Applications in progress
Secondary Data Analysis Projects (SDAP 2025)
The Secondary Data Analysis Projects (SDAP) are designed to bring together researchers, knowledge users and data controllers to develop research projects that answer policy and/or practice-relevant questions by using secondary data.
The HRB hosted an in-person SDAP Seminar on 26 March 2025. Slides from the event are available on the call web page, which also includes a summary of the event.
The SDAP 2025 Scheme has two separate application cycles. Cycle 1 has been completed with 6 applications recommended for funding.
Cycle 2 opened for applications on 1 September 2025 and closed on 09 January 2026 at 13:00. Eligibility checks have been completed with applicants informed of the outcome. Eligible applications are now undergoing peer/public review.
Investigator-led Clinical Trials (ILCT) Programme 2025 (formerly DIFA)
The Cycle 2 submission deadline was in July 2025. 20 eligible applications were received. The Panel Meeting was held on 11/12 February 2026, with recommendations for funding due to go to the HRB Board in March 2026. Outcomes are anticipated in late March/early April 2026.
The Cycle 3 submission deadline was in December 2025. 57 applications were received. Eligibility checks are ongoing, with eligible applications moving to peer and public review.
Investigator-Led Projects (ILP) 2026
The ILP scheme aims to support highly innovative and internationally competitive investigator-led projects that can respond to existing and emerging challenges for health and social care. The ILP provides funding for clearly defined research projects in: (i) Patient-oriented research (POR), (ii) Population health research (PHR), and (iii) Health services research (HSR).
146 out 147 applications have been deemed eligible and are currently under peer and public review.
Research in-Practice Fellowships for Health and Social Care Practitioners (RPF) 2026
32 out of the 35 applications submitted to this scheme are eligible. Ineligible applicants and their host institutions were recently contacted. The review process has recently started.
The RPF scheme aims to support health and social care practitioners who wish to advance their research skills at post-PhD level while continuing to deliver patient or social care.
HRCI-HRB Joint Funding Scheme 2026
The HRCI-HRB Joint Funding Scheme aims to fund researchers and research teams to conduct internationally competitive and innovative research in areas of strategic relevance to each individual HRCI-registered co-funding charity. 45 eligible applications received from nine co-funding charities are now undergoing peer review.
Collaborative Postdoctoral Fellowships Programmes (CPFP) 2026
A total of 40 pre‑applications were received in December 2025. After confirming the eligibility of all leadership teams, all applications were assessed by an international review panel. The shortlisting process is expected to be completed by the end of March, with the HRB communicating the outcome to applicants and host institutions in early April. Selected leadership teams will then be invited to the full application stage.
Please note that the overall timeline will be slightly delayed by approximately four weeks. The HRB will provide the updated timeline when the full application stage formally opens. This will not impact on the start date of grants.
This is a two-stage Jjoint Ttransnational Ccall entitled ‘“Test and Demonstration of Multimodal Data Approaches for Personalised Medicine (MultiPMData2026)’”. The pre-proposal submission deadline was 12 January 2026 at 13:00 GMT and proposals are now under review.
European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) Joint Transnational Call (JTC) 2026
This is a two-stage Joint Transnational call entitled ‘Resolving unsolved cases in rare genetic and non-genetic diseases’. The pre-proposal submission deadline was 12 Feb 2026 and proposals are now under review.
European Partnership on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAMR) 2026
The pre-proposal submission deadline was 2 February 2026 and proposals are now under review. Outcome emails are expected to be issued at the end of April 2026. The full proposal deadline will be 17 June 2026..
European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) 2026
The pre-proposal submission deadline iwas 2 February 2026 and proposals are now under review. Outcome emails are expected to be issued in May 2026. The full proposal deadline will be 30 June 2026.
Conference and Event Sponsorship Scheme 2026
This scheme aims to create an opportunity to host health research related events, workshops, or conferences on the island of Ireland. Up to a maximum of €5,000 per grant is available. 31 applications received to cycle 1 are currently undergoing eligibility checks.
Open Calls
The All-Ireland Cancer Consortium 2026 Scheme opens at 13:00 on 25 Feb 2026.
An information webinar will occur on 24 March at 14:00 Register Here
The AICC 2026 call will target funding to support cancer research that focuses on survivorship, for people living well with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Cancer survivorship research covers the period from diagnosis to treatment outcome and seeks to improve care and outcomes experienced by people living with and past cancer. It will enable support of cross-border cooperation and joint efforts in cancer survivorship research to ultimately benefit people, living across the island of Ireland and beyond.
The objectives of this scheme are:
- To stimulate, engage, develop, and improve all-island, multi-disciplinary cancer research collaborations, networking, and engagement
- Prime cancer research activity aligned to the Consortium’s priority areas with specific focus for 2026 to support ‘Survivorship-Living Well With & Beyond Cancer’
- Invest in high quality, innovative cancer research pilots, mapping activities, projects and/or education initiatives.
The overall goal of the scheme is to increase the level of collaboration and innovation amongst cancer researchers and experts across the jurisdictions of Ireland and Northern Ireland. As such we expect collaboration across the two jurisdictions to form a key component of the research proposal. All applicants will be required to have cross border collaborators as co-applicants to be deemed eligible to apply e.g., a Lead Applicant from Ireland requires a Co-Applicant from Northern Ireland and vice versa.
Inclusion of people with lived experience of cancer forms a central component, hence expectation is they’ll be involved throughout and part of application design and implementation.
The Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health (APA-WH) 2026
The HRB launched a new targeted call: the Applied Partnership Awards Women’s Health (APA-WH) 2026 – Turning Research into Action on 16 January 2026, to fund up to ten research projects (a maximum of €200,000 per project) over 12 – 24 months. The closing date for applications is the 01 April 2026 at 1pm.
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, and 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.
The call will be open to Lead Applicants from Host Institutions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Lead Knowledge User partner and co-contribution must be from an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland.
US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership Programme
This is a rolling call. The call guidance has been updated and can be found here. Check the scheme notice for full details – US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme.
European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) 2026
ERDERA’s 2026 Joint Transnational Call entitled “Resolving unsolved cases in rare genetic and nongenetic diseases through variant validation and new technological approaches” has launched with a deadline for pre-proposal submission of 12 February 2026.
Other European research funding opportunities
See our EU funding updates story for information on more European research funding opportunities.
See also general information on the Horizon Europe and EU4Health programmes.
