The funding will support the HRB Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health 2026 – Turning Research into Action which is a response to major gaps which have been identified in women’s health research.

The call for proposals will open on 16 January and support up to 10 projects valued at €200,000 each.

Speaking about the call, Minister Carroll MacNeill says:

“Historically research into women’s health has been overlooked and underfunded, leading to gaps in understanding conditions affecting women, delayed diagnoses, and treatments based on male data.

“Last August, I launched the report Femtech in Ireland: The Case for Prioritising Women’s Health Research and Innovation.  That report called for the State to deliver focused funding calls for women’s health research.  I am delighted that today I can respond to that call by announcing this significant research programme.

“The funding I have approved will support projects that can help address gaps in knowledge and increase our understanding of women’s health, with the ultimate aim of achieving better health outcomes for women across all stages of life.”

Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive at the HRB says:

“The HRB’s recent evidence and gap review across 38 OECD countries, including Ireland, identified clear gaps in women’s health research. Through this new funding we aim to address those gaps, inform better care and improve outcomes for women.”

The HRB is committed to advancing women’s health research through a co-creation approach. Working in partnership with the public, stakeholders and knowledge users makes research relevant, inclusive and capable of driving real change.”

Research proposals in all areas of women’s health are eligible. Applications in four priority areas with known research gaps are particularly welcome. These are:

  1. Postpartum mental health, with a particular focus on traumatic births
  2. Endometriosis
  3. Menstruation
  4. Culturally sensitive healthcare and how identities, including race, class, sexuality and disability can intersect and impact on women’s healthcare.

The Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health 2026 call is a collaborative initiative between the HRB and the Women’s Health Taskforce of the Department of Health (DOH). It will open on 16 January 2026 and close on 27 March 2026 and pre-call details can be viewed on our website.

ENDS

You can read The Department of Health’s press release here.

You can read the Women’s health treatment interventions and outcomes: An evidence and gap map review here.