Supporting Diversity in STEM: TU Dublin Students Receive Insight Scholarships
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Thursday, 12 February, was an auspicious day for ten TU Dublin students who received awards from An Taoiseach Micheál Martin at a ceremony in Google HQ. The students are part of the Insight Scholarship Programme, which provides financial assistance of €5,000 per year to students from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing STEM degrees at third-level institutions nationwide.
The programme crucially also provides mentorship opportunities to help students build networks and navigate their career paths in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital safety. these scholarships support students from underrepresented backgrounds in pursuing STEM degrees at third-level institutions nationwide.
The ceremony was opened with words from several influential speakers, including Dr. Jessica McCarthy, Vice President of Engineering at Google, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, and An Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Each of them affirming their commitment to levelling the playing field in education.
TU Dublin scholarship recipient Ingrid Francis, a student in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics, emphasised the significance of the programme:
I've always been very interested in tech and especially cybersecurity. I feel like having cybersecurity skills in today’s world is a bit like having martial arts skills – you need to be able to protect yourself! This scholarship is so important to me, and especially the mentorship programme, which would be very hard for me to access otherwise. That’s the support I need.
Fellow TU Dublin student Emmanuel Nguessa, studying Computer Science and Infrastructure, echoed these sentiments
Support is such an important part of my journey. I am especially excited about the mentoring; I think that is going to make all the difference to me
The Insight Scholarship Programme is the largest of its kind in Ireland, with €1.5 million in funding allocated over five years. Two cohorts of undergraduate students will receive scholarships, with applications for the next round opening in October 2025. TU Dublin is immensely proud of its scholarship recipients and looks forward to seeing them thrive in their chosen fields.
Claire Dunne, Access Support Manager at TU Dublin, highlighted the broader impact of the initiative
What people don’t realise about students from access backgrounds is that it’s not just about financial barriers. Students from Access backgrounds do not always have the same access to the professional networks that some of their more affluent peers have. While finance is a barrier for many, there are other factors that can hinder career progression. It’s invaluable that Insight and Google are thinking beyond the financial barriers and offering a wraparound scholarship that includes mentorship and networking opportunities, which will have a hugely positive impact on the career trajectories of the scholars. It will help them tackle the ‘sense of belonging’ barrier that no one talks about
TU Dublin has a strong tradition of creating equality of access to third level education for students from groups currently under-represented in higher education. Find out more about the Insight scholarships (link) and about the many offerings and supports that are available at TU Dublin through our Access team.