The objectives of the Research Ireland Public Service Fellowship are to:

• Enhance collaboration of the research community with Government bodies;
• Foster innovation within the Public Sector by supporting research, knowledge exchange and the development and implementation of data-driven and evidence-based approaches;
• Provide the Public Sector with deep technical knowledge in specific areas to enhance service delivery and inform policy-making;
• Deliver the objectives of the Host Organisations as described in the project outlines;
• Enhance the breadth of researcher understanding of the Public Sector.

The Fellowship will be run in collaboration with the following Host Organisations:

• Central Statistics Office 
• Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 
• Department of Culture Communication and Sport 
• Department of Children, Disability and Equality 
• Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment 
• Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment 
• Department of Education and Youth 
• Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 
• Department of Health 
• Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 
• Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht 
• Environmental Protection Agency 
• Food Safety Authority of Ireland 
• Forensic Science Ireland 
• Health Service Executive 
• Irish Prison Service 
• National Cyber Security Centre 
• National Council for Special Education 
• National Disability Authority 
• National Poisons Information Centre 
• National Standards Authority of Ireland 
• Office of Public Works 
• Parliamentary Research Services, House of the Oireachtas 
• Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland 
• State Laboratory 
• The Electoral Commission 

All participating organisations have provided project outlines for applicants to consider. These comprise the background and scope of the project as well as the required researcher expertise and expected project outputs. Proposed timelines associated with each project are also provided.  

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Full details on programme eligibility are available in the call document. In summary, applications will be accepted where the Applicant satisfies the following eligibility criteria: 

• PhD Qualification: Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent qualification at the time of application.  
• Employment Status: Applicants must be a permanent member of the academic staff (“Faculty Researcher”) of an Eligible Research Body (with a contract at the time of application), or a current contract postdoctoral researcher (“Postdoctoral Researcher”) based in an Eligible Research Body at the submission deadline.  
• Under review: Applicants who are currently under review for other Research Ireland Programmes are not eligible to apply. 
• Individuals Holding Existing Fellowship Awards: Specific criteria apply for individuals holding Fellowship awards. For more information, please refer to the call document.  
• Individuals who have previously held a Public Service Fellowship award: Specific criteria apply for individuals who have previously held Public Service Fellowship awards. For more information, please refer to the call document.  

• Narrative CV Template
• SESAME Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions

• Call Launch: 14th January 2026

• Webinar: February 2026 

• Deadline: 16th April 2026, 13:00 Irish local time

• Funding Decision: July 2026

Before applying please download and carefully read the call document. Full details of this application procedure can be found in the call document. 

Applications to this call must be submitted through SESAME, Research Ireland’s online grants and awards management system in advance of the deadline (16th April 2026, 13:00).  

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 management 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. 

As outlined in the call document, researchers applying should refer to the June 2025 version of the Research Ireland Grant Applications Budget Policy. 

An information webinar on the 2026 Call will take place in February 2026. Details will be available here soon.