Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme

Applications to the 2025 Programme Call will support significant infrastructure investments across all disciplines within Research Ireland’s remit. The programme welcomes proposals for substantial resources that enhance research capabilities in diverse fields, recognising the different infrastructure requirements of various research traditions. 

Applications to the 2025 Programme Call will have a minimum budget request of €500,000 direct costs. An additional 10% cash cost share is mandatory in all applications; therefore, the total infrastructure cost must be at least €550,000. There is no maximum budget request. 

The Programme will be run in collaboration with the  Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). 

Research Ireland has a statutory duty to support research excellence and talent across all disciplines spanning the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This expanded remit represents a significant evolution, establishing Research Ireland as a unified agency that can fund across the full spectrum of research endeavour—from curiosity-driven research that generates new knowledge to applied research addressing grand challenges. 

Infrastructure applications may seek to deliver impact across any disciplines within Research Ireland’s remit. The 2025 Infrastructure Programme will consider proposals that demonstrate excellence in any research area that falls within Research Ireland’s legal remit, where applicants can provide compelling evidence for significant potential economic and/or societal impact. 

Applications should aim to address the wider infrastructural needs of Ireland’s research community and demonstrate how the proposed infrastructure would foster research excellence, talent development, and innovation for transformative impact. 

When developing proposals, applicants should consider the interdisciplinary potential of their infrastructure and how it might support diverse research communities. Research Ireland particularly welcomes infrastructure proposals that demonstrate the potential to bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries and that will serve as national assets for the benefit of the wider research ecosystem. 

Primary Objectives 

• To provide Ireland’s researchers with access to cutting-edge infrastructure that enhances high-quality research activities and innovation across all disciplines 
• To facilitate broad usage across Ireland and to foster partnerships and collaboration between diverse research communities; for example, between Universities, Technological Universities, Institutes of Technology, other Eligible Research Bodies, researchers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and between and among STEM and AHSS researchers in Ireland 
• To optimise utilisation and promote long-term sustainability of infrastructure through the development of robust management and access charge plans 

Supporting Objectives 

• To establish Ireland as an attractive destination for the recruitment of world-leading academics 
• To deliver outstanding infrastructure that enables Ireland’s researchers to compete successfully in funding calls coordinated through Horizon Europe and future European Framework Programmes 
• To encourage research partnerships with industry through collaborative initiatives that facilitate industry access to infrastructure 
• To support the strategic development and growth of the Research Ireland Centres 
• To fund infrastructure that supports green transition initiatives and prioritises environmental sustainability 
• To advance national and European Open Science policies and principles and ensure access to an effective digital infrastructure ecosystem 

To be eligible for funding through the Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme, all proposals must align with Research Ireland’s legal remit where there is convincing evidence that there will be significant potential for economic and/or societal impact in Ireland. 

Proposals are invited from individual eligible research bodies or consortia of eligible research bodies for infrastructure requests. Each Research Body must nominate a lead applicant from the Research Body who will have primary fiduciary responsibility and accountability for the management of the infrastructure award. 

The Lead Applicant must be an independent researcher and must have held a PhD or equivalent qualification for at least three years at proposal submission. The official date of a PhD is defined as the year that the degree was conferred (i.e., the year printed on the official PhD certificate).  

The applicant must hold, or have held, a significant peer-reviewed, independent research grant or award. This is typically a multi-annual (≥ 3 years in duration) grant or fellowship that provides support for research costs and may support the salaries and/or stipends of staff/team member(s) in addition to the Applicant.  

For the 2025 Research Ireland Infrastructure call, each eligible Research Body in the Republic of Ireland may submit a maximum of six applications, one application per Lead Applicant employed at that Research Body. Researchers based in Northern Ireland may not act as Lead Applicants in proposals submitted to this call, although they may participate as collaborators. 

Applications to the Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme 2025 call may be associated with host institutions seeking to support Technology Centres and Technology Gateways funded by Enterprise Ireland. Research Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will ensure that Exchequer-based funding is appropriately distributed to Technology Centres and Technology Gateways for the acquisition of new equipment and/or other infrastructure.

Research Ireland and Enterprise Ireland do not expect applications for the same infrastructure to be submitted to this call and to any future equipment calls coordinated by Enterprise Ireland in 2025; both agencies will work together to ensure that no applicant institution may seek, or be provided funding for, the same item(s) through these calls. 

Prospective lead applicants must first contact the Research Office of the intended lead Research Body and notify them of their intention to submit a proposal. Applications should only be submitted to Research Ireland where it is clearly demonstrated that appropriate funding and resources are in place to ensure maximum usage of the requested infrastructure. 

It is the responsibility of the Research Body to carry out selection processes to determine which proposals are put forward for submission. Should a lead applicant withdraw from the process prior to the full proposal deadline, the Research Body may nominate a replacement candidate. 

Application Process Overview 

Expression of Interest (Microsoft Forms Submission): 

• Applicants selected by their Research Body must use the Microsoft Forms template to submit an Expression of Interest to Research Ireland before the deadline of 13:00 Dublin local time, 23rd June 2025.
• A member of the Research Office staff must provide Research Ireland with a single Microsoft Word document that consists of a cover sheet and infrastructure summary tables for all proposed applications from their institution. This document must be sent to Research Ireland by email (infrastructure@researchireland.ie). Research Ireland will review the cover sheet and invite eligible applicants to submit an Expression of Interest using the dedicated Microsoft Forms template. All Expressions of Interest must be submitted no later than 23rd June 2025, 13:00 local Dublin time. To ensure that there is adequate time for applicants to complete their submissions after receiving invitations, Research Office staff should aim to submit cover sheet to Research Ireland as promptly as possible.
• The template for the Expression of Interest and Cover Sheet is provided on this page.

Full Proposal Submission: 

• Full proposals will only be accepted through SESAME, Research Ireland’s grants management system, and only upon invitation following the successful assessment of an Expression of Interest. 
• Proposals must be submitted online through SESAME to Research Ireland by the Research Office of the Lead Applicant’s Research Body no later than 31st July 2025, 13:00 local Dublin time. 
• No extensions to this deadline will be permitted under any circumstances.

All proposals are to be submitted via SESAME. If accessing SESAME for the first time, researchers should contact their local Research Office to get access to the system. 

For more information, view the SESAME User Guides and FAQs on the Research Ireland website. 

Queries on the SESAME management system should first be directed to your Institute’s Research Office. 

A webinar providing an overview of the Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme 2025 Call – including details of the application process, budgetary considerations, and guidelines for the preparation of the Access Charge Plan (ACP) – was held on Wednesday, 11th June 2025, at 15:00 (Irish local time).

You may view the recording of the information webinar below.