The Government’s main research and innovation agencies* have developed a coordinated Rapid Response Research and Innovation programme to help mitigate and manage the COVID-19 pandemic by unlocking the potential of Irish based researchers and innovators to join the global efforts.

The coordinated response is comprised of two complementary strands. Having two focus areas allows for sufficient specialisation and coordination while optimising available resources as outlined below.

  • The first focus area targets medical countermeasures, health service readiness, and social and policy countermeasures to COVID-19. This is led by the Health Research Board and the Irish Research Council and details of the call can be found here.
  • The second focus area is an agile and adaptive funding scheme aimed at combining the capabilities of industry and academia in the development of innovative solutions that can have a rapid demonstrable impact on the current COVID-19 crisis in Ireland. This is led by Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland and details of the call can be found here.

The agencies will work in partnership to coordinate applications and ensure a seamless and agile review and funding process, with the progress and results from each stream shared broadly. 

In dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, pace is critical and research funders around the globe have mobilised rapidly to provide a range of opportunities for researchers and innovative companies. The Rapid Response Research and Innovation funding proposal is an invitation to researchers and innovators in Ireland to support the efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19.

Darrin Morrissey, Chief Executive at the HRB; ‘This pandemic requires a national and global response. Research and evidence are critical to understanding how COVID 19 works and how we can tackle the health, social and economic challenges that it presents. Working together with other funding agencies we can enable the best minds in Ireland come together to accelerate our understanding of, and response to, this international crisis. we are confident that Ireland’s research community can rise to this challenge.’

For information in relations to these calls please contact the relevant person within each call in the links above.

*Health Research Board, Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.