Research Newsletter - Issue 82: Funding Opportunities

The following RIA grant schemes are currently open:

Decade of Centenaries Bursary

This scheme aims to encourage new local research and local history studies (local, national and regional) as a means of recognising the significant contribution of local historians in furthering fields of study relating to the struggle for independence and the civil war period within their communities and is open until 5^th April 2023. For further details see here.

Nowlan Digitisation Scheme

This scheme aims to expand the range of digitised historical sources available through open and free access to researchers, for private study or education purposes and is open until 12^th April 2023. For further details see here.

R.J. Hunter Research Bursary

This scheme provides funding for research on aspects of Ulster History during the period 1500-1800, and will be open until 13^th April 2023. Further details are available here.

Contact: sumona.mukherjee@dcu.ie

As a member of the ECIU network, DCU is pleased to launch the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund (RMF) 2023 which offers grants of up to €5,000 to support research visits to other member institutions across Europe (see full list here).

Participants may apply for travel and associated costs for activities that include, for example:

Strengthening international collaboration opportunities or proposal development
Specific training needs for early career researchers
Knowledge exchange and sharing best practices across institutions.

The RMF is an internal call open to all DCU researchers, PhD students and professional staff supporting research activities across the university. Participants from all disciplines are welcome to apply, with preference given to applications relating to UN SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and ECIU priority areas.

Further information, including the 2023 guidelines and application form, is available here.

Application deadline: Wednesday 10th May 2023 at 5pm

Contact: emma.mcgrath@dcu.ie

The Irish Cancer Society is currently accepting applications for the Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship Programme 2023.

The objective of the Irish Cancer Society Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship Programme is to offer excellent graduates the opportunity to undertake postgraduate training in world class cancer research. These graduates should be of a relevant background, e.g., nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, etc. (this is not an exhaustive list).

This scholarship is specifically intended to fund research that is aligned with the Society’s Strategy (2020-2025) and Research Roadmap. There is scholarship funding available for one applicant of the highest calibre to focus on cancer survivorship. The Irish Cancer Society particularly welcome applications focused on our strategic priorities, e.g., underrepresented communities or childhood, adolescent and young adult cancers.

During the four-year programme, Scholars will undertake general and cancer-specific training while participating in structured PhD programmes, and will have the opportunity to gain experience at an international research institution through a mobility and capacity building element.

Further information, including application guidelines, can be found on the Irish Cancer Society website. Applications can be made through the Irish Cancer Society Gateway Grant Tracker online system.

The deadline for applications is 3pm on Thursday 11^th May 2023.

Contact: helen.burke@dcu.ie

A reminder that the Health Research Board Applied Programme Grants Scheme will close on 6th April. This new scheme launched by the HRB this year will provide funding of up to €2.5M per award for Programmes of between 48 – 60 months, with programmes using novel designs which facilitate shorter, more efficient programmes with earlier results welcome.

This is an excellent opportunity to secure support and funding for larger projects and programmes and/or tie-in with or rework Horizon Europe projects or proposals.

The aim of the scheme is to support a strategic programme of applied research in health and social care that will have an impact on the health and social care of individuals, population health and the health system in Ireland and beyond.

Applications should be made on behalf of a team made up of researchers, knowledge user(s) and PPI contributors.

The objectives of the scheme are to:

Address stated national/EU/global priorities in health, public health or social care under the broad thematic areas listed below
Support high-quality and team-based research which is likely to lead to a step change in practice and/or in outcomes to the health system, population health, or to service users and carers
Tackle an identified problem from a variety of perspectives with a collaborative, complementary and multidisciplinary approach
Use a range of multidisciplinary and methodological approaches
Develop collaborations between researchers and knowledge users with a view to making outputs useable for implementation or informing policy and decision making
Clearly demonstrate how patients, service users and/or carers have been involved and engaged with the programme
Include clear plans for implementation, knowledge mobilisation and dissemination.

Applications should be submitted under one of the following thematic areas:

Health, wellbeing and keeping populations healthy and independent throughout life
Mental health and disability
Social Care and the future of community care
Non-communicable diseases
Resilient and sustainable healthcare systems
Pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial resistance
Digital health and personalised medicine.

Quality permitting, the HRB anticipates awarding a minimum of 5 awards.

Further information can be found on the HRB website.

Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

This call aims to bring together all relevant stakeholders to promote and advance patient safety research in Ireland. The network will provide a forum to debate and determine research priorities, support development of a critical mass of research activity, and increase Ireland’s capacity and capability to conduct and translate high quality, internationally relevant patient safety research.

A key objective is to embed patient safety research and evidence at the core of the health services.

The Patient Safety Research Network should connect all key stakeholder institutions, centres of excellence, professional bodies and their representative researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and other knowledge users with an interest/stake in patient safety research. As a network it should build a sense of community and ‘connect the dots’ nationally. It should position Ireland to engage internationally to ensure it is at the forefront of best international practice when it comes to patient safety research and its application in practice.

