Research Newsletter - Issue 111: Funding Opportunities

TORA deadline:  19 February 2026 

Call deadline:  05 March 2026

The EC has implemented a rule limiting the number of submissions in which an organisation can participate in the Erasmus+ KA220 call. This cap is set at 10 submissions per institution per call deadline across the fields of Adult Education, School Education, Vocational Education and Training, and Youth. This is whether as coordinator or partner.

DCU has reached the maximum of 10 proposals under these capped Calls.

No further applications can be engaged in under these calls (KA220ADU, KA220SCH, KA220VET or KA220YOU) that have not already been registered with the research office.

Applications for Cooperation Partnerships in the field of Higher Education (KA220HED) are not affected by this cap.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• RDO:  Dr Sophie Ball
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  25 February 2026, 5:00pm  

Call deadline:  04 March 2026, 4:00pm

The EIT Higher Education Initiative, established under the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021-20273, aims to strengthen European higher education’s role in innovation ecosystems. By building institutional innovation and entrepreneurship capacity, the EIT Higher Education Initiative fosters systemic change in higher education institutions (HEIs) and enhances their integration into regional and European innovation networks. 

The EIT HEI 2025 call is now open offering up to €2 million per project to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship capacity in higher education across Europe. Projects can apply under:

• Topic 1:  Boosting innovation and entrepreneurship capacity in higher education of Europe’s STEM talent pipeline.
• Topic 2:  Strengthening synergies across the European higher education and innovation area, specifically between the EIT ecosystem and the European Universities Alliances.

For more information about the call, visit the Call webpage. 

Please note that this call has a cap of one application per institution, thus DCU can submit only one application as a coordinator or partner to this call. The priority will be given to a DCU coordinator proposal over a partner proposal. 

Deadline for notification of Intent to Apply is 23rd of February 5:00 pm.

Research Development and Support contacts:

• Research Development Officer  

• Call Manager:  Dr Katya McDonagh

TORA deadline:  03 March 2026    

Call deadline:  10 March 2026

Alliances for Innovation aim to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity by boosting innovation through cooperation and flow of knowledge among higher education, vocational education and training (both initial and continuous), and the broader socio-economic environment, including research.

They also aim to boost the provision of new skills and address skills mismatches by designing and creating new curricula for higher education and vocational education and training, supporting the development of a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial mind-sets in the EU.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• RDO:  Dr Sophie Ball
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  09 March 2026

Call deadline:  27 March 2026

Purpose

To turn research into action by partnering researchers with knowledge users (e.g., health service providers, policymakers).

Projects must address a documented need within the Irish health or social care system in the area of women’s health.

Research findings should have a direct impact on decision-making in the knowledge user organisation.

Eligibility

Host Institutions:  Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Lead Knowledge User Applicant:  Must be based in the Republic of Ireland.

Co-funding:  Knowledge user partner(s) must provide at least 10% cash contribution of the HRB request.

Priority Areas

Applications in any aspect of women’s health are eligible, but these areas are prioritized:

Postpartum Mental Health (focus on traumatic births)

Endometriosis

Menstruation

Culturally Sensitive Healthcare / Intersectional impacts on Women’s Health

For assistance:  Call Guidance notes

Reference previous APA guidance for format:  HRB APA 2024 Guidance

Additional info:  Call webpage

Research Development and Support contacts:

• Research Development Officer  

• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad

TORA deadline:  09 March 2026

Call deadline:  26 March 2026

The Wellcome Career Development Awards scheme provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders. It supports a programme of research and the development of your research capabilities.

Research Development and Support Contacts: 

• Research Development Officer  
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad

TORA deadline:  23 March 2026

Call deadline:  31 March 2026, 11:59pm (CET)

ScaleDem is a project funded under Horizon Europe that aims to understand ways in which to identify various small scale interventions in matters relating to democracy (citizen participation, participatory budgets etc) and investigate ways in which they might be scaled up to be used on a larger or broader scale.

ScaleDem have just launched two calls, the Piloting Programme and the Twinning Initiative: 

Piloting Programme:  an action-focused programme supporting ‘pathbreakers’ which are organisations already strengthening democracy who want to test bold new ways to scale their work. Over 12 months, selected pilots receive up to €100,000 and join a European peer network. This is not seed funding, but a boost to help you experiment with and test your next big idea.

Twinning Initiative:  a support and coaching programme that brings together organisations that have already scaled with others looking to adapt proven democratic innovations in their own context. Each Twinning Community runs for 12 months to overcome barriers to scaling with up to €65,500 available. This is not seed funding but a top-up for active projects ready to grow together.

Local authorities, civil society organisations, NGOs, research teams, cooperatives and mission-driven  companies can apply, provided they are established in countries eligible under HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-12.

