UCC School of Law Offers Fully-Funded PhD and LLM (by Research) Scholarships – Apply Now!

1 Jun 2021

The UCC School of Law is pleased to invite applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship (EU fees plus €17,000 stipend, tenable for up to four years) or LLM (by Research) scholarships (EU fees plus €17,000 stipend, tenable for one year).

Candidates commencing their full-time studies in July 2021 or later are eligible to be considered for the award of these scholarships. As well as applying through UCC's application system, applicants wishing to be considered for a scholarship must also complete the Scholarship Application Form and send supporting materials (two-page CV and two references) directly to the School at kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie  on or before 5pm (Irish time) Friday, 25 June 2021.

The scholarships are aimed at outstanding candidates who exceed the threshold criteria for admission to the PhD or LLM (by Research) programme. In particular:

• Candidates should have a first class honours undergraduate degree (or equivalent), or a high 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) supplemented by outstanding subsequent academic or professional accomplishments.
• PhD candidates should have either a Master’s degree or extensive and relevant professional experience.
• Some experience of teaching, publication or other research-related activities is desirable.

Application Requirements

An application has five components:

1. All applications for admission to the PhD and LLM (by Research) programmes must be submitted to UCC's application system. Applicants who wish to be considered for a scholarship must also complete the Scholarship Application Form and send their supporting materials (two page CV and two references) directly to the Law School at (kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie) on or before 5pm (Irish time), Friday, 25^h June 2021.
   
   
2. Applicants must complete a detailed and original research proposal, using the Law School Scholarship Application Form. The proposal must contain the following:
   
   
   • Description of project, including aims and central research questions (up to 500 words)
   • Methodology, including theoretical framework and investigative and analytical methods (up to 500 words)
   • Relationship to existing literature and proposed contribution to knowledge in the field of study (up to 500 words)
   • Outline research plan, including organisation and timeline of proposed work (up to 500 words)
   • Statement of suitability of UCC School of Law to host your proposed research project (up to 250 words)
   • Bibliography
   • A personal statement detailing why you wish to undertake this particular research project (up to 500 words)
3. All applications must have secured the support of a potential supervisor or supervisors in the Law School. Applicants will be required to confirm in the application form that they have been in contact with the prospective supervisor(s).
   
   
4. All applicants must submit a two-page CV. The two-page CV can be sent directly to the Law School at kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie
   
   
5. All applications must also be accompanied by two references (either two academic references or one academic and one employment-related reference). Applicants should submit these references directly to the Law School at kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie or, alternatively, referees can send the references directly to the Law School at Kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie in advance of the closing date for receipt of applications.

The School of Law reserves the right to decline to offer scholarships to candidates who meet the criteria for admission to the PhD programme but do not, in the judgement of the Graduate Studies Committee, meet the scholarship award criteria set out above.

School of Law scholarships are available to full-time research students only. Scholarship holders will normally be expected to reside in Cork and will be required to teach as part of their scholarship terms. All candidates intending to pursue a PhD degree will be required to register on a PhD track in the first instance. For queries, please contact the School of Law at kathleen.mccarthy@ucc.ie.

About the Programme

UCC School of Law boasts Ireland’s most successful graduate research programme in Law. Students are provided with an unparalleled experience within a well-established and vibrant community of doctoral scholars, with easy access to experienced supervisors who are internationally recognised experts in their fields and a suite of tailored supports, facilities and activities. The quality of the programme is evidenced by:

• Success rates in external funding competitions: PhD students in the School of Law have secured almost €3 million in external research funding since 2004.
• Publication outputs by students in the programme: postgraduate researchers in the School have generated multiple research monographs and appeared in such journals as the Modern Law Review, Public Law, Social and Legal Studies, the International Journal of Human Rights and the International and Comparative Law Quarterly.
• Employment outcomes for graduates: graduates from the research programme have an exceptional record in quickly transitioning to high-quality employment in academia, research and advocacy, and the legal profession, with over 40 of our graduates employed on the academic staff of over 20 Law Schools in five countries.

About the School of Law

The School is in the top 100 Law Schools in the world in the current QS rankings and has secured an Athena Swan bronze award. The School has national and international experts across the legal discipline and delivers the highest quality research with regularly published output in leading national and international academic journals, monographs and texts.

Much of the School’s research is focused around its research centres and collaborative research networks and groups.

• In 2018 the Centre for Children’s Rights and Family Law was established. Led by Prof Ursula Kilkelly this centre is Ireland’s leading research centre in the area of children’s rights and family law with a strong international impact and takes an active role in shaping policy at a national and international level.
• The Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights is long standing and well established in the fields of criminal law, criminal justice and human rights. It undertakes excellent cutting-edge research and engages with strategic partnerships with government, statutory bodies and civil society organisations.
• The interdisciplinary Centre for Law and the Environment is aligned with the Environmental Research Institute, UCC’s flagship institute which addresses complex environmental and sustainability challenges.
• The interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Sports Economics and Law was also established in 2018 and has extensive expertise in the area of sports law.
• The European and Business Law Network brings together scholars who have shared interests in EU and Business law. The network provides a platform for legal and interdisciplinary research in these areas, now especially important in light of Brexit. Important aspects of the network’s activities include interacting with international partners, providing a platform for major funding bids as well as engaging with national and international policy-makers.
• The Health Law Cluster provides a platform for the sharing of knowledge and research by scholars in the School of Law with shared interests in many aspects of Health Law. This research covers all aspects of Health Law including capacity and consent, data protection, mental health, patient safety, pregnancy, regulation, and medical negligence.
• The newly established Centre for European Integration (CEI@UCC) provides a platform for research, outreach and teaching in European Union law, economics, societies and politics. It does so on the basis of a research programme focused on the substantive rights citizens within and beyond the EU derive from EU integration, as well as their practical impact in European society, societies in Member States and rights enforcement. Contact the CEI director (dagmar.schiek@ucc.ie) for more information.

Other areas of expertise include Constitutional and Administrative Law, Constitutional Theory, International Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Language and the Law, Private Law, Private Law Theory and Subsidiarity.