Background

This policy applies specifically to the Health Research Charities Ireland / Health Research Board (HRCI/ HRB) Joint Funding Scheme. 

This policy is intended to set out what type of organisations the HRB is prepared to co-fund with under this Scheme, the rules around eligibility to be an approved co-funding partner organisation and the process of applying for approval. The approval will be a limited approval and forms part of HRB’s ongoing governance and grant management. 

HRB Policy on HRCI Scheme Co-Funding Partners

In order to be considered an eligible organisation for the purpose of co-funding with the HRB under the HRCI/HRB Scheme an organisation must:

• Provide evidence of legal form
• Provide evidence of financial standing

Agree to enter into a legal multi-party agreement between the HRB, the HRCI partner and approved HRB Host Institution such that the funding will go directly to the Host Institution[1] and reporting and award management will be performed by the HRB. The HRB Terms and Conditions will govern the award in its entirety. 

The HRB reserves the right to use this multi-party agreement for the HRCI/ HRB Joint Funding Scheme in its entirety.

All applications under the HRCI/HRB Joint Funding Scheme must be supported by at least one HRCI member charity. However, HRCI member charities may choose to collaborate with one charity based outside of Ireland.  The multi-party agreement must be enforceable in Ireland and reflect Irish law, regardless of the location of the co-funding partner or the RPO.

Checking Eligibility

The HRB will request the following information from organisations to enable assessment of eligibility to act as a co-funding partner with the HRB under this Scheme:

• Name and contact details of the individual at the organisation to whom enquiries can be addressed.
• Confirmation of charity legal form
• Evidence of registration with the Charities Regulator
• Copy of the Charity Constitution i.e., the deed of trust, memorandum and articles of association, the charter, statute, rules, or other governing documentation of the body
• Copy of Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, where applicable
• Up-to-date full set of recent financial statements (to include income, expenditure and balance sheet) signed and dated by the organisation’s Finance Officer. This should be accompanied by a certificate confirming there have been no amendments to the statement and attesting to the accuracy of the financial statements set out in the audit report. In the case of a Company limited by guarantee please provide audited accounts for previous three years; or a proposed guarantor or parent company guarantor where audited accounts cannot be furnished
• A valid tax clearance certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland

Charities based outside of the Republic of Ireland will be expected to provide the equivalent detail.

Implementation

Prior to each new call, HRCI member organisations will be notified via HRCI if they need to make a first application or apply for re-approval as a co-funding partner as per this policy.

Once approval has been granted, it will last for a minimum period of five years and then continue unless a point is reached where the organisation has had no co-funding arrangement with the HRB during the previous five years.

The HRB reserves the right to review any approval granted and to review this policy at any time.

[1] A HRB Host Institution is a research performing organisation (RPO) that is approved by the HRB for the purpose of receiving and administering HRB grant funding and is responsible for compliance with all general and specific terms and conditions of awards.

Funding outside of Ireland may be allowable where there is no established research capacity in Ireland (e.g. for the case of rare diseases)

• For international RPOs that are public or private universities a warrant should be given at application stage that they can comply with HRB terms and conditions.
• For international RPOs that are not public or private universities, the RPO will agree that as part of the acceptance documentation if successful they will have to provide information as per the HI application form.

The following charity organisations are approved HRB Co-funding Partners for the Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI)/HRB Joint Funding Scheme.

• Alpha-1 Foundation Ireland
• Arthritis Ireland
• Breakthrough Cancer Research
• Central Remedial Clinic
• Children’s Health Foundation
• Conor Foley Neuroblastoma Cancer Research Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis Ireland
• Cystinosis Ireland
• Debra Ireland
• Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance Limited
• Epilepsy Ireland
• Family Carers Ireland
• Fighting Blindness
• Irish Cancer Society
• Irish Kidney Association
• Irish Lung Fibrosis Association
• Irish Nephrology Society
• Irish Thoracic Society
• MSD Action Foundation
• Muscular Dystrophy Ireland
• Parkinson's Association of Ireland
• Rett Syndrome Ireland
• The Alzheimer Society of Ireland
• The Centre for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases
• The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association
• The Rotunda Foundation

Valid December 2023