January 31st, 2011: CALL FOR FULBRIGHT INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AWARD APPLICANTS FOR 2012-2013

CALL FOR FULBRIGHT INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AWARD APPLICANTS FOR 2012-2013

FULBRIGHT HAS PLEDGED $1.2 MILLION TO IRISH STUDENTS ON PHDS IN THE USA SINCE 2009

 

Monday, January 31^st 2011 – The Fulbright Commission has opened the application process for the Fulbright International Science & Technology Awards 2012-2013. To date, since the Irish Commission started advertising the Award in 2007, four successful Irish candidates have been awarded PhD funding worth $1.2 million at US institutions such as MIT and Brown University. For details on the application process, visit www.fulbright.ie.  The application deadline is midday, Wednesday 18^th May.

The Fulbright International Science & Technology Awards is the US Government’s most prestigious and valuable scholarship. There are 40 PhDs available to students around the world to study/research in the US. Individually they are worth $300,000 for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. The process opens 2 years in advance for undergraduates hoping to do a PhD in the US for 2012-2013.

Speaking about Ireland’s success to date, Ms Una Halligan, Chairperson of the Fulbright Commission said;

“Ireland is holding its own with the best STEM students internationally.  This year, out of 14 successful European candidates, Ireland has two (14.8% of the mix) for a 2011 start. This is extremely promising for a small country like ours and compares favorably with other countries such as the UK who only have one candidate going forward this year.

These candidates will study, research and collaborate with top institutions in the US and bring their expertise back to Ireland. With funding budgets at an all time low, the Fulbright offers Irish students the chance of a lifetime.”

Below is information about the Irish candidates currently enrolled in the US and those heading over in September 2011.

• Started in 2009 Jacqueline Hynes: currently enrolled on a PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island
• Started in 2010 Ronan McGovern: enrolled on a PhD in Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • To start in 2011 Elizabeth Sullivan will enroll on a PhD in maternal nutrition, materno-foetal nutrition and infant feeding. Her institutional choices are the University of Washington, John Hopkins and Cornell. She is currently undertaking research at the metabolic unit in Temple Street Hospital and has also done some work with Pfizer Nutrition.
  • To start in 2011 Ellen Roche will enroll on a PhD in medical device design. Her institutional choices are Stanford and Colombia. She is currently completing her first year in Graduate Medical School in the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

 

For further information on the Fulbright International Science & Technology Awards and to apply, visit www.fulbright.ie. The application deadline is midday, Wednesday 18^th May 2011.