Postgraduate Programme by Research (PhD)
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There are two start/registration dates for postgraduate research programmes: September and March of each academic year. While there is no deadline for applications, please note that any new student wishing to apply for School or College research funding must submit their application by (date TBC 2025) for the 2025/2026 academic year (September 2025 and March 2026 intake). Please note that funding is currently contingent on registration as a full-time Ph.D. student.
The School has a variety of research activities spanning a diverse range of areas. The School is prominently associated with five research groups in the College: the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity Research in Social Sciences, the Centre for Global Health, the Centre for Psychological Health and the Centre for Innovative Human Systems. The School is equipped with a computer laboratory, multi-media facilities, EEG and behavioural neuroscience laboratories, video-observation suites, sound attenuated experimental testing suites and fMRI analysis capability. There are ongoing innovative collaborations with hospitals and medical services. Members of the School consistently publish in high-impact international scientific journals and receive significant research funding from national and international sources.
Our Postgraduate Programme develops high calibre psychologists who advance psychological science and practice. Leading international experts provide excellent training in research methodology and foster academic excellence in a range of research areas on our M.Sc. and structured Ph.D. programmes. The School encourages active participation in national and international collaborations, and attracts many visiting academics and international graduate students.
New entrants to the Research Register must make their applications online via www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/.
Guidelines for Application:
It is important for intending research students to consult the current Graduate Studies Prospectus.
- The guidelines below should be read in conjunction with the Trinity College Calendar Part 3.
- ANY APPLICATION THAT DOES NOT HAVE SUPERVISION ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE, AGREED BY AN ACADEMIC STAFF MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. Consequently, intending applicants must discuss research ideas with potential supervisors before making a formal application for admission. This discussion should address the resources needed to support the proposed research including sources of funding. Please consult our website for list of staff and their research interests.
- Applicants must normally have a good undergraduate honours degree in psychology or in an area of study deemed by their potential supervisor and the Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate), to be sufficient for studying the area of research proposed.
- Full time postgraduate research students are required to complete a minimum of structured 10 ECTS module in their first year of registration and/or any transferable or discipline-specific modules as prescribed by either the Director of Teaching and Learning (PG) or their supervisor.
- If the applicant has secured research funding this should be clearly indicated in the application.
- For PG research applicants, the Director of Teaching and Learning (PG) will review the college application form, letters of reference, and research proposal. The Director of Teaching and Learning (PG) must be satisfied that the supervisory capacity in the School exists to see the student through to the awarding of their degree and will take into account the particular expertise of the potential supervisor. Should all documents be consistent, the student will be deemed eligible for admission under the supervision of the designated supervisor. The postgraduate admissions’ team then verify all supplied documentation and return a decision/offer.
- In any instance where the student is deemed ineligible, the grounds on which this decision was made, will be transmitted in writing to the student and the potential supervisor. Such applicants may re-apply to the committee when any omissions or difficulties identified are resolved
- Applicants will be notified through the online applications’ system: www.my.tcd.ie *
*In cases where distance prohibits a face to face interview, an interview may be held on Zoom/MS Teams
There are a number of Postgraduate research student funding schemes operated by the College and external funding agencies. After the first year some postgraduates can earn a modest amount by undertaking part-time teaching or demonstrating in the School or elsewhere in the College. Some staff may be able to provide support from their own research grants or from other sources.
All applicants to the PhD programme in Trinity College Dublin must submit a research proposal as part of the application process. This proposal serves a number of functions:
• It is used by academic assessors to determine whether the applicant has identified a clear focus for their PhD.
• It should provide the assessors with confidence that the applicant has the necessary background understanding and competence to undertake the research.
• Finally, a research proposal is a very specific genre of academic writing and so is used by assessors to evaluate the academic writing skill set of the applicant.
The research proposal is a high-stakes component of the application process. It requires time and investment by the applicant to ensure that it makes a convincing argument in support of the application. Schools may differ in the specific requirements for research proposals, but there are some core elements that will always be expected. If you do not find specific directions on a School website or do not receive specific guidance from your proposed supervisor, you should use the guide below.
