Graduate funding options

Graduate Funding at the School Irish Studies

The School of Irish Studies, with the generous support of the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation, announces new graduate studies funding guidelines for students commencing their graduate program in or after the 2019-20 Academic Year. Earlier funding guidelines and amounts will be honored for current/ongoing Irish Studies graduate students. These guidelines apply to incoming Master’s and PhD students working on demonstrably Irish-themed research topics within any number of disciplines (History, Literature, Theatre, etc.) or in the context of Concordia’s interdisciplinary graduate programs (HUMA, INDI) and whose supervisor (or a thesis committee member) is a faculty member or faculty fellow of the School of Irish Studies.

Deserving applicants are eligible to receive Irish Studies funding up to $20,000 per year during the first four years of their PhD, or up to $12,000 per year during the first two years of their Master’s degree. Annual Irish Studies funding can be combined with whatever other funding a student succeeds in securing from other sources (e.g. from their specific program, the School of Graduate Studies, outside funding agencies, teaching or research assistantships, etc.)

Interested applicants should visit the School of Irish Studies’ website for faculty and faculty fellows’ supervising/research interests. They should then contact the relevant faculty member to discuss the viability of their proposed project and the possibility of supervision. 

Annual funding awards are typically disbursed in two instalments during the academic year. After the first year, ongoing students must re-apply to the School for continued Irish Studies funding by reporting on their academic progress, involvement in School activities, funding history, etc. All funding awards are made at the discretion of the School’s Graduate Scholarship Selection Committee, with eligibility and award amounts reassessed annually based on the School’s priorities and each applicant’s academic progress, involvement in the life of the School, and other relevant criteria. After the initial eligibility period (i.e. the first 4 years for PhDs, and the first 2 years for MAs) Irish Studies graduate students can also apply for smaller competitive scholarships, while those who have completed their pre-thesis proposal requirements can also apply for conference participation and research support.
 

Funding Opportunities at Concordia University and in Canada

Graduate students at Concordia can access several types of competitive funding: fellowships, awards and assistantships from the Faculty of Arts and Science, its departments, and the School of Graduate Studies. They also have opportunities to apply for a federal and/or provincial grant as well as other external awards and scholarships. Beyond these opportunities, Irish Studies graduate students are eligible for various scholarships and other sources of funding offered by the SCIS. All of these opportunities are discussed in more detail below.

The Faculty of Arts and Science offers, on a competitive basis, recruitment fellowships to new students ($7000 for one year in M.A. programs and $12,000 per year for three years at the Ph.D. level). In addition, graduate students are eligible for teaching assistantships through their departments and research assistantships with faculty members and research centres in the Faculty.

Incoming students who win external awards (e.g. SSHRC, FQRSC) are offered top-up funding from the School of Graduate Studies ($6,000 for M.A.s and $10,000 for Ph.D. students). Doctoral students are also eligible to receive $15,000 for one year following the expiry of their external award. The School of Graduate Studies also provides thesis completion awards to select doctoral students on a competitive basis.

For further information on the range of awards and funding opportunities offered through the School of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate School website also has a Graduate Awards Directory that can help you find additional funding opportunities. 

Students seeking funding from provincial or federal sources should visit the following sites and allow 4-6 months to prepare their applications and research dossiers:

• Quebec’s FRQSC program
• Canada’s SSHRC program

Students applying to Concordia from elsewhere in Canada should be aware that tuition rates in Quebec are among the lowest in North America. In particular, at the Ph.D. level, all Canadian students and permanent residents pay Quebec fees regardless of their province of origin or domicile at the time of application.