Research in-Practice Fellowships for Health and Social Care Practitioners (RPF) 2026 (prev Clinician Scientist Fellowships)

The HRB will host a webinar on RPF 2026 on Wednesday, 22 October 2025 at 17.00. To register for the webinar please click here.

The scheme will support fellows to advance applied health and social care research projects where specific problems or evidence gaps are documented and where the project is focused on practical solutions, with a clear pathway to impact. In line with the strategic remit of the HRB, research projects are welcome spanning the areas of clinical research, population health research and/or health services research.

The main objectives of the scheme are to:

• Support practitioners to consolidate their research skills and expertise post-PhD and to progressively develop themselves as more independent practitioner researchers, research managers and future leaders.
• Enable the prospective fellows to form multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary collaborations with academic partners and knowledge users in relevant policy and/or practice organisations.
• Provide fellows with direct experience in the conduct of applied health and social care research projects aimed at finding practical solutions to specific problems or reduce the evidence gaps in their area of practice, with a clear pathway to impact on the quality and experience of service users and, ultimately, health outcomes.

The scheme is open to health and social care practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds to conduct research at post-PhD level while continuing to deliver health or social care as practitioner researchers.

Lead applicants must:

Qualifications

1. Possess a PhD degree or demonstrate PhD equivalent research experience or defend their PhD thesis before 31 May 2026. For the purposes of this eligibility criterion, the dissertation must be accepted either without any revisions or with only minor revisions following the PhD viva. Written evidence of successfully passing the PhD viva will be required at the time of shortlisting and before 5 June 2026.

• PhD equivalent research experience is defined by the HRB as a substantial experience in conducting research by demonstrating four years full time equivalent (FTE) research experience at post-graduate level, measured from the date when a researcher obtained a primary degree. It must involve original research, result in an original contribution to knowledge and be documented and verifiable (e.g. research outputs such as publications).
• Applications for PhD equivalent research experience must be submitted at least two weeks before the deadline for applications i.e. by 30 January 2026 but we encourage applicant to apply as soon as possible when starting an RPF application. More information and an editable version of the form can be found here. Applications will not be considered after the deadline, and applicants without confirmed equivalence will be deemed ineligible. Please contact the HRB to discuss equivalency as soon as possible.

2. Have completed their professional training (medics need to have completed their general training and may be at Specialist Registrar (SpR) level).

Employment status

At the time of the application, lead applicants may be employed in the Republic of Ireland or any other country or on a career break or in the final stage of their PhD.

Lead applicants who are currently employed in the Republic of Ireland must hold (or will hold at the time of the grant being made):

• A clinical post (permanent or a fixed-term contract that covers the duration of the grant) in the Irish health service or social care organisation (e.g., specialist registrar, nurse practitioner, public health practitioner, physiotherapist); or
• A clinical post in a private practice (e.g. general practitioners, private physiotherapy practice, private dentist practice, private pharmacy) providing inclusive care to the public (e.g. participation in the General Medical Services Scheme); or
• A post in a health and social care organisation (e.g. Tusla, Section 38 or Section 39 agencies); or
• A joint health or social care and academic position (e.g. teaching/education) without a significant research element, maximum 0.2 FTE, within a higher education institution and the Irish health services or other social care organisations.

Lead applicants who are not currently employed in the Republic of Ireland must:

• Have the support of a HRB approved host institution, and
• Be able to demonstrate they have already obtained or are negotiating a post as listed above in a health care or a social care services organisation in the Republic of Ireland.

Career stage

Lead applicants must not be recognised as independent investigators by:

• Having already received any substantial research grant as lead investigator/lead applicant with a value equal or above €100,000. This also applies if the lead applicant was leading a work package in funding schemes from the European Commission. Lead applicants are eligible if they were recipients of personal grants/awards such as PhD research scholarships, fellowships, or other similar individual grants/awards; and/or

• Leading an existing research team; and/or

• Acting as the past or present primary supervisor or sponsor of an early career researcher such as PhD or post-doctoral researcher; and/or

• Securing any peer-reviewed research grant as a lead applicant which supports research personnel and the building of a research team; and/or

• Being already recognised as an independent investigator as confirmed by their host institution.

In addition:

• The lead applicant must apply from a HRB approved host institution based in the Republic of Ireland and can submit only one application to this scheme.

Additional eligibility criteria for medical doctors are available in the guidance notes.

Note: Practitioners who upon receipt of an RPF would not be involved in health care or social care delivery are not eligible to apply to this scheme.

The applications must be completed and submitted through the HRB online Grant E-Management System (GEMS) (https://grants.hrb.ie).

The Research in-Practice Fellowships for Health and Social Care Practitioners scheme will use a one-stage application process consisting of an open call for applications from prospective fellows, followed by peer and public review and an applicant response phase to the reviewers’ comments. Based on the international peer-review, a selected number of candidates will be invited then for an interview with an international panel.

Prior to final submission to the HRB, all applications must first be reviewed and approved within GEMS by the authorised approver at the host institution as listed in the application form. It is critical therefore that applicants leave sufficient time in the process for the Research Office (or equivalent) in their nominated host institution to review, seek clarifications and approve applications prior to the final submission date. This may involve being aware of and complying with any internal Host Institution deadlines for review and approval, distinct from the HRB deadline.

The scheme will close on 13 February 2026 at 13.00.

https://grants.hrb.ie

Dr Marta Pisarska

Project Officer, Research Strategy and Funding Directorate

fellowships(at)hrb.ie

Funding previously awarded under Clinician Scientist Fellowships can be viewed here.

The fellowship will support the research-related costs up to a maximum of €80,000 and pro rata salary-related costs of the fellow up to 0.5 FTE.

48-60 months