Research Newsletter - Issue 112: Funding Opportunities

TORA deadline:   01 April 2026

Call deadline:   08 April 2026 

European policy experimentations are transnational projects that develop, implement, and test activities for relevance, effectiveness, impact, and scalability across different countries to address policy priorities. This is a final reminder that the TORA deadline for this Call is on  01 April 2026.

For further information, see the calls on the EACEA Portal

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer:  Dr Sophie Ball
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  2 April 2026 

Call deadline:  10 April 2026

This program will support collaborative research and foster deeper and stronger ties between both participating institutions/countries at the highest level of excellence in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as cognitive science). Review criteria for this call includes research excellence, scope of the cross-institutional participation, participation of graduate students or postdoctoral trainees, and the potential for sustained collaboration.

Award: up to $120,000 (US Dollars)

Call website: Faculty Research Accelerator Program

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer 
• Call Manager: Dr Ecaterina McDonagh

TORA deadline:  06 April 2026   

Call deadline:  15 April 2026 

Applications are now open for the Nowlan Digitisation Grants, supporting projects that enhance open access to historical and archaeological resources through digitisation or the upgrading of existing digital collections.

Scope:

• Digitisation of historical/archaeological sources (including searchable online access), or
• Enhancement of existing digital resources to ensure continued public availability

Funding: Up to €10,000 per project
 

For more information and to apply, go to the Royal Irish Academy website.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer 
• Call Manager: Kieran O'Dwyer

TORA deadline: 15 April 2026

Call deadline: 24 April 2026

Applications are now open for the ARC Hub for ICT, supporting ambitious translational research projects aimed at bringing ICT innovations closer to market impact, including areas such as AI, cybersecurity, data, and cloud technologies.

Applicants are also encouraged to view the recorded webinar from the previous call, which provides a helpful overview of the process. The ARC Hub team held a workshop on DCU Glasnevin Campus on March 24th, which focused on preparing a successful application.

Please engage early with your TTO and Research Office to support application development and documentation.

For more information, go to the ARC Hub call website.

Contact:  Paddy O’Boyle, DCU:Innovate

TORA Deadline:  20 April 2026

Call Deadline:  27 April 2026

SCoTENS is a network of 34 colleges of education, university education departments, teaching councils, curriculum councils, education trade unions and education centres on the island of Ireland with a responsibility for and interest in teacher education. SCOTENS was established in 2003 to create a safe space for teacher educators – North and South– to come together and discuss issues of common interest, and explore ways of co-operating closely together. The SCoTENS Seed Funding Programme promotes and funds a range of research-based initiatives with a view to establishing sustainable North-South partnerships and projects.

Each year, SCoTENS provides Seed Funding to support a number of collaborative research projects and professional activities in teacher education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To date, over 150 research, conference and exchange projects have been funded. The sums allocated are usually in the region of £3,000 – £6,000 (approx. €3,550 – €7,150).

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager: Christina Rushe

TORA Deadline:  21 April 2026

Call Deadline:  28 April 2026

The CERV-2026-GE call for proposals is a fully funded EU grant opportunity launched by the European Commission under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)  programme. This call invites public authorities, civil society organisations, equality bodies, social partners, and other eligible stakeholders to submit project proposals aimed at advancing gender equality, addressing structural discrimination, and strengthening the equal participation of both women and men across economic, political and social life. 

The call centres on four distinct priorities. Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal via the specific link for each priority:

1. CERV-2026-GEWORK-LIFE Supporting work-life balance, equal share of care responsibilities, family-friendly policies among employers and the value of care sector jobs.

2.  CERV-2026-GEPAY-TRANSP-DIR Promoting and supporting the implementation of the provisions of the Pay Transparency Directive and respect of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value.

3. CERV-2026-GEEQUAL-PART-REP Supporting equal participation and representation of women and men in economic and political decision-making.

4. CERV-2026-GEGENDER-STEREO Tackling gender stereotypes in media and advertising. 

DCU researchers are invited to lead or partner on impactful, action-oriented projects aligned with key EU legislation, such as the Work-Life Balance, Pay Transparency, and Women on Boards Directives. This call is grounded in the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 and the Union’s core commitment to fundamental rights, equality, and non-discrimination as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Key Details:

• Funding: Grants range from €100,000 to €500,000.
• Duration: Projects must be between 12 and 24 months.
• Submission Rules: One application per topic; applicants may only act as a coordinator for one proposal.
• Read the call document carefully
• Detailed budget table (CERV LSII)
• How to Apply: Review the full documentation and eligibility criteria on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

 TORA Deadline:  22 April 2026

Call Deadline: 29 April 2026

The CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV call for proposals is a fully funded EU grant opportunity launched by the European Commission under the CERV programme. The objective of this call is promoting citizens' and representative associations’ participation in and contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union by making known and publicly exchanging their views in all areas of Union action. The call aims to empower strong and resilient democracies by supporting initiatives that reinforce situational awareness and support response capacity to safeguard the integrity of the information space; strengthen democratic institutions, free and fair elections and free and independent media and boost societal resilience and citizens’ engagement.

