The ILCT Programme supports research that addresses questions of direct relevance to the improvement of patient care, health of the public and health services and that has strong potential to have immediate use for decision makers in everyday clinical practice or policy.
This is a rolling call, where applications can be submitted anytime up until October 2025. Within the overall call, there are three cycles of assessment linked to pre-agreed application submission deadlines, after which the assessment review process will take place. This provides increased opportunities to apply for funding for clinical trials during the lifetime of the call.
Note on funding available: Maximum of €430,000 for Feasibility Studies & €1,300,000 for Definitive Interventions.
ILCT 2025 Information Webinar
An information webinar will be held on Thursday 27 February 2025 at 11am.The HRB will present an overview of the scheme, changes since the last round of DIFA, guidance on the GEMs application process, and the ILCT Programme review and assessment process. We encourage PIs, staff from Clinical Trial Infrastructures and Research Offices to attend.
To register to attend please use this link: ILCT 2025 Information Webinar Registration link
Changes Since The Last Round:
The DIFA scheme was extensively reviewed in 2024. The following changes have been made to the revised ILCT Programme 2025 to provide a more flexible approach to application submission and to ensure a more timely response for funding decisions.
- ILCT will run two separate application streams: one for definitive intervention studies (DIs) and one for Feasibility studies (FS). Both streams are accessible via GEMs.
- The application process for both the DI and FS streams is a one stage process. This will speed-up the timeline for assessment, leading to quicker funding decisions.
- The call is now structured as an open rolling call, where applications can be submitted at any time up until October 2025. Within the overall call, there are three cycles of assessment linked to pre-defined submission deadlines, after which the assessment process (peer, public and panel review) will take place. This provides increased opportunities to apply for funding for clinical trials during the lifetime of the call.
- It is anticipated that there will be three funding decisions throughout 2025 and 2026 aligned to HRB Board meeting approval dates.
- Applications submitted before 25 April 2025 will be reviewed in the first cycle, outcomes are expected in November 2025. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 February 2026.
- Applications submitted before 18 July 2025 will be reviewed in the second cycle, outcomes are expected in February 2026. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 May 2026.
- Applications submitted by 17 October 2025 will be reviewed in the final cycle, outcomes are expected in May 2026. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 August 2026.
- The Co-Lead Applicant option is removed from the ILCT Programme. The aim of this was to provide opportunities for health and care practitioner investigators who do not have the required academic track record to apply as Lead Applicant. Experience with previous schemes has shown that this has not achieved its intended aim. Investigators who do not have the required academic track record to apply as the Lead Investigators can still apply to the ILTC Programme scheme as a Co-Applicant.
- The maximum available budget has increased to €1,300,000 (including overheads) for Definitive Intervention studies, and to €430,000 (including overheads) for Feasibility Studies. This reflects the general increase in research related costs including salaries and align funding for feasibility studies with other HRB-funded project grants.
- Broadening the types of trial methodology sub-study embedded within the trial proposal. The sub-study may take the form of a Study Within A Trial (SWAT), or other approach focused on improving the design, conduct, analysis, reporting, or dissemination of trials in areas where there is current uncertainty.
Details of the scheme
This scheme funds:
- Studies evaluating the effectiveness of a definitive trial of an intervention. The evaluation may be of any appropriate design and will provide high quality evidence on the efficacy and/or effectiveness, cost and broad impact of the intervention (Definitive Intervention stream)
- Stand-alone feasibility studies conducted in preparation for a future definitive trial of an intervention are also supported to achieve a pipeline of definitive intervention studies (Feasibility stream)
- Trial methodology sub-study (including SWATs) built into the main or feasibility study to explore primary trial methodology questions. This sub-study may take the form of a Study Within A Trial (SWAT), or other approach focused on improving the design, conduct, analysis, reporting, or dissemination of trials in areas where there is current uncertainty.
Cancer Stream:
Aligned to HRB’s investments in cancer clinical trials infrastructure, €3M of the total ILCT Programme budget is aimed at supporting cancer-specific trials (both definitive intervention and or feasibility studies) quality permitting within the overall call. The application, assessment process and criteria will be the same for all applications.
Who can apply?
Researchers should be at the mid-stage or senior stage in their career. It is strongly recommended that the Lead Applicant should have experience in the conduct of interventions.
The research team should demonstrate the necessary breadth and depth of expertise in each of the methodological areas required for the delivery of the proposed project. Appropriate multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary involvement in the research team is essential.
How to apply
All applications must be made using the HRB Grant Electronic Management System (GEMS) https://grants.hrb.ie
Importantly, applications for feasibility studies must be submitted via the Feasibility Study stream, and applications for definitive intervention studies must be submitted via the Definitive Intervention stream. It is the Lead Applicant’s responsibility to ensure they are applying to the correct stream for their proposed study type.
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
Karen Crowley, Project Officer
Fiona Manning, Programme Manager
ILCT(at)hrb.ie