Research Ireland Discover Programme

The Research Ireland Discover Programme Call is open to a wide range of people and organisations.

Applications must be submitted by organisations based in the Republic of Ireland (see Call document for further details). Organisations may partner with groups internationally. Organisations are defined in the Discover Programme Call Terms and Conditions, and in line with the Research Ireland Eligible Research Bodies Policy, available here.

Funding for Research Ireland Centres, Co-Centres or Strategic Partnerships is restricted. Team members from any of these entities who propose to submit an application to the Discover Programme Call must first complete and submit a proposal overview form. The form is available in the Download section on the Discover Programme Call web page. Written confirmation in the form of an email from the Research Ireland Discover Programme Call Manager to confirm eligibility in advance of the submission of an application is required. It is recommended that you complete and submit this short form as soon as possible AND before commencing your application.  Forms must be submitted to discover.programme@researchireland.ie by 13.00 (Irish time) 28th May 2026 at the latest. Failure to complete the above step may result in your application being deemed ineligible.

Research Ireland has a list of Eligible Research Bodies – check list of Eligible Research Bodies here.

If your organisation is included on this list, then your application must be stamped and signed off by the appropriate officer (typically the Research Office) within your organisation using the Eligible Research Body Cover Sheet available on SESAME, Research Ireland’s online grants and awards management system.

Applications are also welcome from other bodies (i.e. any organisation not included on the above list). There are two categories of other bodies which can become eligible for the Research Ireland Discover Programme Call 2026:

1. State Body (e.g. city or county council)

To become eligible for the Research Ireland Discover Call 2026, your application must be stamped and signed off by the appropriate person (senior executive) within your organisation using the “Other Bodies – State Body” Cover Sheet available on SESAME. A senior executive within the organisation is required to sign the cover sheet to indicate the organisation’s support for the application. 

2.    Other Body (i.e. not an Eligible Research Body or a State Body)

To become eligible for the Discover Call 2026, applicants in this category are required to:

• complete the Strategic Eligibility Form available on SESAME, providing details of the organisation’s status, registration number, auditors, solicitors, and bankers
• provide details of the organisation structure detailing positions and names of post holders
• provide a copy of the most recent annual report (if appropriate, i.e., if your organisation is required to publish an annual report). If your organisation is not required to publish an annual report, please complete, and sign confirmation of no annual report (available to download on SESAME)
• provide a signed copy of the most recent Audited Financial Statements (if applicable)
• provide the completed and signed Letter of Solvency (available to download on SESAME)
• provide the completed and signed Declaration of Bona Fides (available to download on SESAME). 

If you have any doubt about your organisation’s status, please email discover.programme@researachireland.ie for clarification.  This must be done in good time before the closing date (minimum seven days) to ensure that your application can be completed and submitted before the deadline

SESAME will be available on the 1st of May, 2026.

Applications must be submitted via SESAME which requires log-in details.

• If you are already registered on SESAME, you can log in using the same email address; following that you will be required to enter a verification code which will be sent directly to your email address once you enter your user name and password.  This email will come from noreply@ResearchIreland.ie and contain the code. If you do not receive this email within 5 mins, please check your spam/junk folder. Please enter the verification code and click Remember this device – your device will be remembered for 30 days. If you have any issues with logging in, please email sesame@researchireland.ie Please note, this mailbox is monitored for log in issues only.

• If you have forgotten your password, you can use the Forgot Password functionality to re-set it.

• If you are from an Eligible Research Body but not registered on SESAME, you should contact the Research Office in your institution to be registered.

• If you are from an Other Body and have not previously been registered with SESAME, please email the following information to discover.programme@researchireland.ie:

• Project Lead Name
• Email address
• Registered Company Name
• Legal Status: (e.g. company limited by guarantee, limited company, charity etc.)
• Trading Name
• VAT Number

A SESAME profile will be created for you and log-in details will be emailed to the email address provided.

SESAME is accessed using the Internet; no additional software needs to be installed. You can access SESAME online from any location. The configuration of some browsers and internet infrastructure (pop-up blockers, firewalls, etc.) can restrict an individual’s access to the internet and as a result to the SESAME system.  If you are having any such difficulties, please contact your organisation’s IT support team.

Draft applications may be amended as many times as required but once submitted no further changes can be made.

Once submitted, applications cannot be withdrawn and subsequently modified for re-submission in the same Call.

Early submission in SESAME is strongly recommended. Applicants who wait until shortly before the close of the call take serious risk of encountering submission issues. The “Submit” button will cease to be active at the indicated deadline and no late entries will be accepted.

A checklist of requirements is provided at the end of the Call document. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that eligible proposals are received by Research Ireland on, or before, the deadline indicated. In order to safeguard against ineligibility, applicants are reminded to adhere rigorously to the guidelines in the Call documentation and to review the proposal document prior to submission.

An information webinar will be available shortly, details to follow. 

• Read the Call Document and main body of the application form in full before you start to answer any questions – this will ensure that you are fully aware of what you are being asked to do and will help you to avoid duplication in your answers.
• Remember that the word count is a limit not a goal – not all projects are the same and therefore we encourage you to address each question as succinctly and relevantly as possible for your project.
• Keep in mind that the reviewers who read your proposal are experts, but you should make sure that your proposal is clear and can be valued by someone who is not as familiar with the proposal as you are.
• As reviewers are international in this process, ensure that you clearly introduce any acronyms included in your proposal, and upload a glossary to SESAME.
• Be ambitious but also realistic. Promises that cannot be fulfilled within the time, budget or the chosen approach affect the credibility of the application.
• Make sure you have clearly identified the need for this project/initiative and are aware of similar projects/initiatives that have been funded in the past.  Reference how you will build on best practice.