PhD Scholarship Opportunity
PhD Scholarship Opportunity 2026 is NOW OPEN
PhD Scholarship in History and Geography 2026
CLOSING DATE: 26 February 2026
School of History and Geography, Dublin City University
The School of History and Geography is a dynamic and research-intensive school in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science. We are pleased to offer a full-time doctoral scholarship to an outstanding candidate in either history or geography, beginning in September 2026. The successful candidate will receive a stipend of €25,000 per annum and a tuition fee waiver (EU or non-EU) for up to four years, subject to satisfactory annual progression.
Eligibility
Applicants should have a relevant undergraduate degree at first-class honours level or at least 2.1 level. It is desirable that they should hold a relevant master’s qualification. Candidates who are currently completing a master’s qualification are welcome to apply but must be able to begin full-time PhD research in September 2026.
Research Areas
HISTORY
In particular, we encourage applicants interested in
Modern European History
- History of mass atrocities and violence in the 20th century
- History of international criminal law and human rights in the 20th century
- German colonial history
- Women and gender history in Europe in the 20th century
- Digital humanities methods/text mining
Medieval Ireland
- History of the Vikings in Ireland and beyond
- The learned culture of early Ireland to the twelfth century
- Medieval Irish history to the twelfth century
Other areas of expertise include:
Early modern Italy (c. 15th-18th century)
- History of religion
- Gender and sexuality
- Social history
- History of crime
- Comparative and/or transnational projects are welcome
Modern Ireland
- Irish children, childhood and adolescence, history of Irish youth culture
- Social, cultural, medical or environmental history of Ireland in the long 19th century
- The Irish Revolution and post-civil war Ireland
- Partition and its consequences
- Aspects of Irish women’s lives in the period 1850-1985
- Poverty and efforts at its amelioration
- Historical fiction
- History of religion
- History of crime and punishment
GEOGRAPHY
In particular, we encourage applicants interested in
Climate change
- Coastal erosion, cliff dynamics, and long-term shoreline evolution
- Climate adaptation and lived experience
- Climate change, place and wellbeing
- Managed retreat/relocation in response to climate change
- Rewilding as a nature-based solution to address Ireland's climate and socio-environmental challenges
Social and political geography, including
- Migration and development
- Diplomatic practice
- Diaspora organisation
Other areas of expertise include:
- Natural capital and ecosystem services
- Environmental systems modelling
- Infrastructural labour
- Urban governance of sustainability and/or just transitions
- Waste geographies
- Freshwater and drinking water quality; policy impacts of citizen science monitoring thereof
- Historical geography, including:
- Geography of Irish crime and punishment
- Landlord landscapes of town and country (18th to 20th century)
- Housing and suburbanisation in Ireland (late 19th century to present)
Applications in research areas not listed above will be considered if the applicant has identified a suitable research supervisor from among the members of the staff.
Scholarship Application Procedure and Deadline
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Prospective applicants are first required to make contact with a member of staff whose research area aligns with their proposed doctoral project. For staff research interests, see: https://www.dcu.ie/historygeography/people
- Applicants should complete the application form below. Only applications using this form will be accepted. The following criteria will be evaluated: quality of the research proposal (including originality, potential research contribution and impact, clarity of proposal and methodology); feasibility of the proposed research; strength and suitability of the candidate; and match with the proposed supervisor and the School.
- Completed application forms must be accompanied by a CV.
- Completed applications should be emailed to historyandgeography@dcu.ie on or before 5 p.m. on 26 February 2026. Late applications will not be considered.
- The decision of the assessment panel is expected to be announced in late March/early April 2026.
Enquiries
Any queries should be directed to Dr Daithí Ó Corráin (email: daithi.ocorrain@dcu.ie).
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to apply formally to be admitted as a PhD student by the University. They may also need to show proficiency in the English language. The successful candidate will be expected to begin their studies in September 2026 and, ordinarily, to reside in Ireland for the duration of the programme. Please note that if a candidate commences later than September 2026, for visa or other reasons, and subsequently enters into Year 5, the Faculty will not be able to fund the fifth year of fees.
Additional information on PhD study at Dublin City University is available from the Graduate Studies Office: http://dcu.ie/graduatestudies/index.shtml