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University of Liverpool Humanitarian Scholarship in Irish Studies

The University of Liverpool Humanitarian Scholarship, in partnership with the Institute of Irish Studies, is pleased to offer tuition fee and maintenance support for a Palestinian postgraduate taught student on the Irish Studies MRes.

This scholarship is available for a student who has sought international protection outside the UK, to enable them to proceed with their education.

The Institute of Irish Studies specialises in the multidisciplinary study of Irish history, politics, literature, and language. Staff have expertise in medieval and modern Irish history, peace and conflict studies, the politics of divided societies, Irish literature, and the Irish Language.

During your MRes, you will complete a substantial piece of research which broadly aligns with the expertise of any member of staff in the department. The research project could have a historical, political, linguistic, or literature focus on Ireland, or on a connection between Ireland and Palestine broadly conceived.

Award amount

  • This scholarship will provide a full fee waiver for the year long programme as well as accommodation costs and a stipend to support living costs up to the value of £18,688
  • The scholarship will also cover transport from the students’ current location to Liverpool. This will be arranged ahead of Welcome Week, with students also supported by our Meet and Greet Service on arrival in Manchester
  • Scholars benefitting from this scholarship will also be supported during their time at Liverpool, including language support, visa applications support, discounted gym membership and more
  • We cannot provide financial or administrative support for family members.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must:

  • Have applied to the Irish Studies MRes at the University of Liverpool
  • Be a Palestinian student registered with the United National Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), able to provide evidence of this OR be a Palestinian student from Gaza or the West Bank, able to provide evidence of this
  • Be currently resident outside the UK.

Applications

To apply for the Humanitarian Scholarship in Irish Studies, please follow the steps below. If you need support with any steps, please contact the scholarship team on wpscholarships@liverpool.ac.uk before proceeding.

Step 1 – Apply for your course

  • Your first step is to apply for the Irish Studies MRes at the University of Liverpool. You can do this online via the course page
  • As part of your application you will need to write a personal statement outlining your learning ambitions. In this statement you should clearly discuss how you will focus on links between Ireland and Palestine
  • You must have submitted your application to study by 1 April 2026.

Step 2 – Apply for your scholarship

  • Applications for the scholarship are open now, and will close on 1 May 2026
  • Apply using our online form. Please make sure your application is fully completed and to a high standard
  • As part of your application, you will need to email proof of your registration with UNRWA, or address in Gaza. Instructions on how to do this are included in the form, please note we cannot consider any applications where the candidate has not provided proof
  • Due to the extremely high volume of applications we receive, we cannot acknowledge receipt of your application
  • Please do not submit your scholarship application until after you have submitted your application to study.

Step 3 – Receive an offer

Our admissions team will carefully assess your application to study, to see if they are able to make you an offer to study. There are two kinds of offers you might receive:

  • A conditional offer, where you are required to complete some additional steps before the University can admit you to study. Please see Step 4 for further information
  • An unconditional offer, where you are not required to do anything further.

Step 4 – Fulfilling the terms of your conditional offer

  • If you are made a conditional offer, you need to work on meeting any conditions as soon as you received the offer. Your conditional offer might include providing proof of previous qualifications, or achieving a specific level of English Language proficiency
  • The University will accept Duolingo to meet any English Language requirements, which is a cheaper and more accessible option. You’ll need a laptop, reliable internet connection and a private space to take the test
  • We have a very limited number of vouchers for Duolingo tests, which we can provide in circumstances where students have compelling financial circumstances. We can only provide Duolingo vouchers if you are holding an offer. Please contact us via wpscholarships@liverpool.ac.uk to discuss.

Decisions

A panel of staff from across the University will assess all scholarship applicants where the student has:

  • Fully completed the scholarship application
  • Received an offer to study on the Irish Studies MRes
  • Provided proof of their registration status with UNRWA, or proof of address in Gaza.

Applicants with unconditional offers may be prioritised.

The successful applicant will be informed in early June 2026. Whilst we endeavour to inform you of the outcome of your application, this is not guaranteed. If you haven’t heard from us by 1 August 2026, please assume your application has not been successful.

Please note:

  • You need a Student Visa to study in the UK, and we will only be able to award you the scholarship subject to you successfully applying for and receiving a Student Visa
  • During the visa application process you will incur up front costs, including a £524 application fee and £776 immigration healthcare surcharge. You will need to be able to pay these costs up front – we will reimburse you following your arrival in the UK
  • We will provide your transport from your current location to the University, it is your responsibility to make sure you have appropriate transit visas, if needed
  • We will ensure you have accommodation in University halls, the cost of which will be taken from your stipend. The remainder of the stipend will be paid to you directly for your living costs
  • Your stipend can only be paid into a UK Bank Account, which you will need to set up on arrival into the UK. As such, you will need to be able to cover your costs during your first two or three weeks in the UK. If you would struggle to do this, we can provide vouchers for food, clothing and other incidentals.