A Patient Safety Research Network (PSRN) should facilitate sharing of tools and resources and advance discussions on methodologies. It should support education, awareness and training activities in patient safety research and increase grant applications to existing funding opportunities.

The HRB will provide funding up to a maximum of €625k (inclusive of overheads) over 60 months for a Patient Safety Research Network (PSRN) which much be at least matched by a co-funding commitment (cash contribution) from the Lead applicant team. A single award will be funded, quality permitting.

Examples of the types of activities that might be undertaken by a network to deliver on objectives include:

Strategic: identifying evidence gaps, mapping exercises, research prioritisation, developing a research strategy, considering appropriate actions, projects, or initiatives to be delivered or supported by the network.
Training and Capacity building: establishment of working groups to consider training needs and to advance methodological issues, as well as facilitating other training opportunities – exchange, placements, workshops.
Barriers and Enablers: examining some of the barriers to patient safety research and potential solutions e.g., regulatory issues, other practical challenges. Identifying existing resources and opportunities for economy of scale, e.g., existing training programmes, methodology expertise, datasets.
Networking and Collaboration: Activities could include compiling a database of interested researchers and knowledge users, holding networking and matchmaking events, research to policy/practice fora, or theme specific workshops to bring interested parties together.
Communications, Outreach, and Dissemination: providing a fit for purpose and up-to-date website with relevant resources and supporting all other forms of communication including social media and targeted outreach.

The call closes on the 28th April 2023. Further information can be found on the HRB website.

Contact: helen.burke@dcu.ie

The Marine Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the Ocean Law and Governance call under the Marine Research Programme.

The Marine Institute is seeking applications for a multi-disciplinary, multi-institute programme of research to assist with the progress needed towards a more integrated maritime governance in Ireland in compliance with national, EU and international commitments and policy goals. This involves considering how Irish marine policies and sectoral actors are prepared for challenges deriving from, for example, climate change, biodiversity loss, Brexit, new or impending EU legislation, and other potential developments and uncertainties. The award(s) made under this call should also ensure the continued development and retention of a national pool of expertise able to provide new knowledge, evidence and advice for policymakers to inform and support the long-term governance of Ireland’s maritime area and compliance with EU and international legal and policy commitments (EU, OSPAR, UN, etc.). It is envisaged that this award will build on current and previous work, and take into account both synergies and conflicts that exist in relation to the governance frameworks linked to fisheries and aquaculture production, marine spatial planning, designation and management of new MPAs, and the expansion of the offshore renewable energy capacity.

Research funded under this call should address the following research objectives as outlined in the Guidelines for Applicants and Terms of Reference including:

Fisheries Management in a Post-Brexit World.
Cross-Compliance of Policies and Governance for Multiple Sectoral Activities: Renewable Energy, Sea Fisheries & Sectors Governed under Marine Spatial Planning.
Addressing Legal and Governance Issues in Expanding Ireland’s MPA Network to 30% of our Maritime Area
Implementing the EU Nature Restoration Law – Building Knowledge and Capacity.

The duration of the successful award(s) under this call is expected to be 60 months. The amount of funding available will be a maximum award amount of 1,500,000 Euro. Funding is expected to support a team of up to five researchers (post-doctoral researcher, research assistant, MSc/PhD students, or equivalents) in a consortium of two or three partner organisations. The lead institution must be a Higher Education Institute based in the Republic of Ireland. Partnerships are permissible, with eligible partners being Higher Education Institutes, Research Institutes or Other Public Bodies from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland or elsewhere.

All applications must be submitted through the Marine Institute's online grant management system (RIMS). Details on registration are available in the Guidelines for Applicants. Call close date is 4pm on Thursday, 18th May 2023.

Full details, including details on submitting your application through RIMS are provided in the Terms of Reference and Guidelines for Applicants

Contact: helen.burke@dcu.ie

The Marine Institute is pleased to announce a call for proposals for Post-Doctoral Fellowships of up to four years in duration. We are seeking applications for 10 topics under this call, nine defined topics and one open topic under four specified research themes. Proposals are invited from suitable Research Supervisors at Higher Education Institutions or Public Research Bodies in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Further details including the application procedure are available in the Guidelines for Applicants Post-Doctoral Fellowships 2023.

All applications must be submitted through the Marine Institute's online grant management system (RIMS). Details on registration and links to the system are also available in the Guidelines for Applicants. Further details for each fellowship are available in the Proposal Outline documents.

Please see the latest FAQ Document for further information.

Call close date: 4pm on Tuesday, 18th April 2023. Please email the Research Funding Office (funding@marine.ie) if you have any queries.

Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The MPS Foundation is a global not-for-profit research initiative that aims to shape the future of patient safety and the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and teams.

In 2022, The MPS Foundation awarded 10 research grants between £5,000 and £190,000. 2023 Calls for Expressions of Interest are now open.

