New Foundations

The New Foundations Scheme 2023 Strand Information Webinar took place on Zoom on Weds, 3 May. Please click here to view a recording.

The FAQ document can be downloaded from the side bar at the top of this page.

Please note the  key dates and deadlines for the call:

Applicant Deadline: Tues, 6 June at 4pm (inclusive of endorsement form from the civic society partner on Strands 1A and 4)

Research Office Endorsement Deadline: Tues, 13 June 2023 at 4pm 

Overview

New Foundations is a key driver in progressing our strategic priorities by enabling awardees to pursue research, networking or dissemination activities within and across the diversity of disciplines. The scheme provides support for:

• research actions;
• the development of networks and consortia;
• conference and workshop development; and
• capacity building for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Since 2015, over 250 community, voluntary and charity organisations have engaged across our programmes with 423 funded projects and an associated investment in excess of €8,375.000 million.  Through partnerships with researchers, diverse community organisations can bring new evidence and insights to enhance their services and impact for those that need them. The scheme also includes strands supported by government departments and agencies. In each of the past three years, a dedicated strand of the call has provided opportunities for researchers to work on important areas of policy, including global development, crime, creativity and children.

Strands

This year, the call features an open strand together with five strands run in partnership with government departments and agencies. These six strands are summarised below with further detail included in the call document.

Strand 1a: Enhancing Civic Society 

Supporting small, discrete collaborative projects between researchers and civic society groups in the community and voluntary sector. These awards will be 9-12 months in duration up to a maximum value of €12,000.

Strand 4: ‘A Better World’ New Foundations Awards in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (Irish Aid)

Networking awards to form consortia for prospective global north-south research partnerships focused on areas of strategic importance to Ireland’s Policy for International Development. These awards will be 9 months in duration up to a maximum value of €10,000.

Strand 4b: Education for Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development New Foundations Awards in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (Irish Aid), the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Supporting research, networking and collaboration for the purpose of increasing public awareness and understanding of issues such as climate change, hunger, global inequality and injustice. These awards will be 12 months in duration up to a maximum value of €10,000.

Strand 10: Exploring Policing and Community Safety New Foundations Award in partnership with the Policing Authority

Supporting a collaborative project between researchers and community organisations to inform evidence based policy and strategies in relation to policing and community safety. This award will be 9 months in duration up to a maximum value of €15,000.

Strand 15: ‘Social Enterprise Impact’ New Foundations Award  in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development

Supporting research seeking to improve understanding of the scale of social enterprise in Ireland and to measure their impact through Policy Measure 24 of the National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland 2019 – 2022: Developing mechanisms to measure the social and economic impact of social enterprises across the full spectrum of social enterprise. Awards will be 9 months in duration up to a maximum value of €20,000.

Strand 16: ‘‘Competition and the electric vehicle charging market in Ireland’ New Foundations Award in partnership with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission 

Supporting research seeking to analyse the structure of the public electric vehicle charging market in Ireland and any barriers to entry or barriers to its effective operation. Awards will be 9 months in duration up to a maximum value of €15,000.

 

Eligibility

• Applicants must be based at an eligible higher education institution (HEI) or research-performing organisation (RPO) in Ireland.
• Applicants must hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants must, on the call deadline, hold a contract of sufficient duration with
  their eligible HEI or RPO to carry out the proposed research from the project start
  date until the project end date.
• Applicants may only make one application to the scheme in a given year.
• While postgraduate scholars are not eligible to apply, their involvement in the
  proposed projects is encouraged.
• Note there are additional eligibility criteria specific to each strand (see
  Appendices), and the research project must address the required thematic focus
  of the respective strand.

Key dates

 

PLEASE NOTE: This year the call will run on the Irish Research Council Smart Simple portal. All applications will be required to be endorsed on the online system by the Research Office deadline of 13 June 2023 at 4pm.

 

Please consult the Call Document at the top of this page for further details about the call, strands and eligibility criteria. The IRC PI-led Terms and Conditions apply in conjunction with the call document, the letter of offer if successfully awarded funding and the Irish Research Council’s policies and procedures.

Please submit FAQs to newfoundations@research.ie