Research Ireland Investigators Programme

This programme supports all disciplines across the full spectrum of endeavour—from curiosity-driven research that generates new knowledge, to applied research that seeks to develop solutions and innovations, including in the social and cultural domains.  

The Programme Call will consider proposals from established and emerging, independent researchers in any discipline seeking to carry out excellent research that delivers on the objectives of the programme.

The objectives of the Programme are: 

• To enable excellent researchers to undertake cutting-edge research to push the boundaries of knowledge 
• To facilitate training and development across all research disciplines, including for PhD and postdoctoral researchers  
• To increase Ireland’s capacity and reputation, and those of its research-performing institutions, for excellent research across all disciplines  
• To support Ireland-based researchers, at all career stages, to leverage success in European and international funding programmes, including the European Research Council  
• To retain and attract excellent research talent to Ireland  
• To support partnerships that further enhance the opportunities for researchers to conduct collaborative research  
• To support innovation in the Irish research system, and promote impact across the social, cultural, economic and environmental domains  

The 2025 Investigators Programme is supported by the following co-funders:

Breakthrough Cancer Research: Breakthrough Cancer Research (Breakthrough) is an Irish medical research charity focused on cancer. We work to significantly impact the number of people who can survive this disease. We invest in world-class research in Ireland and beyond to impact the quality-of-life for people with cancer and save lives. We are particularly focused on improving outcomes for those cancers which are poorly served by current treatment options. In 2022 we launched ‘Making More Survivors’- Our Research Strategy 2022-2027 which sets out how, through research, we plan to significantly impact the survival rates of the poorest prognosis cancers over the next two decades, starting with this five-year strategy. We passionately believe in the power of research to transform cancer care and patient outcomes, having already delivered new treatments. Our focus is on the poorest prognosis cancers, pancreatic, liver, lung, brain, ovarian, gastric and oesophageal cancers. Our aim is to have impact to remove the disparity in cancer survival rates between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cancers. This strategy reflects our ambitious vision to strive for 100% survival for 100% of cancers through cutting-edge patient-focused translational research. New diagnostics, and better, targeted treatments are urgently needed. Building capacity and embedding research into the health system will increase the number of people who survive.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI): SEAI is Ireland’s national sustainable energy authority. SEAI supports Ireland’s transition to a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system by promoting innovation, evidence generation, and the development of cleaner energy solutions. The partnership between SEAI and Research Ireland aims to support excellent scientific research that advances Ireland’s clean energy transition, with particular interest in research aligned to SEAI’s current priority areas:

• Decarbonised Electricity and Smart grids
(onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, marine/ocean energy, grid flexibility, energy storage, system optimisation)
• Heat and Storage and Sectoral Integration
(district heating, thermal and electrical storage, coupling of electricity, heat, and transport systems)
• Energy Security and System Resilience
(diversification of supply, secure and reliable systems, critical materials, cost effective solutions)
• Built Environment Decarbonisation
(energy efficiency, retrofit, low carbon and renewable heat, next generation heating technologies, thermal storage)
• Low Carbon Transport and Mobility
(electrification, modal shift, energy efficient transport systems, integration with the wider energy system)
• Health and Environment
(air quality, community wellbeing, circular economy considerations, sustainable materials, and low‑carbon transport)
• A Just Energy Transition
(energy poverty, affordability, equitable access, social acceptance, citizen and community participation)
• Emerging and Enabling Energy Technologies
(new materials, novel systems, next generation devices, innovative future impact technologies)
• Digital, Data and AI for Energy Innovation

There is no requirement for applicants to indicate specifically that funding through a partnership is sought. Partnership and non-partnership applications to this call will be treated the same, with respect to the review process. Successful applicants will be informed should their application be co-funded.

By submitting an application to the Research Ireland Investigators Programme, an applicant is accepting that Research Ireland has the right to share information (including the application and any post-award reports submitted to Research Ireland) with existing and potential co-funding partners, on a confidential basis, without the need to obtain any further consents from such applicants.

Applicants will have to choose whether they will be reviewed as part of an Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) panel. 

The review process will involve two stages:

• Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EoI)  
• Stage 2: Full Proposal  

The Programme design is driven by feedback from the research community and will account for a high volume of applications across a broad range of research areas.  

Stage 1 is comprised of a short EoI application that consists of Research Idea and Research Plan components. 

The Stage 1 Review Process will assess two criteria: 

• Research Idea: Reviewers will assess clarity, importance/significance, and originality/novelty of the question(s). If gaps in knowledge are being addressed and if the research area is well understood.  
• Research Plan: Reviewers will assess the clarity, importance, originality/novelty of the research aims; clarity, novelty and effectiveness of the research design; quality, novelty and appropriateness of methods/approach. Reviewers will also consider whether aims are feasible based on the proposed objectives and approach.   

The top ranked proposals from Stage 1 will be invited to Stage 2 to submit a full proposal.

Stage 2 will comprise a full application; encompassing sections for applicant, research programme, and potential impact assessment. 

The Stage 2 (Full Proposal) Review Process will assess three criteria: 

• Applicant key achievements and research track record: Reviewers will assess the quality, significance and relevance of the applicant’s key achievements and research track record, as demonstrated in their narrative CV, commensurate with their career stage and research discipline, and taking any periods of leave into account.
• Research Programme: Reviewers will assess the quality, significance and novelty of the research programme. Reviewers will consider points such as: novelty, importance, timeliness of the intended research; communication and description of the research; comprehension of the current state of the art; clearly delineated roles of the team, collaborators and students; suitability and achievability of the programme based on the experience of the applicant(s) and team; appropriate use of the requested budget, the sex and gender dimension; data management etc.
• Potential Impact: Reviewers will review an Impact Statement and from this assess the applicant’s ability to demonstrate the potential impact and value to Ireland. Reviewers will consider points such as: Appreciation of how research may be developed and exploited; realistic and convincing evaluation of the benefits that will result from a successful project; potential to leverage success in European and International funding programmes; areas and fields where impacts are likely to be made. 

Full details on eligibility are available in the Call Document and handbooks. In summary: 

• Applicants must have held a PhD or equivalent qualification for at least three years by proposal submission. 
• Applicants must be independent investigators.  
• Applicants must be hosted by an Eligible Research Body. A list of Eligible Research Bodies is available here. 
• Postdoctoral researchers are not eligible to apply to this call 
• For details on the criteria around the employment status of applicants, please see the Call Document and the Stage 1 Handbook. 
• Further restrictions may apply if the applicants currently hold an SFI/IRC/Research Ireland grant or are under review for another Research Ireland Programme. Please see the Call Document for further details. 

Emerging Investigators 

For the Stage 2 application process only: 

Applicants who are invited to submit a full proposal (Stage 2) for review, can choose to be evaluated as an Emerging Investigator if, in addition to meeting all eligibility criteria, they:  

• Have not previously held a SFI, IRC, or Research Ireland research award of over €500,000 in direct costs;  
• Have had a period of eligible leave from research (e.g., following time spent in industry, statutory maternity leave, statutory adoptive leave, statutory parental leave, statutory paternity leave, carer’s leave, long-term medical illness, conscription).   

Although an applicant may meet the criteria of an Emerging Investigator, there is no obligation to apply under this category. 

At Stage 2, an Emerging Investigator will be assessed alongside and against the same criteria as all other applicants; however, the weighting of the review scores will mean that there is increased emphasis on the quality of the research over the track record. 

An information webinar for Stage 2 of the Investigators Programme is available below:

The webinar slides are available by request by emailing: investigators@researchireland.ie