Research Newsletter - Issue 115: Funding Opportunities
TORA deadline: N/A
Call deadline: 30 November 2026
Researchers from ECIU members can submit proposals for the two actions of the Seed Programme to initiate new or strengthen existing research collaborations.
The Seed Programme has two action lines:
Seed Programme 1 (SP 1): Blended Mobility to Create Networks.
(SP 1) promotes inter-institutional collaboration through the blended exchange of research and innovation staff to create new networks or leverage existing networks in the five strategic research fields.
Seed Programme 2 (SP 2): Seed Projects for Existing Consortia.
(SP 2) focuses on already existing consortia that wish to set up new or strengthen existing R&I projects linked to shared challenges in the regional ecosystems involved. For this action, ECIU University invites researchers to apply the challenge-based approach.
The Programme currently focused on the following 7 research fields:
- Circular Economy
- Citizen Science
- Digital Transformation
- Energy and Sustainability
- Transport and Mobility
- Health and Wellbeing
- Resilient Communities
The DCU Funding per action, per project is:
SP1: € 6,000
SP2: € 11,000
The budget can cover the following cost categories:
SP1
- Travel & subsistence costs
- Training courses fees
- Conference fees
- Events organisation (goods & services)
- Cost for PhD students
SP2
- Travel & subsistence costs
- Consumables (incl. for lab work)
- Events organisation
- Conference fees
- Open science related costs
- Other goods and services
- Cost for PhD students
Research Development and Support contact:
- Interdisciplinary and European Research Development Office: Markos Papadopulos
TORA deadline: 08 Jul 2026
Call deadline: 15 Jul 2026
The John Templeton Foundation offers over $60 million in funding for research across six major funding areas:
- Mathematical & Physical Sciences (prioritising physics beyond the Standard Model and technosignatures utilising advanced AI/ML)
- Life Sciences (focusing on genetics and emergent properties like agency and consciousness)
- Public Engagement
- Character Virtue Development
- Individual Freedom & Free Markets
- Religion, Science, & Society
A major highlight for this cycle is a Foundation-wide Intelligence Venture, which specifically seeks projects that explore the nature of intelligence across biological, synthetic, and artificial systems. The application process follows a strict two-stage review, beginning with a required Online Funding Inquiry (OFI). The deadline to submit the initial OFI is 15 July 2026, after which competitive projects will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Research Development and Support contacts:
- Research Development Officer
- Call Manager: Hannah Leonard
TORA deadline: 30 September 2026
Call deadline: 08 October 2026 (1pm)
Research Ireland, alongside the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), is participating in the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP). CETP supports Irish researchers to develop and strengthen transnational collaborations and accelerate the energy transition towards achieving the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. CETP is a European Partnership co-funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, enabling regional and national funders and organisations to pool resources, leverage knowledge and experience and strategically align priorities to drive a unified response to shared challenges and to meet the ambitious objectives required to transform the energy system across all its dimensions.
The main goals of this joint funded call are:
- Renewable energy technology development, demonstration and integration (for fuels, carbon capture and storage, power, heating, and cooling) and system change (e.g. energy infrastructures);
- Innovation ecosystem fostering capacity building, faster market diffusion, upscaling, replication and enabling of the clean energy transition.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent qualification for at least 3 years by the pre-proposal deadline. The official date is defined as the day, month and year that the degree was conferred i.e., the month and year printed on the official PhD certificate. They must also be a member of the academic staff of an eligible Research Body (permanent or with an active contract that covers the period of the grant).
- Applicants must be an author on at least three international peer-reviewed articles. Only original research publications, and not review articles or other secondary research literature, are acceptable.
- Consortiums must consist of at least 3 beneficiaries from three different member countries. At least two Beneficiary Partners shall be from EU Member States or HE Associated Countries.
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A Q&A session shall take place on 9th September 2026.
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There is a pre-proposal submission deadline 8th October, which is submitted by the consortium’s coordinator. The full application deadline is March 2027. Further information can be found on the CET partnership webpage.
Research Development and Support contacts:
- Research Development Officer
- Call Manager: Martin O’Donoghue
TORA deadline: 16 November 2026
Call deadline: 24 November 2026, 4pm (IST)
The MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call is now open. These are competitive doctoral programmes that respond to knowledge gaps and well-identified needs in various R&I areas across all disciplines, expose doctoral researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors via inter-sectoral mobility and offer training in research-related, as well as transferable skills and competences to ensure long-term employability and enhanced career perspectives of doctoral graduates.
This year, in addition to the regular MSCA Doctoral Networks call, there will be a new RAISE Doctoral Networks for AI in Science call which is a new pilot initiative. This initiative offers additional funding opportunities for projects integrating artificial intelligence in scientific research, as well as for those developing advanced AI tools, systems and methodologies.
Who can apply?
Doctoral Networks are open to international consortia of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations.
- They should include at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and with at least one of them established in an EU Member State.
- On top of this minimum, other organisations from any country in the world can also join.
- Specific conditions apply to Industrial and Joint Doctorates.
Please note that as from 2022, resubmission restrictions have been applied for applications that received a score below 80% the previous year.
All areas of research may be funded and Doctoral Networks can last for up to four years (up to five years in the case of Joint Doctorate project). The duration of each fellowship is between three and 36 months (between three and 48 months in the case of Joint Doctorate fellowships). Each beneficiary must recruit at least one doctoral candidate and can also organise secondments for them anywhere in the world.
An information webinar for the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call has been recorded by the NCP based in Research Ireland and can be found on their YouTube Channel.
If you are a partner on an application, you should submit on TORA 5 working days before the deadline set by the consortium lead.
Research Development and Support contacts:
- Research Development Officer
- Call Manager: Martin O’Donoghue
TORA deadline: TBC
Call deadline: TBC
It is our expectation that caps will be put in place on certain calls in the Erasmus+ 2027 programme. With the increasing volume of applications being submitted under Erasmus+ calls by PIs at DCU, we wish to preempt any internal selection that may become necessary and avoid wasted effort on the part of PIs.
Therefore it is essential if you are considering working towards an application under one of these calls that you make contact with the Research Development and Support team before proceeding.
The 2027 calls will be launched in November so we do not have the details yet, but based on this year's programme, we expect caps to be imposed on the numbers of applications per institution in the following calls:
Capacity Building in Higher Education
Cooperation Partnerships in the fields of School Education, Adult Education, Vocational Education and Training, and Youth
Depending on levels of interest, a selection process might need to be put in place. Advanced knowledge of expected submissions will allow for a more informed selection process.
Research Development and Support contacts:
- Senior Erasmus+ Development Officer Dr Sophie Ball
- Research Development Officer