DCU Business School invites applications for part-time PhD or MPhil fee-only scholarships. Our Postgraduate Research programmes combine scholarly theory-building with a strong applied focus. Research scholars work under the supervision of academic experts and are an important part of DCU Business School’s vibrant research community.

The scholarships are open to new applicants who will register in Year 1 of the part-time PhD programme or MPhil programme in DCU Business School in the 2026/2027 academic year.

The following scholarship types will be awarded: payment of fees, to the maximum of the EU fee per annum, for a maximum of five years for part-time PhD students and three years for part-time MPhil students. The scholarship is for tuition fees only, without additional support for living expenses or other costs.

Three research centres in the School foster interdisciplinary collaboration:

The DCU Institute for Business and Society hosts the following research groups –

• OBAIR | Examining job security, remote work, and the impact of technology on work and well-being.
• trustLAB | Studying trust in workplace relationships between people, organisations and technologies.
• Centre for Family Business | Exploring family business sustainability and entrepreneurship across generations.
• International Network for Online Harms in Sport | investigating online abuse in sport

The Institute also hosts several Special Interest Groups:

• Environmental, Social and Governance;
• finLAB;
• Risk & Crisis Management;
• Sustainable Aviation Hub;
• Technological and Corporate Innovation Group;
• Contemporary Accounting and Governance Group;
• Business & Public Policy Special Interest Group.

Further details on research groups in the DCU Institute for Business and Society are available at www.dcu.ie/business-and-society.

The Anti-Corruption Research Centre (ARC) is Ireland’s first academic hub for anti-corruption research, policy, and education. As a multidisciplinary hub bringing together researchers from across DCU’ s faculties, ARC works to deepen understanding of the causes and consequences of corruption while supporting the development of effective anti-corruption strategies in Ireland and internationally. Its mission directly contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions.

The DCU Centre for Possibility Studies is an emerging, transdisciplinary field exploring how individuals and societies perceive, select, and realise change across diverse domains. Grounded in the social, human, and behavioural sciences – with vital links to the natural sciences and arts – this holistic approach uncovers how we engage with transformation, allowing for a rich investigation into how we discover and enact new possibilities.

Find Out More – Guidelines for Applicants

Applicants must have the support of a DCU Business School academic supervisor. Identifying that supervisor should be your first step in preparing your application. Potential supervisors can be DCU Business School faculty affiliated with any of the disciplines or research centres identified in our overview above.

• Successful applicants are required to meet the MPhil/PhD eligibility criteria of DCU (www.dcu.ie/registry/making-postgraduate-research-application). For PhD, they will normally hold an honours master’s degree (taught or by research).

• The scholarship will only be awarded for part-time study. Successful applicants will register in year 1 during the academic year 2026/2027.

• Applicants should indicate if they have an alternative external source of funding.

• The award will commence in the academic year 2026/2027.

Find Out More – Guidelines for Applicants 

*Please note students cannot be awarded more than one DCU Business School scholarship at a time.

Scholarship Application Guidelines and Process

All applicants are required to submit the following documentation in soft copy as a single PDF file:

• A fully completed 2026/27 DCU Business School Part-time Tuition Fee Only Scholarship Application Form. Applications should be typed. Signatures from you and your proposed DCU supervisor are also required. This form includes your research proposal. For details on the requirements for the research proposal, please go to business.dcu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Writing-a-Research-Proposal-DCUBS-PhD-Scholarship-1.pdf

• Scanned copies of a full set of original, notarised academic transcripts of results for all years of your undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, if not completed in DCU.

• IELTS or Duolingo Test results, if applicable.

• Two references provided by independent referees who have knowledge of the candidate’s academic and/or other professional achievements. Note that these referees should not be the proposed supervisor.

• Applications should be submitted as a single PDF file by email to DCU Business School Research Officer, Ruth Finnegan (dcubsresearch@dcu.ie).

• The file name should be: surname_firstname_DCUBSPTScholarship_2026.pdf.
• Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• The DCU Business School Research Officer will acknowledge receipt of applications by e-mail.
• Applicants who choose to withdraw their application after submission should inform the Research Officer by email (dcubsresearch@dcu.ie) at their earliest convenience.
• Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend for interview in person or via Zoom if necessary.
• Award of the fee only scholarship is conditional on acceptance of a place on the MPhil/PhD programme.

Important Dates

Applications must be received, in full, by 12 mid-day GMT on Wednesday 19th August 2026

Interviews will be held in early September 2026

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*Please note students cannot be awarded more than one DCU Business School scholarship at a time.