Why choose AHSS for your PhD?

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) Graduate Research Centre is the primary point of contact for new AHSS postgraduate research students. The Graduate Research Centre is located in the Foundation Building where an appropriate study environment is provided for AHSS research postgraduates. The Research Administrator, Dr Niamh Lenahan, is also located in the Foundation Building, on the Ground Floor. Through this office, students are introduced to the facilities of the centre. Each student is given access to:

• A dedicated desk
• A computer
• Printing

Students of journalism have access to a new state-of-the-art television news studio facility, and researchers in music and dance practice have access to our excellent studio facilities and practice areas.

Library facilities

The Glucksman Library, Archives and Special Collections provide important research support through its physical and digital collections, but also through its collections of primary sources, manuscripts and rare book collections. The relocation of the extraordinarily rich and valuable Bolton Library collections to the Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick represents a particularly exciting opportunity for researchers working here.

Research in the community

We work closely with our neighbouring cultural institutions such as Dance Limerick, the Hunt Museum, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Music Generation Limerick City, the University Concert Hall, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and the Limerick City Museum. Students can also engage with our rich art collections on campus, including the National Self-Portrait Collection. 

Enhancing your research skills 

The Faculty regularly organises training events in order to support postgraduates and early career researchers develop their professional skills. These include our funding clinics, research brown-bag seminars and Professional Development workshops. Past workshops have included: IT skills, Building an Online Research Profile, E-Learning, and careers.

In addition to this, our postgraduate student community regularly organise a series of seminars on PhD life hacks. These have included talks on writing, time-keeping, staying motivated, study/life balance, networking and speaking at conferences, and more.

• Find out more about our past events on our blog
• AHSS PhD Development Workshops 2022/3

The Graduate School at UL also offers Training and Professional Development for Postgraduate Research Students, including the Certificate in Generic and Transferable Research Skills which supports researchers undertaking structured PhD programmes at the University of Limerick. The programme aims to provide researchers with a range of generic and transferable skills that serve them, both in the completion of their research and in the career path that they may follow after their graduation. The programme consists of six 3-credit ECTS modules and is delivered via blended learning. 

The AHSS Faculty Research Support Scheme annually invites applications to support research activities in the form of conference presentations; fieldwork and the organisation of conferences/workshops/symposia. Our postgraduate students are entitled to apply for this funding, which is based on a competitive basis each year. 

Fee waivers and scholarships

The Faculty annually offers a number of Fee Waivers and Scholarships to PhD candidates on a competitive basis.

AHSS Funded Research Projects 2022

Research students within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences can apply annually to the AHSS Postgraduate Research Committee for research funding to support their activities such as conference attendance and fieldwork. A selection of these activities can be found below. 

Find out what it's really like to be a postgraduate researcher in AHSS by reading our students' blogs and profiles. 

List of current and recently graduated research students in AHSS