The “first ever” bursary to support masters students in the area of rural development has been launched by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.
The new bursary is being rolled out in partnership with third-level colleges, and is part of the national rural development plan ‘Our Rural Future’.
Six students will be supported with a bursary to the value of €60,000.
It was developed in collaboration with the Higher Education Institution Network, which was established by the Department of Rural and Community Development to encourage the wider take-up of research in this area at postgraduate level.
Expressions of interest were invited from the network in order to enhance the collaboration between higher education institutions, research organisations and government.
Funding will be awarded to a joint proposal by University College Dublin (UCD), the University of Galway, and University College Cork (UCC) for their complementary Masters programme in rural development with specialisms in rural innovation, climate adaption, and sustainable development.
The bursary will be funded by the department and administered by UCD. The €60,000 funding will support two students in each of the participating universities.
The students, who will be selected by the universities, will engage with the department – and other government departments – in the formulation of specific research questions focused on “advancing the objectives” of the Our Rural Future strategy.
Commenting on the new bursary, Minister Humphreys said: “We hope that this financial support will encourage and support graduates who want to continue their studies and pursue a future career in [this] area.
“We hope to see applications from candidates in all disciplines relevant to sustainable rural development outlined in Our Rural Future. We welcome research projects that will contribute to the evidence basis which will underpin government policies…and help us address the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead of us,” Minister Humphreys added.
Students that are interested in applying for support under the bursary should contact the universities individually.