GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS 2024

CALL DOCUMENT

1. Overview
The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES) programme
supports high-calibre international students who wish to study at master’s or doctoral
level in Ireland. The programme was established under the Government’s
International Education Strategy 2010–2015: Investing in Global Relationships and
expanded under the successor strategy Irish Educated, Globally Connected (2016-
2020). It is also linked to Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 – Ireland’s Future and
Global Ireland: Ireland's Global Footprint to 2025. The programme is funded by the
Government of Ireland in partnership with Irish higher education institutions (HEIs)
and managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The aim of the GOI-IES
programme is to promote the internationalisation of Irish higher education.

The GOI-IES is aimed at top-level international students – it is a highly competitive

scheme for which a large number of applications are received each year. Applications
are assessed by a panel of independent international reviewers and scholarships are
awarded to the highest scoring candidates. GOI-IES scholars can explore avenues for
personal and professional development, establish connections with Irish and
international peers and enhance connections between their countries and Ireland.

2. Details of the scholarship

GOI-IES are awarded to high-calibre international students to study full-time in
Ireland for a period of one year. Following a competitive process based on an annual
call for proposals from individual applicants, the HEA will approve a defined number
of scholarships under the programme. It is expected that a total of 60 scholarships will
be funded under the GOI-IES programme for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The scholarships will be for one year of a full-time master’s (taught or research) or
PhD programme. Scholarships may be approved for study across all disciplines, subject
to the availability of places.

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The scholarships amount to €10,000 for one year of study and are awarded by the
HEA to the successful applicants through the HEIs that they are attending. This fund
is directed at assisting with student costs and living expenses. In addition, the
awardees’ host HEIs will be required to give a full fee waiver to the awardees for the
scholarship year (i.e. tuition fee and registration charge are waived). This is the
minimum matched funding requirement that institutions will be required to make to
the scholarship scheme.

Successful scholars will be expected to commence their studies in either September

or October 2024. An official awarding event for GOI-IES scholars will be held in April
2025.

3. Eligibility criteria
Applicants must have a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland/ United
Kingdom.

In solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the context of the continued aggression of
Russia, and in line with the statement issued by the Department of Further and Higher
Education, Research, Innovation and Science in March 2022, Russian and Belarussian
nationals are not eligible to apply.

Candidates will need to apply for admission to a relevant master’s or PhD programme
offered by an eligible HEI (see Appendix 1) as per that institution’s admission
procedures. Applicants must have a conditional or final offer of admission to that HEI
at the time of application and will be required to submit a copy of same. The offer
letter must confirm that the student has been offered a place on a full-time
programme as an international, paying student.

Should an applicant be in receipt of more than one offer, separate applications may
be submitted for each course offer. Final offers will be subject to admission to the
relevant HEI. Applicants should make enquiries directly to the relevant institution
prior to submission of an application on the online system.

4. Candidate profile
Applicants are expected to demonstrate:

• a record of outstanding academic achievement;

• excellent communication skills;
• evidence of participation in extracurricular activities, for example,
humanitarian work, politics, arts or sport; and
• a strong rationale for pursuing their study in Ireland that indicates how a GOI-
IES would align with their longer-term goals.

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 5. Evaluation criteria
Eligible students are invited to submit applications via the online application portal
which is available at this link. A marking system (total 100 marks) is part of the call,
with the relevant scores shown in brackets after the key selection criteria below.
Applicants are advised to familiarise themselves fully with the evaluation criteria prior
to making an application. An application must cover the following:

• Academic qualifications, achievements and work experience (40 marks).

• Personal statement (refer to the Candidate profile), where applicants will
be required to demonstrate:
o the benefit of becoming a GOI-IES scholar: to themselves (personally
and professionally), to the HEI, to Ireland (economically and
societally), as well as to their country of origin (15 marks).
o how they will extend themselves beyond their project/studies to
become actively involved in Irish society, in order to maximise their
academic and cultural exchange experience and to raise awareness of
the GOI-IES programme in Ireland and beyond (15 marks).
o the extent to which they have a long-term interest in Ireland and how
they will promote links with Ireland during their time as scholars and
alumni (15 marks).
• Two references uploaded via the online application portal. Please note that
the HEA will not accept references submitted outside of the online
application portal (15 marks).