Projects should propose practical solutions that can be implemented through cooperation or coordination at European level, support the sharing of good practices, and ensure a practical link with the policymaking process. 

The call centres on three distinct priorities. Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal via the specific link for each priority: 

1. CERV-2026-CITIZENSCIV-ENGAGEMENTELECTIONS - Supporting free, fair and inclusive electoral processes (focusing on information about elections and electoral rights, especially for mobile EU citizens, in full respect of Member States’ competences in organising elections).
2. CERV-2026-CITIZENSCIV-ENGAGEMENTBEYOND-ELECTIONS - Promoting citizens’ active engagement and democratic participation in public policymaking, beyond elections, as well as broader civic engagement.
3. CERV-2026-CITIZENSCIV-ENGAGEMENTDISINFOFIMI - Countering the spread of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in democratic debate and processes. 

Key Details:

• Read the call document carefully.

• Duration: Projects must be between 12 and 24 months.

• Budget: Minimum grant amount: EUR 75 000. Maximum grant amount: No limit.

• Lump Sum Budget.

• Presentation Slides from Info session.

Submission Rules: The lead applicant (i.e. Coordinator) cannot submit more than one application under this call for proposals, across all priorities/topics.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  06 May 2026

Call deadline:  14 May 2026

The Pivot Fellowship supports established researchers to transition into a new scientific discipline, fostering interdisciplinary research. The programme provides a one-year training placement in a host lab, enabling fellows to gain new expertise under mentorship.

Eligibility:  Applicants (and mentors) must hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent and be faculty or equivalent in relevant fields (e.g. natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, data science). The proposed fellowship must involve a clear shift to a new discipline, and applicants must secure institutional approval for a full year of leave.

Budget & Duration:  The fellowship provides one year of full academic salary support for the fellow, along with a $10,000 allowance for research, travel, and professional development. In addition, the host mentor receives $50,000 in research funding. At the end of the fellowship year, fellows may be eligible to apply for a research award in their new field for up to $1.5 million, plus indirect costs, over five (5) years.

Apply via Simons Award Manager (SAM) application page. 

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Kieran O'Dwyer

TORA deadline:  20 May 2026

Call deadline:  27 May 2026 

The AICC Research & Innovation Grants Scheme 2026 aims to support innovative, dynamic, and collaborative cross-border cancer research activities focused specifically on 'Survivorship – Living Well With & Beyond Cancer'. The overall goal is to increase the level of collaboration and innovation amongst cancer researchers and experts across Ireland and Northern Ireland to improve care and outcomes for people living with and past cancer.

Value: This is a two-tier scheme:

• Tier 1: Up to €100,000 (exclusive of overheads) for smaller-scale applications involving pilot projects or mapping activities over a maximum of 24 months.
• Tier 2: Up to €330,000 (exclusive of overheads) for specific, targeted projects or education/training initiatives over a maximum of 36 months.

Important Information:

• Eligibility (Cross-Border Collaboration): Collaboration across the two jurisdictions is a mandatory component. All applicants are required to have cross-border collaborators as co-applicants to be deemed eligible (e.g., a Lead Applicant from Ireland must have a Co-Applicant from Northern Ireland, and vice versa).
• Lead Applicant: Must hold a post (permanent or a contract that covers the duration of the grant) in an HRB-recognized Host Institution in Ireland or Northern Ireland as an independent investigator. They must demonstrate a record of research output (at least 3 original peer-reviewed publications) and a record of independence (secured at least one peer-reviewed research grant).

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer:  Peter Hyde
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad

TORA deadline:  21 May 2026    

Call deadline:  29 May 2026 

Sustain-FIT is a fully funded postdoctoral research programme co-funded by Enterprise Ireland and the European Union. It aims to provide international and intersectoral mobility to incoming postdoctoral researchers to the Republic of Ireland in the area of industrially focused climate action and sustainability research. Its research and innovation focus is on the Green Deal eight policy pillars: clean energy, sustainable industry, building and renovating, sustainable mobility, biodiversity, sustainable food systems, eliminating pollution and climate neutrality and Digitalisation for sustainability projects.

Total number of fellowships: 25

Duration: 36 months

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a doctoral degree, and comply with the MSCA transnational mobility rule. This requires that candidates of any nationality must not have resided or carried out their main activity (such as work or study) in Ireland for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately prior to the call deadline.

