Full details on programme eligibility are available in the call document.

In summary, applicants should have demonstrated a proven record of internationally recognised research accomplishments and adhere to the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must have held a PhD or equivalent qualification for at least two years at proposal submission.
• Applicants must not be considered an independent investigator.
• Applicants must not hold, or have held, an academic contract (e.g. lecturer, assistant professor, professor, or similar) of greater than, or equal to, 36 months in duration. Teaching-only academic contracts greater than or equal to 36 months in duration are permitted.
• Applicants must not hold, or have held, a significant peer-reviewed, independent research grant, or grant providing similar support to the Research Ireland Pathway Programme. Personal awards, including student, postdoctoral or individual fellowships, travel awards, and bursaries are permissible.
• The applicant must have identified a mentor, who will give advice, co-supervise the PhD student and provide access to laboratory space (where relevant) and related infrastructure for the duration of the award.

• Applicant Narrative CV Template
• Narrative Collaborator Mentor CV Template
• Research Body Candidate Nomination List Template

Please ensure to refer to the most recent version of the programme documentation. Research Offices will be contacted in the event of any updates to the call document.

• 20th February 2026, 13:00 local Irish time: Notification of Research Body’s approved candidates
• 7th May 2026, 13:00 local Irish time: Full-proposal deadline

Institutional Approval

• To be eligible to submit a proposal to the 2026 Call, you must first be approved by the research Office of the host institution in which you wish to carry out your Programme-funded project.
• Research offices of potential host institutions will be expected to instigate a procedure to select candidates for this call.
• Those wishing to apply to the 2026 Call should first contact their intended host institution (details of eligible institutions are available in the call document) informing the Research Office about their identity and credentials, the identity of their chosen mentor, and an outline of their intended research plan.
• In selecting excellent candidates, research bodies should consider the evaluation criteria described in the call document and may consider the strategic vision of the research body, in particular, its plans for the retention and development of internationally competitive faculty and research leaders.

Application Submission

All proposals are to be submitted via SESAME, Research Ireland’s online grants and awards management system.

If accessing SESAME for the first time, researchers should contact their local Research Office to be set up on this system.

Queries on the SESAME system should first be directed to your Institute’s Research Office. If still unresolved, queries should be e-mailed to sesame@researchireland.ie  Please be aware that response time for queries may be up to 5 working days.

A webinar outlining the 2026 Programme Call and its application process will be held shortly after the call launch. Details to follow.