Research Development and Support Contacts: 

• Research Development Officer  
• Call Manager:  Dr Martin O’Donoghue

TORA deadline:  24 March 2026

Call deadline:  31 March 2026

The Wellcome Trust - Discover Awards scheme provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. Co-applicants are allowed.

Eligibility:  Lead applicants must be established researchers with international standing and a track record of leading innovative research.

Team:  Applications can be from a sole applicant or a team of researchers (usually 2-8 applicants).

Host:  The lead applicant must be based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad

TORA deadline:  01 April 2026

Call deadlines: 

• Pre-proposal deadline:  13 April 2026

• Full proposal deadline:  20 August 2026

BE READY is a European Partnership focused on pandemic preparedness, aiming to build a coordinated research and innovation ecosystem that strengthens Europe’s capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond to infectious disease threats. 

Putting into action its shared Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA), BE READY is now launching its first joint transnational call (JTC2026) for proposals on “Advancing knowledge of host and pathogen dynamics to better combat emerging diseases”. 

In total, 21 funding organisations across 19 countries are participating in this call with an available budget of ~€16.4 million. 

BE READY funding organisations have agreed to jointly fund multinational, innovative research projects bringing together academic, clinical/public health, veterinary, and private research teams, fostering interdisciplinary and international collaboration. 

This call follows a two-step procedure, with a pre-proposal stage and an invited full-proposal stage.

Awarded projects will have a duration of up to 36 months. For applicants based in Ireland, Research Ireland will provide the following funding for projects:

1. Up to a maximum of €330,000 direct costs per project for Irish applicants as Partner on transnational proposals. 
2. Up to a maximum of €405,000 direct costs per project for Irish applicants as Coordinator on transnational proposals.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad

TORA deadline:  01 April 2026

Call deadline:  08 April 2026

European policy experimentations are transnational cooperation projects that involve developing, implementing and testing the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact and scalability of activities to address policy priorities in different countries. By combining strategic leadership, methodological soundness, and a strong European dimension, they enable mutual learning and support evidence-based policy at European level.

The call covers the following topics:

− Topic 1:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T01-DIGITAL-CONTENT: Digital Education Content: success factors in decision making and use by teachers, trainers and school/institution leaders.

− Topic 2:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI: Digital Education: Public private partnerships for ethical design, development and use of Artificial Intelligence tools in education and training.

− Topic 3:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T03-DIGITAL-BS: Digital Education: AI-powered Personalised Learning Pathways for Basic Skills.

− Topic 4:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T04-MICRO-CRED: Micro-credentials – focus on eco-systems.

− Topic 5:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T05-SCHOOL-STEM: School Education: STEM Education Centres.

− Topic 6:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T06-SCHOOL-BS:  School Education: Proficiency in basic skills.

− Topic 7:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T07-VET-BS: Vocational Education and Training: Developing basic skills in Vocational Education and Training.

− Topic 8:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T08-VET-QUALIFICATIONS: Vocational Education and Training: Improving transparency and recognition of VET qualifications.

− Topic 9:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T09-ADULT-PS: Adult Education: Support to the Regional Skills Partnerships in the Pact for Skills.

− Topic 10:  ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T10-ADULT-EMPOWER: Adult Education: Motivation in Motion: Empowering Adults to Up- and Reskilling.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• RDO:  Dr Sophie Ball
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  More than five working days before submission

Call deadline:  Rolling

The Supplemental Grant for Displaced Researchers 2026 scheme is now open for applications. This initiative supports researchers displaced by the war in Ukraine by enabling their integration into the Irish research ecosystem.

The scheme provides an opportunity for holders of existing Research Ireland awards, together with their Host Institutions, to welcome displaced Ukrainian researchers to join ongoing Research Ireland–funded projects across all disciplines.

Applications are made from Principal Investigators on active Research Ireland grants of scale. Exceptions include, but may not be limited to, Research Infrastructures Awards, Discover Awards, Public Service Fellowship Awards, Industry RD&I Fellowship Awards, Enterprise Fellowship Awards, New Foundations Awards, Ulysses Awards and Government of Ireland Fellowship Awards.

Eligible Ukrainian Researchers need to be located in the Republic of Ireland and to provide a copy of their permission letter from the Department of Justice in Ireland confirming Temporary Protection has been granted under the EU Directive.

The Supplemental Grant for Displaced Researchers is limited to one application per existing Research Ireland grant. Where the existing grant support is in excess of €5 million, multiple applications may be considered. These supplemental grants will be issued for a maximum period of one year and a minimum period of three months.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer  
• Call Manager:  Dr Martin O’Donoghue