School of Social Sciences and Philosophy Awards Grattan Scholarships

Posted on: 29 October 2013

The School of Social Sciences and Philosophy awarded prestigious Grattan Scholarships to three postgraduate students at a reception hosted by Dr Patrick Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, recently. Grattan Scholarships are awarded to PhD students of outstanding talent, from both Ireland and abroad. Five scholarships having been awarded since the programme was established in 2012.

The scholarship programme builds on the School’s record of teaching and research excellence ensuring that Trinity continues to play a leading role internationally in key areas of research expertise within the disciplines of economics, philosophy, political science and sociology.

Recipients of the 2013 Grattan Scholarships were:

Lisa Keenan, whose thesis on “Personality, Ambition and Political Careers” will be supervised by Gail McElroy, Professor of Political Science and Head of the Political Science Department. This project will examine the decision to run for elected office in the Republic of Ireland to ascertain why women are ruling themselves out of the electoral game.
Katarzyna Kozien who will undertake research titled “Types of Return Migrants and their Reintegration Patterns” in the Sociology Department which is a leading hub for migration research. She will be co-supervised by Peter Mühlau and Antje Röder, Assistant Professors in Sociology.
Alan Walsh who will research a thesis on “Migration and Clustering of Creative Workers” under the supervision of John O’Hagan, Professor of Economics. Cultural economics has assumed increasing significance in Ireland in recent years where culture and creativity are seen as possible keys to sustained economic recovery.

Photographed at the Grattan Scholarship reception hosted were Alan Walsh; Lisa Keenan; Dr Patrick Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, and Katarzyna Kozien

Commenting on the programme Professor Peter Simons, Head of the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy said: “We believe that the Grattan Scholars will be future academic leaders. Students are chosen not only for their scholarly achievements but also for their commitment to teaching and an ambition to understand and improve society through their research and education. Such knowledge is vital for our economic and social well-being, growth and development.”

Speaking at the event 2012 Grattan Scholar Christina Kinghan said: “My research aims to provide new insights into the factors driving entrepreneurship and the growth and expansion of enterprises in vulnerable and fragile rural settings. I am currently working on my first research paper and hope to have the opportunity to present this to economists working in the field over the upcoming months. Ultimately the results of my work should be relevant to policy makers and NGOs in Vietnam and other developing countries.”

Fellow 2012 scholarship recipient, Sara Mitchell from the United States, added: “I am delighted to see the Grattan Scholars community growing as it is truly a fantastic opportunity. It’s hard to believe that in just one year that I have progressed from being a teaching assistant for small group tutorials to teaching the Mathematics and Statistics module to a lecture theatre full of first-year students. My goal is to become a lecturer when I finish my PhD so I am gaining really invaluable experience.”

Funding for the Grattan Scholarships has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Trinity College alumni and friends including the J-P Foundation London, Susannah McAleese, Rupert Pennant-Rea, Peter Sutherland and the UK Trust for Trinity.

For additional information regarding the Grattan Scholars Programme please contact Professor John O’Hagan or visit the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy’s website.