Postgraduate

socialCORE has a strong track record in MA research. Our current and past students, many of whom have been funded under SETU Carlow’s President’s Fellowship Award, have undertaken a diverse range of projects each of which respond to and deepen our knowledge of critical issues within social care, early childhood education, youth work and allied fields.

  • Current Postgraduate Research Projects
  • Previous Research Projects
  • Postgraduate Research Funding
  • Postgraduate Opportunities

Research Interests

Roisin Sheridan: The experiences of young trans people in Ireland

Charlotte Burke: The History of Social Care Education in Ireland

Natalie Hogan: An Evaluation of the ‘Active Futures’ Programme for Young People at Risk of Early School Leaving (with healthCORE, funded by Tullow School Completion Programme)

Thomas Fortune: The Experiences of Young Care Leavers

Ashling Gannon: Professional Regulation of Irish Social Care: The Perspectives of Social Care Students

Tom Manning: Gaming as Youth Work: Exploring the Role of Gaming as a Creative Tool for Fostering Social and Emotional Learning among Socially Isolated Young People

Angela McCullagh: An Examination of the Relevance and Effectiveness of Contemporary Housing Policy for Women Experiencing, or at Risk of, Homelessness in Ireland

Muirean Ranta: Education for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood Education and Care: A Children’s Rights Perspective

Muireann Ranta: socialCORE postgraduate student, Muireann Ranta, shares the significance of her child rights-based research that explores young children’s own perspectives and lived experiences of Nature under Article 29 1(e) of the UNCRC.’

Funding Opportunities
There are a number of different postgraduate funding schemes available to anyone wishing to undertake a research based postgraduate programme. Available funding sources include:

Irish Research Council Employment Based Postgraduate Programme/Enterprise Partnership Scheme
The IRC Employment Based Postgraduate Programme and the IRC Enterprise Partnership Scheme provides funding for organisations to employ high-calibre researchers to work onsite with them. Details on how to apply are available here and here. For a video highlighting the work of a socialCORE postgraduate researcher who is working with Carlow Regional Youth Service on a project funded under the Enterprise scheme, check out this link.

Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme
The Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme supports suitably qualified Research Masters and Doctoral candidates pursuing or intending to pursue full-time research in any discipline. Details on how to apply are available here.

SETU Carlow President’s Research Fellowship
This scholarship is funded by SETU Carlow. Details on how to apply are available here. For a video of a socialCORE project funded under this scheme, check out this link. A list of other socialCORE postgraduate research projects is available here.

If you are interested in undertaking research with socialCORE as a postgraduate student check out our current opportunities section where you will find details on SETU Carlow’s President’s Fellowship awards.

President’s Research Fellowship Programme

SETU Carlow established the President’s Research Fellowship Programme in order to enable and promote academic excellence. The programme supports new researchers seeking to work on exciting and challenging projects in a dynamic research environment under the committed and skilful supervision of established researchers.

Research projects are typically advertised during the second term of each academic year. Please check this page regularly or get in touch with the socialCORE director if you are interested in applying.

Current benefits

The 2-year Fellowship for a Masters by Research provides the following benefits (total for 2 years’ study)

  • Payment of tuition, capitation and examination fees valued at up to €10,000
  • A total stipend of €10,000 (paid in quarterly instalments)
  • An allowance for necessary materials / consumables associated with the project (amount set and varies with discipline area)
  • An allowance of €1,000 for travel associated with conferences / dissemination of research outputs)
  • Access to Postgraduate Conference support of up to €1500
  • Dedicated research space and facilities

Candidate requirements

The Fellowships will be of interest to the highest quality candidates and those eligible for funding as President’s Fellows will have a first-class or a 2.1 honours degree.

Students will also be expected to undertake two hours teaching per week. This will typically be to a first or second year class group. They will be supported by their supervisors/relevant module leader in this and are expected to undertake the 10-credit Level 9 module in Teaching and Learning to facilitate the development of their teaching skills.

Students are also expected to undertake other structured modules in research methods and analysis and project management, in order to build their research skills. Students will receive credit for these modules.

Application process

Approved Fellowships will be advertised on the SETU Carlow website, social media and other relevant channels. The filling of the Fellowship positions will be subject to open competition. The interview board will include supervisor(s), Head of Department / Head of Faculty, socialCORE director or member and Development Department representation. Candidates may be required at interview to do a presentation demonstrating their aptitude for facilitating a class group.

Receipt of the Fellowship will be conditional on successful registration with SETU Carlow and QQI for a Master’s Degree by Research.