National

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

SFI is the largest funder of research at NUI Galway, and one of the most prominent, national funders of scientific research in Ireland. Founded in 2000, with the remit to use biotechnology and ICT to provide a foundation for future economic growth, it currently commits approximately €200m per year to basic and applied science. 

In terms of specific funding opportunities, SFI provides for independent investigators to conduct highly innovative, collaborative research, through Frontiers for the Future (FFP) Awards, and opportunities for high risk, high-reward research projects through FFP Projects. It also provides a number of funding supports to foster collaborations between academic researchers and relevant industry partners. Specific conditions apply to each of these programmes, but they can support researchers at a number of career stages and include Research, Development & Innovation Fellowships, Strategic Partnerships and US-Ireland R&D Partnerships.  Also, in pursuit of their commitment to public engagement initiatives, the Foundation runs SFI Discover, which provides funding to researchers who want to undertake a programme of public or civic engagement arising out of their research within academia. To access full information on all of SFI's currently active funding calls, please click here.

Enterprise Ireland (EI)

Enterprise Ireland  is the state agency responsible for supporting the development of manufacturing and internationally traded services companies. They provide funding and supports for companies - from entrepreneurs with business propositions for a high potential start-up through to large companies expanding their activities, improving efficiency and growing international sales.

Click here and scroll down to see the funding and supports for college based researchers to assist in the development, protection and transfer of technologies into industry via licensing or spin-out companies.

Irish Research Council (IRC)

The Irish Research Council is an associate agency of the Department of Education and Skills, which operates under the authority of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The IRC provides funding for researchers at the postgraduate, postdoctoral and Principal Investigator career stages. This funding is distributed through schemes such as the Laureate Awards, Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships, and Pathway, a joint funding programme that the IRC runs in partnership with Science Foundation Ireland. IRC also provides other, smaller-scale funding streams, particularly in the interests of facilitating the exchange of academic ideas and expertise. These include the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Awards, Ulysses, and the IRC-Sprint Networking Grant. 

Full details of the IRC's funding programmes are made available on this page of their website.

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) leads the sustainable development of the agri-food, forestry and marine sector and optimises its contribution to national economic development and the natural environment.

DAFM Research Programme is comprised of a suite of the following five strands:

Thematic Research Strand: Launched periodically, this strand covers experimental research under broad thematic, cross-cutting and mission-orientated approaches to key RDI challenges. Co-funding with other agencies is a feature of this programme.

International Outreach Strand: By facilitating participation in relevant competitive calls operated trans/inter-nationally, this strand enables researchers in Irish RPOs to leverage expertise, data, and other infrastructure not readily available in Ireland and help embed them in multi country consortia that are better placed to compete under large non-Exchequer funded Calls.

Strategic Studies Strand: This strand is designed to provide a more flexible funding vehicle capable of addressing mainly policy issues more rapidly whilst still requiring scientific rigour.

Industry Focused Strand: This comprises two industry-oriented initiatives:

• Research Plus, which aims to bring completed or near completed DAFM funded projects to a point where they are eligible for funding under programmes operated by other organisations in particular EI’s Commercialisation Programme.

• Innovation Platform, will facilitate industry-led, higher TRL level, 5-year collaborative research with RPOs with mandatory industry co-funding of 30%.

Coordination and Support Activities: This strand is used on an on-going basis to fund relevant miscellaneous ancillary coordination and support type activities relating to research undertaken by DAFM-funded RPO based researchers as deemed appropriate.

The Department will also frequently release Requests for Tender, which are more funder-directed research funding streams, as well as Joint funding calls on specific topics in partnership with other, usually European, funding agencies. 

DAFM does not keep a centralised webpage for all of its funding opportunities, but the Research Office will update its Calls by Deadline page on this site when a DAFM-relevant call is announced. A second source of information is available at the press releases section of the Department's website. 

Marine Institute

The Marine Institute (MI) is a state agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland.

At the Marine Institute they carry out research, stimulate, fund and coordinate marine research and innovation programmes to support the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resources.

The Marine Institute provides funding for marine related projects under the Marine Research Programme.

Funding is provided under a number of programmes including the Cullen Felloship Programme,  Shiptime Programme, Post-Doctoral Fellowships, Project-Based Awards, Networking and Travel Awards and the National Infrastructure Programme (NIAP).

Please click here for information on all the various funding programmes.

Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. They play key roles in environmental regulation, provision of knowledge and advocacy for the environment. EPA Research funding is provided under its four interconnected hubs:

• Addressing climate change evidence needs
• Facilitating a green and circular economy
• Delivering a healthy environment
• Protecting and restoring our natural environment

EPA Research funding is principally provided via the competitive annual EPA Research calls. The annual EPA Research call is announced between April and June each year with awards made in November/December. This funding is aimed at:

Addressing medium to longer-term policy needs with desk studies, medium-scale, large-scale and capacity development projects funded using top-down (where specific research questions have been identified) and bottom-up (open calls) approaches; and Capacity building with the funding of research fellowships

For current funding opportunities at the EPA please see here.