Funding Opportunities

Investigator-Led Clinical Trials (ILCT) Programme 2025 (previously DIFA) (HRB)
The ILCT Programme supports research that addresses questions of direct relevance to the improvement of patient care, health of the public and health services and that has strong potential to have immediate use for decision makers in everyday clinical practice or policy.
Available funding: Max of €430,000 for Feasibility Studies & €1,300,000 for Definitive Interventions.
Process: Rolling call up until 17th Oct 2025
Details can be found here.

Worldwide Cancer Research
They are looking for fundamental, discovery research projects that seek to answer a specific question, relating to any cancer type. These projects should be discrete and standalone, investigating prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. They are looking for innovative research projects that take an intellectual risk and have the potential to start a new line of research. Applicant must be employed at a recognized non-profit research institution (yes – RCSI qualifies!) and have at least three years of postdoc experience.
Process: One-stage application
Deadline: 31st March (or if they reach their cap of 500 applications).
Details can be found here.
If you are based within the RCSI please contact ORI, the Sponsorship Office sponsorship@rcsi.ie (if there is patient recruitment), the RCSI Data Science Centre data@rcsi.ie (for study design, analysis and reporting)

Secondary Data Analysis Projects (SDAP)
The SDAPs are designed to bring together researchers, knowledge users and data controllers to develop research projects that answer policy and/or practice-relevant questions through the use of secondary data. The proposed research should be explicitly linked to the documented evidence needs of the knowledge user organisation. The project duration is 36 months or up to 42 months if developing a tool.
Available funding: €350,000
Process: This is a 2-cycle call. Cycle 1 has opened on 3rd Feb 2025 (Cycle 2 will open in Sept 2025)
Deadline: 30th May 2025 1pm.
Details can be found here.

IHI (innovative health initiative) call 9 – piloting a novel, applicant driven approach
IHI call 9 invites applicants to identify opportunities in the IHI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and turn them into proposals for IHI projects [Exec Director N Blomberg: We expect that this applicant-led approach will deliver transformative projects exploring areas of health research that we haven’t looked at so far ].

Topics: 5 Specific Objectives (SOs):

• Topic 1 (SO1): Boosting innovation for a better understanding of the determinants of health
• Topic 2 (SO2): Boosting innovation through better integration of fragmented health R&I efforts
• Topic 3 (SO3): Boosting innovation for people centred integrated healthcare solutions
• Topic 4 (SO4):Boosting innovation through exploitation of digitalisation and data exchange in healthcare
• Topic 5 (SO5):Boosting innovation for better assessment of the added value of innovative integrated healthcare solutions

Applicants have to identify the right industry partners and ensure that half of their project’s costs are covered by in-kind contributions from IHI’s industry members and (if relevant) IHI contributing partners.
Process: Single-stage call
Deadline: 29th Apr 2025 4pm (Irish time)
Details and further links here.

IHI call 10 – digital labelling of medical technologies; the European Health Data Space; and PFAS in the healthcare sector.

Topics:

• Topic 1: Digital label: one source of comprehensive information for medical technology products
• Topic 2: Enabling and safeguarding innovation in secondary use of health data in the European Health Data Space (EHDS)
• Topic 3: Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure, emissions, and end of life management in the healthcare sector

Deadlines: Short proposal 23rd Apr 2025 4pm (Irish time), full proposal 14th Oct 2025 4pm (Irish time)
Details can be found here.

EU – Pre-commercial procurement for environmentally sustainable, climate neutral and circular health and care systems (HORIZON-HLTH-2024-CARE-14-01)

This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination 4 “Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality health care”. As every step in health and care delivery has a role in reducing its environmental footprint, the topic can support any of the different dimensions and needs for the greening of the healthcare sector.
Process: Single stage application
Details are here.
Single stage application – deadline: 26th Nov 2025 @ 4pm Irish time

European Research Council – Advanced Grant for active researchers with a track record of significant research achievements.
Details can be found here.
Available funding: Up to €2.5 million for a period of 5 years (pro rata for a shorter duration)
Submission deadline: 28th Aug 2025

US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership Programme (HRB)
The Partnership Programme aims to generate discoveries and innovations which will lead to enhancements in health, disease prevention and healthcare. Applicants: The application must have a minimum of one applicant from each of the three jurisdictions (Rep IRE, NI, US); however, significant participation by researchers in all jurisdictions must be demonstrated in the application. | Available funding: Up to €700.000. | Process: – Intention to submit: Rolling call with 10 weeks in advance of the full proposal deadline at NIH.  Almost final full application: Six weeks in advance of the relevant NIH deadline. | More info here.

Breakthrough Cancer Research
Breakthrough Cancer Research funds researchers with projects that aim to improve cancer care and survival. Patient focused and/or clinically linked and translational ideas are favoured. Individual project grants can be sought and the process is different depending on the level of funding sought. Their Scientific Advisory Board discuss potential awards at various intervals during the year, so it is advised to make informal inquiries before applying to research@breakcancer.ie

Above is not an exhaustive list of calls available but a selection which may be relevant to your research.

HRB calls to be launched later this year (check the HRB website):

1. All Ireland NCI Cancer Consortium Call: Launch July
2. Investigator-Led Projects: Launch August – closure October
3. Cancer Trials in Ireland Call: Launch Q3
4. Clinical Trials Network Call: Launch Q3
5. Clinical Research Facilities Call: Launch Q3

EU calls to be launched within the next few months

These are in an advanced draft stage (only small changes might be done before the launch (RIA = Research and Innovation action; CSA = Coordination and Support Action; IA = Innovation Action):

Implementation of the Cancer Mission (Opening 06 May 2025; Deadline 18th Sep 2025) (check the HRB website/EU funding):

1. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-01: Sustained collaboration of national and regional cancer funders to support the Cancer Mission through translational research (CSA)
2. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-02: Understanding the effects of environmental exposure on the risk of paediatric, adolescent and AYA cancers (RIA);
3. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03: Innovative surgery as the cornerstone of interventions benefitting cancer patients with locally advanced metastatic disease (RIA);
4. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-04: Investigator-initiated multinational early stage innovative clinical trials for paediatric cancer (RIA);
5. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-05: Pragmatic clinical trials to enhance the quality of life of older cancer patients (≥65 years) through nutrition (RIA)
6. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-06: Support to the network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (CSA)

EU Cancer projects tool available now. It showcases projects funded via the EU4Health and Horizon Europe programmes and highlights synergies between projects https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/visualisation/cancer-projects-tool_en