Ninth Level Ireland

“Poor mental amongst PhD researchers is increasingly being recognised as an issue within higher education institutions. However, there continues to be unanswered questions relating to the propensity and causality of poor mental health amongst PhD researchers. Reporting on a new comparative survey of PhD researchers and their peers from different professions, Dr Cassie M Hazell and Dr Clio Berry find that PhD researchers are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health compared to their peers …” (more)

[LSE Impact of Social Sciences, 12 January]

“The number of students who went on to third-level education jumped ‘sharply’ in 2020, as the pandemic hit employment and foreign travel opportunities for school leavers, according to a new report …” (more)

[Colm Keena, Irish Times, 28 December]

“Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to address workers’ rights for postgraduate researchers in universities and institutes of technology …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 16 December]

“Dublin City University (DCU) has suspended public access to research by former army captain and Seanad bye election candidate Tom Clonan, after two participants complained that they are identifiable …” (more)

[Siothrún Sardina, University Times, 25 October]

“Postgraduate students will have been pleased to read this week that Trinity’s new Dean of Research Wolfgang Schmitt believes that PhD candidates should be treated as workers, not students. PhD students themselves have been calling for this change for some time, but that the man who essentially dictates Trinity’s research policies supports their cause is hugely significant …” (more)

[University Times, 17 October]

“Trinity’s new Dean of Research Wolfgang Schmitt has said that PhD students should be considered workers and receive the benefits to match, opening the door for a major rethink of how Trinity’s doctoral candidates fit into the research process …” (more)

[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 12 October]

“Ulster University (UU) has risen to second place in the UK rankings for researcher satisfaction in the latest Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. The PhD benchmarking exercise surveyed postgraduate research students from 89 universities about their experiences, with UU leaping from eighth in the table in 2019 …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 30 July]

“Irish doctoral student experience and standard of awards are endorsed by international report of the European University Association. A new international report has commended Irish higher education institutions for ensuring both the standard of awards, and the quality of student experience, by ‘professionalising’ the delivery of postgraduate research education and training in Ireland …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 21 July]

“Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of widening access to student assistance fund supports for students that have exceeded four years of their PhD; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 1 June]

“Earlier this week, professors and PhD students alike expressed outrage at the Ussher PhD positions being offered by College for next year. The positions – which require a first-class degree, a personal statement, a research proposal and two references – provide a stipend of just €13,000 with tuition paid for only three out of the four years of the programme …” (more)

[University Times, 30 May]

“The Postgraduate Workers Alliance of Ireland (PWAI) is demanding worker status, greater pay and better employment contracts with access to sick pay, holiday pay, pension contributions and parental leave for PhD and postgraduate students. Following their launch two weeks ago, the PWAI has released a petition, outlining the key demands of their upcoming campaign …” (more)

[Jamie Cox, Trinity News, 26 May]

“Professors and PhD students have expressed their displeasure with Ussher PhD positions offered for next year, arguing that the conditions attached – a €13,000 stipend with tuition paid for three out of four years – narrow the pool of potential candidates …” (more)

[Jody Druce, University Times, 24 May]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve the working conditions for PhD researchers; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Debates, 20 May]

“A survey has found that nearly 90% of Trinity’s PhD students feel their research has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Among issues affecting research, 16.7% identified lack of access to library materials, 23.6% identified lack of access to TCD resources, 20.4% identified lack of a suitable space to work from home, 19.6% identified lack of access to supervisors and meetings and 19.7% identified lack of access to key resources and data …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 18 April]

“Pádraig O’Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications for SFI funded PhDs in the past five years; the number of awards that were granted; the trends for both the applications and the awards; if this trend was caused by a funding issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 31 March]

“… When it comes to the first part of a PhD journey, it is vital that the process is demystified and that it is treated as a management of equals. Universities offering doctoral places should undertake due diligence in the interview and recruitment of qualified candidates. They should also make provisions to ensure that potential PhD candidates are matched with appropriate supervision teams with experience in the subject area or methodological interests of candidates …” (more)

[Nnamdi O Madichie, University World News, 6 February]

“The University of Limerick says more than 100 international students who have arrived in Limerick in recent days ahead of the Spring semester are complying with all public health guidelines and regulations. The PhD students, who travelled from Algeria on a specially chartered flight, quarantined for 14 days and tested negative for Covid-19 before their departure …” (more)

[David Hurley, Limerick Leader, 20 January]

“One hundred-and-forty students will jet into Limerick from Africa tomorrow, to study at the University of Limerick, and will have to isolate on UL’s campus for 14 days as part of international covid-19 travel protocols. The Algerian government is funding the PhD students to study at UL under a deal estimated to be worth over €10 million to the university …” (more)

[David Raleigh, BreakingNews.ie, 18 January]

“Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that PhD candidates in third level institutions who are also teaching classes as part of their stipends are paid adequately for their work (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 13 January]

“Conditions for postgradaute researchers are not addressed in the new career framework for researchers, according to SIPTU. The Researcher Career Development and Employment Framework (RCF) was published by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) earlier this month. It states ‘the PhD stage is not included in the grading and salary structure set out in this Framework as it is not typically a salaried employment’ …” (more)

[Maria Dealney, Noteworthy, 29 December]