'under assessment'. Yeah it is a prestigious award, so I'm not surprised that there's a tough competition... I have looked over my application and it's just so hard to know- my research has developed so much since I submitted the application!

BlowInYank · 14-03-2018 5:21pm

Hi murph86m,

I hear you! I'm already cringing a little bit at things I've written - but - that's due to really specialised research I've done, no way an external reviewer would see the error (or hold it against me...I hope!). I'm starting to put the future of this PhD on whether or not I get this, which isn't super healthy.

iamyourending · 20-03-2018 1:47am

BlowInYank and murph86m, I think in previous years you could see on the site when your application was last reviewed or something similar, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Maybe it's just as well or we'd be checking non-stop!

I've also heard that it's exceptionally competitive this year but I guess it's always like that. I was looking back over my application around Christmas time but I haven't looked at it since...like yourselves, I was picking out little things that have changed since so I've avoided any more postmortems!

BlowInYank, that sounds tough - fingers crossed for you! Are there any other funding opportunities that you could apply for if needs be?

Hopefully we should hear by the end of next week at the latest...

jollystorm · 20-03-2018 4:24pm

I also heard that it was competitive this year, more so than in previous years.
I did read though last year's thread, and it looks like people got the result email on March 23 (and first rounds on February 9), so it could be we have ours by the end of this week, too. Can't wait to have this all over...

BlowInYank · 20-03-2018 4:36pm

iamyourending, I’m going to try for some scholarships from my uni, but there is very little funding available for non-EU/EEA humanities PhD students over the age of 30.

iamyourending · 21-03-2018 12:29am

Sounds like the same word is all around jollystorm. It'd be great to have results by the end of this week or even next week. Just to know at this stage would be an ease!

BlowInYank, aw I see, I have noticed that most funding bodies here have those stipulations. Fingers crossed you'll get great IRC news shortly and it'll take the pressure off. I can't imagine it's easy relocating here to do a PhD without funding...it's tough enough as it is!

murph86m · 22-03-2018 4:08pm

I know what you mean BlowInYank, the funding would make the next few years a lot easier. I was really hoping today would be the day... anyway, I guess it will be another few days of waiting! I'm trying to keep positive; no news is good news!

BlowInYank · 23-03-2018 12:54pm

My students started using a new Virtual Learning Centre online today. And every time one signs up, I get an email to approve it. The mailbox has been dinging all morning - My nerves are completely shot!

eire32contae · 23-03-2018 1:12pm

I wonder if the acceptance emails and rejection emails come at the same time?

brainiac · 23-03-2018 1:17pm

eire32contae wrote: »

I wonder if the acceptance emails and rejection emails come at the same time?

They will, it'll be a generic email telling you to check the status on the system

iamyourending · 23-03-2018 1:35pm

brainiac wrote: »

They will, it'll be a generic email telling you to check the status on the system

It's going to be a stressful 60 seconds from reading that email to logging onto the system!

eire32contae · 23-03-2018 2:07pm

Oh that’s actually worse, so we won’t know from the email if we got it or not!!

dagroovetroll · 23-03-2018 2:18pm

Hi guys, I've been lurking in the page for a while but I just wanted to post this here. I doubt we'll get the emails today, partly because there has traditionally been some downtime on the smart simple website prior to the email and this hasn't happened. Also the progress reports from previous applicants are due today and I doubt that they would risk some kind of interaction between that incoming traffic and or outgoing traffic

eire32contae · 23-03-2018 2:41pm

Next week so! Suppose a couple of days won't make much difference

dagroovetroll · 23-03-2018 3:24pm

I have a feeling, from taking to people who have gone through this before us and reading previous threads that it'll be next Thursday. Either that or the first week in April

RainbowUnicorn · 23-03-2018 10:00pm

Well they said the end of march and there hasnt been an update since so im holding hope for monday

Zoinks · 24-03-2018 12:34am

Looks like you're waiting a little longer this year--today must have been horrible. I can appreciate that waiting is the hardest part, I hope they sort you out ASAP!

DreamByDay · 24-03-2018 1:38pm

Thanks everyone for the updates on when we can expect to hear back. I've been lurking on here for the past few days so I appreciate it! :pac:

This wait is pretty nerve-wracking...I didn't realise the scholarship was so competitive when I applied (hadn't looked up success rates and just assumed it was the main funding channel so most PhD students would be on it) - how naïve I was :rolleyes: so now I'm trying to prepare myself psychologically for failure haha. Good luck everyone!

BlowInYank · 24-03-2018 2:09pm

DreamByDay wrote: »

I didn't realise the scholarship was so competitive when I applied

Don’t worry about it - my supervisor is astonished by the rates this year. He says that he usually sees a 80% acceptance rate. Of his four first years, I’m the only one who made it to this round!

jollystorm · 26-03-2018 2:01pm

Do you think we will hear back today? The portal wasn't updated and didn't seem to be down yet...

2018 IRC Postgraduate Funding

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