Call website: Sustain-Fit Postdoc Fellowship Program

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline:  08 June 2026   

Call deadline:  16 June 2026  

The Horizon Europe Destinations - Developing, consolidating and optimising the European research infrastructures landscape, maintaining global leadership (INFRADEV), Enabling an operational, open and FAIR EOSC ecosystem (INFRAEOSC) and Next generation of scientific instrumentation, tools, methods, and advanced digital solutions of research infrastructures and fostering innovation and co-creation with industry (INFRATECH) have been launched. 

• The INFRADEV destination aims to contribute to a strong, excellent and impactful European Research Area, by reinforcing Research Infrastructures capacities in Europe, their role at the global level and the policy-making in this field. Further information can be found on the INFRADEV call page. 

• The INFRAEOSC destination aims at delivering a “Web of FAIR Data and Services” for Science: a trusted virtual environment supporting Open Science, based on key horizontal core functions, with their corresponding e-infrastructures, and service layers accessible to researchers across disciplines throughout Europe. Further information can be found on the INFRAEOSC call page. 

• The INFRATECH destination aims to enable new discoveries and keep Europe’s Research Infrastructures at the highest level of excellence, while paving the way to innovative solutions to societal challenges and new industrial applications, products and services. Further information can be found on the INFRATECH call page.

For more information, visit the work programme website.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officers:  Peter Hyde and Faisal Zahoor
• Call Manager:  Dr Martin O’Donoghue

TORA deadline:  20 July 2026

Call deadline:  28 July 2026

The Wellcome Career Development Award supports mid-career researchers with the potential to become international research leaders to develop ambitious and innovative research programmes that advance understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing. The scheme is open to researchers based in eligible organisations in the Republic of Ireland, across all disciplines including STEM, engineering, data science, and technology-driven health research.

Award: Up to 8 years duration with annual research costs usually below £250,000. 

Eligibility: Applicants must be mid-career researchers already leading independent research and able to dedicate at least 80% research time to the award. For more details please see this call website Wellcome Career Development Award

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmed

TORA deadline:   27 August 2026

Call deadline:   03 September 2026

The main objective of this Call is the establishment of transnational collaborative networks that bring together local and regional Vocational Education Training (VET) stakeholders (VET institutions, companies, social partners, authorities, higher education institutions, research institutes, etc.) in strong and broad partnerships, thereby creating comprehensive skills ecosystems for innovation, regional development, and social inclusion.

The partnership must include at least eight applicants from a minimum of four EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme.  

The maximum EU grant per project is €4,000,000 (funding rate 80%).

Read the full Call details here on the EC Funding Portal and  here in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, and listen to a recording of an EACEA information session about this Call.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer:  Dr Sophie Ball
• Call Manager:  Christina Rushe

TORA deadline: NA   

Call deadline: Rolling  

The Disability Policy and allied Disability Supplement was launched in 2025 as a pilot initiative. The Disability Policy aims to provide eligible Research Ireland-funded grant holders and their Research Ireland-funded team members with supplementary budget for the costs of required, eligible reasonable accommodations where those costs are not available via other existing funding mechanisms. Research Ireland has now confirmed that the Disability Supplement programme will continue to be offered on a rolling basis in 2026.

Please note that the Disability Supplement is not meant to replace existent funding mechanisms for reasonable accommodations, and requests for funding under this supplement should only be sought if the required budget is unavailable from other recognised sources.

For further information on the Disability Policy and the Disability supplement, please visit the Disability Supplement Grant website.

Research Development and Support contacts: 

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

TORA deadline:  Five working days prior to the official funder deadline (TBC once the call deadline is published).

Call deadline:   TBC

The EPA Research Call 2026 will support innovative research projects addressing environmental, climate change, and sustainability challenges to inform policy and decision-making. Applicants can apply under open themes addressing identified policy and evidence needs, with project durations ranging from 24 to 48 months. Value: A total pool of €10.5M in research funding is available for this call.

Relevant dates:

• Call Opens: 02 April 2026
• Information Webinar: 14 April 2026 (10:00am)
• Call Deadline: To be announced (details will be published on 02 April 2026).

Important information:

• Call Details: Detailed information regarding the specific research themes and strict submission deadlines will be released on the opening date (02 April 2026).
• Webinar: The EPA is hosting an information webinar covering the call overview, application process and timelines, application guidance, and financial/eligibility rules. Researchers are highly encouraged to attend and can submit questions in advance to research@epa.ie. A recording will be available post-event.

Links to further information:

• Register for the Information Webinar
• EPA Research Call Webpage

Research Development and Support contacts: 

• Research Development Officer
• Call Manager:  Dr Tauseef Ahmad