This year, the Grant Programme is focussing on funding research into:

the impact of human factors on patient safety, outcomes, and risk
the impact of processes and delivery modes on patient safety, outcomes and risk
the personal and professional wellbeing of healthcare professionals and teams
the impact of digital integration and technology on patient safety, outcomes, and risk
evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning innovations.

Research grants will range from £5,000 up to £200,000, depending on the scale, focus and duration of your proposal.

The MPS Foundation will consider two types of proposals:

proposals with a total budget up to £60,000, or equivalent in local currency, which last between three and twenty-four months
proposals with a total budget between £60,000 and £200,000, or equivalent in local currency, which last between twelve and thirty-six months.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Expressions of Interest opens 1 March 2023
Expressions of Interest closes 17.00 BST 5 May 2023
Shortlisting of Expressions of Interest 8 May - 12 June 2023
Invited to apply 10.00 BST 13 June 2023
Applications close 17.00 BST 10 July 2023
Recipients notified 15 September 2023.

Open to applications from the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.

For more information visit www.thempsfoundation.org

Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The Spencer Foundation are a funding body based in the U.S. that funds education related research. Spencer have a wide range of funding opportunities that run throughout the year that may be of interest to researchers in DCU. Spencer are particularly interested in funding collaborative research teams that draw upon the expertise and perspectives of different disciplines, institutions, practitioners/teachers, families and communities. For more information on the calls please see their recent webinar here. Whilst Spencer are based in the U.S., they do accept, encourage and fund international applications.

Spencer have a number of different calls, however the opportunities that may be of most relevance to DCU researchers are:

Small Research Grants

This call funds education research that is driven by what is relevant and important in the field. Summary points are detailed below:

Funding generally awarded to smaller research projects or pilot research
1-step application process
$50,000 (1-5 years)
Call is open for applications three times per year
Overheads/indirect costs not allowed
Outcome approx. 6-9 months

Call is currently open and closes on the 5th April - see here for details.

Large Research Grants

This call funds education research that is driven by what is relevant and important in the field. Summary points are detailed below:

Funding awarded to longitudinal or resource intensive research
Strong focus on ambitious research projects which are collaborative and engage expertise and perspectives across disciplines, institutions and stakeholders (teachers, communities, students, families, etc.).
2-step application process
$125,000 to $500,000 (1-5 years)
Call is open for applications twice per year.
Overheads (up to 15%) allowed
Outcome approx. 9 months

Call is currently open and closes on the 24th May - see here for details.

Contact: javier.monedero@dcu.ie

The 2023 SEAI National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme Call is opening soon for applications, with Government funding of approximately €20 million available to fund successful project proposals.

As in previous years, this year’s Call will include both an open strand and a thematic strand.

The thematic strand will include key research topics that may cover areas such as heat, wind energy, offshore energy, bioenergy, energy efficiency, behavioural change, transportation, among others.
Applications are also invited to be submitted to the Open Strand, subject to alignment with the overarching programme objectives. It is anticipated the Call will close by the end of May, so start to prepare proposals now.

The 2023 call will be open for applications from all research disciplines, and from public and private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium. It is recognised within the call that accelerating transformative research to deliver Ireland’s clean energy and climate ambitions will require enhanced collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders.

More details can be found on the SEAI website.

Contact: ecaterina.mcdonagh@dcu.ie

Science Foundation Ireland has launched the Industry RD&I Fellowship Programme 2023 which seeks to support academia-industry interactions in order to address industry‐informed challenges. Awards under this programme can be made to academic researchers (at faculty and postdoctoral level) wishing to spend time in industry worldwide through the temporary placement of academic researchers with an industry partner. 

Fellowships can have a duration of between 1 and 12 months if full-time, and between 2 and 24 months if part-time. The maximum SFI contribution to the Fellowship costs is €100,000 direct costs. Please refer to the 2023 Programme Call document.

The first submission deadline (Call A) is 13:00 (Dublin local time) on 13th June 2023. Please check the website for further information.

Contact: Kieran.odwyer@dcu.ie

The sixth call for applications to the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) was launched on the 8th March 2023.

DTIF is seeking investment in the development and deployment of disruptive innovative technologies, on a commercial basis, targeted at tackling national and global challenges. The fund is driving collaboration between our world class research base and industry as well as facilitating enterprises to compete directly for funding in support of the development and adoption of these technologies and seeding a new wave of start-ups.

DTIF Call 6 is a general call and welcomes applications from all sectors. It particularly encourages projects that complement the priority enterprise policy objectives on digital transformation and integrating decarbonisation and net zero commitments, as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. Projects that help to drive the innovation and transformation opportunities that are needed in sectors such as construction are also encouraged. However, all projects will be expected to demonstrate a positive contribution to the sustainability targets in the Climate Action Plan.

The deadline for receipt of applications for Call 6 is 3pm on 31st May 2023 and the eligible applications received will go through a two-stage evaluation process. Check out the website for further details.

Contact: kieran.odwyer@dcu.ie