Government of Ireland International Scholarships 2026
Published: 28 Jan 20266,534 views
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The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES) programme supports high-calibre international students who wish to study at National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) levels 9 or 10 (master’s, postgraduate diploma or PhD) in Ireland. The programme is funded by the Government of Ireland in partnership with Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) and managed by the Higher Education Authority. Under the initiative, 60 scholarships are awarded each year for one year of full-time study at NFQ levels 9 or 10.
Interview date, Process and Venue for Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship
Applicants are expected to demonstrate:
a record of outstanding academic achievement;
excellent communication skills;
participation in extracurricular activities, for example, humanitarian work, politics, arts or sport;
a strong rationale for pursuing their study in Ireland that indicates how a Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship would align with their longer-term goals.
Applications will be shared with the relevant higher education institutions, who will check them for eligibility and shortlist them based on alignment with institutional strategic objectives. The shortlisted applications will then be assessed by an independent panel of assessors.
Applicants are advised to familiarise themselves fully with the evaluation criteria prior to making an application. The marking scheme is outlined below. An application must cover the following:
Academic qualifications, achievements and work experience (40 marks).
Personal statement (45 marks), where applicants will be required to demonstrate:
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).
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).
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. (15 marks) The HEA will not accept references submitted outside of the online application portal. Guidance for referees is available in Appendix 2, “Referee Guide”. The references must be recent enough to allow for an accurate assessment of the candidate’s suitability for a GOI-IES scholarship. They must be dated at most a year prior to the 2026 call closing date (12 March 2026).
Candidates will first need to apply for admission to a master’s, postgraduate diploma or PhD programme offered by an eligible Irish higher education institution as per that institution’s admission procedures.
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