The Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health scheme 2026 aims to support applied research projects focused on women’s health in which researchers and knowledge users come together to advance timely and relevant research and optimise knowledge translation into policy and practice.
The overarching aim of the Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health scheme is to support high quality applied research projects where academic researchers and knowledge users come together in a collaboration to focus on themes/questions that are determined by the publicly documented evidence needs of the Irish health and social care system. The research projects should target research that will support the work of healthcare policy and service delivery partners.
Details of this scheme:
The Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health 2026 call is designed to bring knowledge users and researchers together to develop applied research projects that address a documented need within the Irish health or social care system in the area of women’s health. Research findings will have a direct impact on decision-making in the knowledge user organisation.
Two million euro of dedicated funds are being made available to the HRB from the Department of Health, under the aegis of the Women’s Health Taskforce, to fund up to ten research projects (a maximum of €200,000 per project) over 12–24 months.
As with all applications to the APA scheme, along with a Lead Applicant – Researcher, each proposal requires a Lead Applicant – Knowledge User. The level of co-funding commitment from the knowledge user partner(s) must be equivalent to a minimum of 10% of the total amount requested from the HRB (assessed as direct or “cash” contributions only).
Applications in any aspect of women’s health research are eligible for funding.
Applications in the following four priority areas are especially welcome:
- Postpartum Mental Health, with a particular focus on Traumatic Births
- Endometriosis
- Menstruation
- Research on Culturally Sensitive Healthcare/Intersectional impacts on Women’s Health
Please note that this APA round will have a single deadline. Only applications in the area of women’s health will be eligible to apply.
Who can apply?
Applications should be made by a team of researchers and knowledge users. Individuals in knowledge user organisations may be experienced researchers, but for this scheme, a lead applicant from a research group and a lead applicant from the knowledge user group are required.
Researchers should be at mid-stage or senior stage in their career. Experience in clinical research, population health research and/or health services research is essential.
The Lead Applicant must be based at a Host Institution in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
The Lead Knowledge User partner and co-contribution must be from an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland.
How to apply?
All applications must be made using the HRB Grant Electronic Management System (GEMS) available at grants(at)hrb.ie. GEMS will close automatically at the deadline.
The application must have been reviewed and approved by the signatory approver at the research office (or equivalent) in the host institution before it is submitted to the HRB. Therefore, applicants should ensure that they give the signatory approver sufficient time before the scheme closing date to review the application and approve it on GEMS. Please note that many host institutions specify internal deadlines for this procedure.
Apply for this award:
Contact us:
Dr Rachel Bermingham
Email: rbermingham(at)hrb.ie