Research Ireland Statement

Research Ireland acknowledges the open letter and the engagement it reflects. A research community willing to challenge, question and advocate for its disciplines is a healthy one, and we take the concerns raised seriously. We offer the following response in a spirit of openness, partnership and shared commitment to Ireland’s research and innovation system. 

We want to be clear about what our strategy contains and to set out the concrete actions we are taking to support the entire research community, including Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) research. 

The Research Ireland Strategy 2026–2030 sets out a plan to build an internationally renowned research and innovation system that delivers for the prosperity and wellbeing of the people of Ireland, realising the vision initiated by Government through the creation of the agency. 

Delivering such a system requires investment in excellent research and innovation across the full spectrum of disciplines, at every career stage. It requires support for both discovery-led research and research that helps shape Ireland’s economic and societal future. These priorities are not in competition with one another; they are complementary and all are essential to a strong and balanced research ecosystem. 

The Research Ireland Strategy 2026–2030 contains explicit and structural commitments to discovery research, investigator-led funding and investment across all disciplines. These are not aspirational statements; they are policy commitments, supported by defined minimum investment thresholds. 

The strategy establishes a guaranteed minimum investment floor across investigator-led programmes for AHSS, protecting the level of funding that existed when the agency was established. Importantly, this is a floor, not a ceiling. 

The strategy also explicitly recognises that AHSS research can be a distinctive national strength for Ireland and has a critical role to play across all three of our impact themes: Talent, Economy and Society. It is in this context that programmes are being reviewed to ensure researchers from all disciplines can apply. This approach will provide greater consistency, transparency and opportunity for researchers as they build their careers. 

We also want to respond constructively to a number of concerns and interpretations raised in the open letter, and to clarify how these issues are addressed within the strategy. 

The letter expresses concern that all research may be required to demonstrate economic utility to receive funding. The strategy does not introduce such a requirement. Investigator-led programmes will be assessed based on research excellence, supported by rigorous peer review. 

The letter also raises concerns regarding the extent of consultation undertaken during the development of the strategy and more recently related to programme plans. Since February 2026, Research Ireland has conducted more than 20 engagement sessions, including seven in-person AHSS-focused events across the country and two national webinars attended by more than 700 participants. We have met with and listened to the concerns of the Irish Humanities Alliance, IFUT, AMLÉ and PWO representatives. We recognise that meaningful engagement is an ongoing process, and we are committed to continuing and deepening that dialogue as implementation progresses. 

We understand that the publication of the strategy and programme plan has generated genuine concern within parts of the AHSS community. We take those concerns seriously. Our commitment is to continue working in partnership with researchers, institutions and representative bodies to ensure that the strategy delivers for all disciplines. 

Building an internationally renowned research and innovation system also requires strengthening the capacity of our higher education institutions to support excellence in research and innovation. Alongside identifying and supporting outstanding researchers, we must foster excellent research environments and more sustainable research careers. As implementation progresses, we are working with the sector to identify the most effective mechanisms to achieve these goals. 

Ireland is fortunate to be in a position where research investment is growing, reflecting increasing recognition of the contribution that research and innovation make to our economic and societal future. For clarity, and to address concerns directly: 

• There have not been, and are no reductions planned in funding for PhD researchers. 

• There have not been, and are no reductions planned in research funding for any discipline, including AHSS, or for discovery research. 

• Funding will continue to be allocated based on excellence and peer review, with oversight provided by Research Ireland. 

We are open to co-designing programme calls, funding mechanisms and assessment criteria with the research community. The strategic framework is the right one for Ireland and, within that framework, there is significant scope for the AHSS community to help shape how commitments are translated into practice. 

The following actions are already being progressed to strengthen engagement with the AHSS community and to support the successful implementation of the strategy: 

• The Advisory Council provided for in legislation will be established as a matter of priority. 

• A dedicated roundtable of Deans of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences from across the higher education sector will be convened on a regular basis to inform how the agency strengthens support for these disciplines. 

• An AHSS expert will be appointed on secondment from a higher education institution to advise directly on the implementation of AHSS research across Research Ireland programmes. 

• A major societal initiative, led by the AHSS community, will be accelerated. An early consultation plan will be published, and the Deans’ Roundtable will play a central role in its development. 

• The Minister will meet with the Research Ireland Board to discuss the strategy and the importance of implementing it in a way that supports research and innovation across all disciplines. 

Ultimately, the value of this strategy will be determined not by what is written, but by how it is implemented. Success will depend on how key commitments are translated into funding mechanisms and on meaningful engagement, particularly with the researchers who drive Ireland’s research system and the institutions which underpin it. 

We welcome the opportunity to meet with researchers and representative groups across all disciplines, especially from the AHSS. We are committed to working together to achieve the best outcomes for these scholars, for Ireland’s research system, and for the people it ultimately serves. If you would like to speak directly with Research Ireland, please contact us info@researchireland.ie.