6. Assessment and award process

Applications will first be shared with the relevant HEIs, who will check them for
eligibility and shortlist them based on alignment with
institutional international strategic objectives1, for example:

• country of origin of applicants

• proposed study cycle of applicants (i.e., master’s or PhD)
• field of study of applicants
• institutional capacity

The HEA may request HEIs to prioritise students who are not in receipt of alternative
scholarships or other funding support.

The HEA will establish an independent panel of international assessors to evaluate the
applications shortlisted by the HEIs. The assessment panel will consider the extent to
which the applications meet the criteria of the call as outlined above and will allocate
scores in accordance with these criteria. Applications will be assessed solely based on
the material provided to the HEA at the time of submission.

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Please contact the relevant HEI for information relating to its international education strategy.

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The assessment panel will submit their independent evaluations prior to coming
together to discuss the ranked list of applications. The assessment panel will then
arrive at an overall judgement of standard and make final recommendations to the
HEA. An independent process auditor will be present at the assessment panel
meeting.

The top 12 ranked applications will be automatically funded on the basis of excellence,
as they represent the top 20% of the 60 awards to be funded.

In addition to the ranked position of the applications, the remaining 48 awards will be
allocated with consideration to:

• the institution (university, technological university, institute of technology

etc.), field of study, level of study, geographical spread and alignment to
regional and/or national needs;
• potential social and development benefit that might accrue to the
country of origin in areas like education, social work, health promotion,
and infrastructural development.

Only applications that meet a minimum threshold (60 marks) will be considered for a
scholarship. There is a limit of five awards per HEI.

The HEA’s decision on whether to award a scholarship is final. Due to the very large
number of applications received, it is not possible to give feedback to unsuccessful
candidates.

Each HEI that has been named in a successful application will be contacted to confirm
that they are in a position to provide the required matched funding. Confirmation of
this by the HEI constitutes its agreement to, and acceptance of, the terms of the call
for applications.

An official GOI-IES award letter will be issued to successful applicants by the HEA.

7. Submission of Applications
Potential applicants should read the call documentation carefully to ascertain whether
they are eligible to apply. All participants must create and submit their applications
via the online system which is available here.

The deadline for GOI-IES 2024 applications is 5pm (Irish time) on 13 March 2024.
Applications will not be accepted after this deadline.

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Any questions regarding the call for applications should be submitted to GOI-
IES@hea.ie no later than 12 March 2024. Telephone queries cannot be
accommodated.
The HEA expects to release the results of GOI-IES 2024 in late May or early June 2024.

8. Use of personal data

The HEA will process personal data received as part of this process in line with GDPR
and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please see further details in Appendix 3. For more
information about how the HEA manages personal data, please see our Data Privacy
Notice.

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APPENDIX 1

Eligible Institutions for Call for Applications 2024

Scholarships will only be approved for programmes that lead to a higher education
award that is included in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) at Levels 9 or
10, which is made by one of the following awarding bodies:

• Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

• Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology with delegated
authority to make awards
• RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Irish Universities

The following is a list of all institutions eligible under the GOI-IES 2024 programme.

• American College Dublin

• Atlantic Technological University
• CCT College
• Dublin Business School
• Dublin City University
• Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
• Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Galway Business School
• Griffith College
• ICD Business School
• Independent College
• Mary Immaculate College
• Maynooth University
• Munster Technological University
• National College of Art and Design, Dublin
• National College of Ireland, Dublin
• University of Galway
• RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
• South East Technological University
• Technological University Dublin
• Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Trinity College Dublin
• University College Cork
• University College Dublin
• University of Limerick

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APPENDIX 2

Important Information

The HEA is making this document available to applicants submitting an application

under the Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship Programme
2024 call for applications. The document must not be used for any other purpose.

The HEA has taken all reasonable care to ensure the material set out in this call is true
and accurate in all material respects as at the time of publication. However, no
warranty or representation is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this
material. The HEA does not accept any liability or responsibility for the accuracy,
adequacy or completeness of the information set out herein.

The HEA will not be liable or responsible for any opinion, statement, or conclusion
contained in, or any omission from this document or for any other written or oral
communication made available during the course of the call process. No
representation or warranty is made in respect of such statements, opinions or
conclusions.

The HEA reserves the right to amend these documents and any information contained
herein at any time by notice published on the online application portal.