Your research proposal represents your thinking at this stage in the research process. It is not a binding commitment to a specific research question and it is not at all unusual for PhD candidates to find that the thesis they ultimately submit has developed in a very different direction to that outlined in their research proposal. However, the research proposal will be an important consideration for the School in finding a supervisor with the necessary domain expertise to support you in a successful PhD experience. The more specific you are about your research interest, the better the chances of finding a good match. Sometimes, even very strong PhD applicants cannot be accepted into a School because there is no supervisor with the relevant domain expertise. Understanding this from the start makes it more likely you will not be disappointed later in the PhD process.
Before you start consider the following:
• Have you discussed your ideas with your potential supervisor? Does the supervisor expect to review your proposal before you submit it?
• Have you checked whether there are specific requirements within the School to which you are applying?
• Are you confident that you have identified key background literature/evidence relevant to your proposal? You are not expected to have thoroughly explored the literature – that can happen once you are accepted into the PhD programme. You are expected to be aware of key publications or research within the domain you intend exploring. You may not be able to access all of these resources, but demonstrating your awareness of their existence is important.
• Have you identified a topic that genuinely interests you? Undertaking a four-year programme of research requires an equal mix of passion and persistence. It is very important that you are excited by the area you have chosen.
• Have you considered what kinds of research questions most interest you? Are you drawn to theoretical constructs or to empirical data? These issues will be very important in deciding on what research methods are compatible with your research interest and your research skill-set.
Any research proposal must address at least the following questions:
1. What is the question/puzzle/phenomenon you want to investigate?
2. Why is that question/puzzle/phenomenon important?
3. How are you going to explore/investigate it?
These questions are usually addressed through the following core sections:
Introduction (200-300 words)
This section should give a clear, concise description of your main research and objectives. If you already have a well-formulated research question, this section should set that out for the reader. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this short section will be the easiest part – often it is much easier to write this section after you have completed a full draft of your proposal.
(Preliminary) Literature Review (1,500-2,000 words)
In this section, you are expected briefly summarise what is already known in the academic literature about the question puzzle you described in your introduction, to highlight important gaps in knowledge or disagreements within the field,(iii) to demonstrate how your area of interest relates to what is known and what remains unknown or disputed, and (iv) to showcase your critical analysis skills.
A literature review is not a summary of everything you have read. It is your opportunity to show why your research is important in light of your critical review of existing knowledge and what the impact would be, if you successfully resolve the puzzle that you have described. Key points to consider include:
o What are the main relevant concepts within the area of interest? (Consider any specific terminology you may need to define).
o What are the key theories and questions within this area? (Consider selecting a sub-set of these to ensure you keep your focus tight.
o What empirical support exists for (or against) these theories?
o What are current key gaps in knowledge or areas of disagreement?
o How does your proposed focus of research address a current gap or area of disagreement?
o Why is addressing that gap/disagreement important? How will your research make a valuable contribution?
Proposed Method (800-1,000 words)
This section is where you explain how you intend answering the question you have outlined above and demonstrate your understanding of the research process. Important considerations here are the kinds of data you intend using in your research and whether in light of these decisions, quantitative, qualitative or mixed research methods will be most appropriate. It’s also important to think about any specific resources that may be critical to your research. You may already have a clear vision of the sequence of steps that will form your research plan but that is not always the case. Research methods evolve as questions become more clear and focused. What you are setting out is your plan at this point – a plan that is likely to go through many different iterations before it is implemented. In reviewing this section, make sure that you have clearly demonstrated your understanding of the research process.
Additional sections that are expected within your proposal, but that are not part of any word count are:
Title:
This should be concise and give an idea of your area of study. It can (and will) change over the course of your studies, but a clear title helps to make sure your project is identifiable.
Bibliography:
Consider the bibliography as your opportunity to demonstrate your awareness of the existing academic literature base as well as your competence in the conventions of citing existing sources. Ensure it includes all and only those sources you have cited in the proposal (including in the Method section) and that the references are sufficiently recent to indicate you are in touch with the latest developments in the field. Quantity is not the most important measure here – relevance, importance and accuracy are weighted much more heavily.