NUI Awards | National University of Ireland

2016 NUI Denis Phelan Scholarship recipient Annmarie Kelleher

Annmarie Kelleher was the 2015 recipient of the NUI Denis Phelan Scholarship. She is a graduate of University College Dublin, where she completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is currently undertaking her PhD.

“I was awarded the Denis Phelan Scholarship in 2015 at the beginning of my doctorate studies in Spanish literature in UCD. Undoubtedly, receiving the scholarship at the outset of my PhD research was extremely beneficial. Not only would I have been unable to start my research without the monetary aid of the scholarship, but it also removed a great deal of potential financially-related stress, allowing me to focus entirely on my studies in my first year and be as productive as possible. The award also helped me pursue research abroad in Madrid for an extended period in my second year, which has really furthered my thesis studies and enriched my overall PhD research experience."

"Furthermore, the NUI Awards are both highly respected and very competitive; to receive one really increased my confidence in my proposed research and has been a great motivator in continuing to see it through. I believe that the Denis Phelan Scholarship is an invaluable addition to my academic profile and CV."

“Not only would I have been unable to start my research without the monetary aid of the scholarship, but it also removed a great deal of potential financially-related stress, allowing me to focus entirely on my studies in my first year and be as productive as possible. "

“Following the Denis Phelan Scholarship, I was fortunate to achieve funding for the remainder of my PhD studies through the IRC GOI Post-graduate awards. I have also presented a paper at the annual WISPS Conference, one of the principal organisations in Hispanic studies. Finally, I successfully passed my transfer assessment and officially moved into the second stage of my PhD, which I now hope to finish and submit in 2019.”