None of the information set out herein will constitute an agreement, or part of an
agreement, or an offer to enter an agreement, between the HEA and any HEI. Nothing
in these documents is, nor shall be relied upon as, a promise or representation as to
the HEA’s ultimate decision in relation to the approval of scholarships.

The HEA reserves the right to take such steps as it considers appropriate, including but
not limited to: changing the basis of, or the procedures (including the timetable)
relating to the call process; rejecting any, or all, of the proposals; abandoning the
competition (or any part of it) at any time prior to the formal approval of scholarships.

No legal relationship or other obligation shall arise between any HEI and the HEA until
a scholarship approval has been made by the HEA and accepted by the HEI.

Under no circumstances will the HEA be liable for any costs, charges or expenses
incurred by applicants as a result of participating in this call process, however caused.
Any costs associated with the submission of a proposal are the sole responsibility of
the candidate and will not be reimbursed.

Payment of the scholarship fund is wholly subject to the continued receipt of funding
by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
(DFHERIS). In the event of such funding being reduced or discontinued neither the
DFHERIS, nor the HEA will be under any liability to provide funding or to compensate
a scholar for any reduction or cessation of funding.

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APPENDIX 3

HEA Data Collection Notice – Government of Ireland International

Scholarship (GOI-IES)

What is personal data and what is a personal data processing operation?

Personal data shall mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural
person (‘data subject’). An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or
indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number,
location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical,
physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Personal data processing operations can be any operation or set of operations which is
performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means,
such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration,
retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making
available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

Short description of the processing activity

The management of the scheme - a competitive process based on an annual call for proposals
from individual applicants.

Who is the Data Controller?

The Higher Education Authority (HEA).

What personal data is collected?

Personal data including name, address, nationality, contact details, gender, academic details
(including those in the applicants’ HEI offer letters), employment history and other
information pertaining to candidates’ academic suitability for the scholarship.
Personal data including name, address, contact details, name of employer and position of the
candidates’ referees.

Who has access to the personal data of data subjects and to whom can they be
disclosed?
HEA, the applicant’s HEI, external assessors appointed on behalf of HEA and Wizehive
(platform that the HEA uses to manage applications).

Where did we get your personal data?

Supplied as part of application to GOI-IES.

What is the purpose and legal basis for processing your personal data?
The purpose is the administration of the scheme. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(e) GDPR, arising
from the Higher Education Authority Act, 2022.

How long will we retain your data?

Your personal data will be retained for 7 years from date of application.

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What are your rights regarding your data?
You have the right to access your personal data and to request your personal data to be
rectified, if the data is inaccurate or incomplete; where applicable, you have the right to
request restriction or to object to processing, to request a copy or erasure of your personal
data held by the data controller. If processing is based on your consent, you have the right to
withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of the processing based
on your consent before its withdrawal. Your request to exercise one of the above rights will
be dealt with without undue delay and in any case within one month.
We will never use automated decision making on your personal data.

Further information regarding the processing of personal data

Further information is available at: https://hea.ie/about-us/data_protection/.
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission
(dataprotection.ie).

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APPENDIX 4

Recommendations for Successful Candidates

Once you have confirmed your acceptance of the GOI-IES award, you will need to
make the necessary preparations for your time in Ireland.

Visa applications

Information about visas can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service,
at https://www.irishimmigration.ie/.
In particular, see https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/ and
https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-
visa-options/how-to-apply-for-long-term-study-visa/.
If you require a visa to enter the country, it is strongly recommended that you
familiarise yourself with visa requirements even before applying for the scholarship,
and that you prepare the necessary documents well in advance. It is advisable to apply
for the visa as soon as you receive your award letter. Visa applications are a lengthy
process and delays can occur that might prevent you from arriving at your host HEI in
time. Many HEIs do not accept late arrivals and you might lose your scholarship.
Furthermore, it is possible that visas will not be approved for your family members,
who will not be able to accompany you.

Accommodation and living costs

The cost of living in Ireland can be considerably higher than that in other countries.
The €10,000 stipend will assist with living costs, but it is unlikely to cover them
completely. It is advisable to secure other sources of funding, if possible, to avoid
additional concerns and to be able to focus on your studies.
Accommodation is likely to be expensive and difficult to find, especially in Dublin. The
sooner you start searching for suitable accommodation, the better. Staying in hotels
while looking for more permanent accommodation might exhaust your finances; it is
better to search before arriving in Ireland.

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