Partnering with Government Departments and Agencies
The Irish Research Council (IRC) is mandated to enrich the pool of knowledge and expertise available for addressing Ireland’s current and future needs, whether societal, cultural or economic, and to deliver for citizens through collaboration and enabling knowledge exchange with government departments and agencies, enterprise and civic society. The IRC works to forge strong connections with government departments and agencies in order to create collaborative calls that will benefit the researcher and policymakers alike. The IRC has a long history of positive joint ventures and strives to expand on this interdisciplinary model of funding.
The IRC is pleased to announce the following forthcoming partnerships in calls opening in September-October 2020:
Creative Ireland will partner with the IRC on the Creative Ireland Programme Research Grants (New Foundations).
The Creative Ireland Programme (funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) is a 5-year initiative which places creativity at the centre of public policy. The Programme is a high-level, ambitious, all-of-government initiative to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation. The core proposition is that participation in cultural and creative activity promotes individual, community and national wellbeing.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will partner with the IRC on New Foundations.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs’ vison is for Ireland to be one of the best small countries in the world in which to grow up and raise a family. They seek to achieve this through creating a unified framework for legislation relating to children across all Departments. This framework was published in 2014 and is called Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The Department also works collaboratively with private and voluntary agencies.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will partner with the IRC on the COALESCE Research Fund.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine works on leading, developing and regulating the agri-food sector, protecting public health and optimising social, economic and environmental benefits. The Department actively supports research and innovation into food, forestry and agriculture; the 2015 Sustainable Healthy Agri-Food Research Plan, for the first time, identified opportunities for research into Sustainable Food Production and Processing for Food Health.
The Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation will partner with the IRC on the Countess Markievicz Postgraduate Scholarship in Female Leadership (Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme).
The scholarship was first announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, at the Countess Markievicz Conference: Celebrating Women Leaders in Ireland in November 2019. In advance of the Conference, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation commissioned a Behaviour and Attitudes survey among 5th year female students, focusing on their ambitions, aspirations and interest in leadership roles, with a focus on politics and public service. The findings of this survey will form the basis of the research by the successful applicant and will inform future policy in the area of women in politics and business under the mentorship and guidance of an Expert Advisory Group which will be established to guide the project.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will again partner with the IRC on COALESCE, New Foundations, and the Andrew Grene Postgraduate Scholarship in Conflict Resolution (Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme).
The Department of Foreign Affairs serves the interests of the Irish people abroad by protecting and promoting Irish values; ensuring maximum impact and influence for the Irish Government in international exchange; and promoting reconciliation, cooperation and economic advancement. The Department published Ireland’s policy for international development, A Better World, Ireland’s new Policy for International Development. Four policy priorities outlined therein encourage interdisciplinary approaches for knowledge generation that will produce rigorous and influential evidence and learning, with a view to impacting at a societal level in partner countries, as part of the implementation of A Better World.
The Department of Justice and Equality will partner with the IRC on New Foundations.
The Department of Justice and Equality works to advance community and national security, to promote justice and equality and to safeguard human rights, in order to achieve a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland. This work is carried out under two pillars: Civil Justice & Equality and Criminal Justice, and each pillar tackles issues of Policy, Legislation, Governance, and Operations & Service Delivery with Immigration Service Delivery located in the Civil Justice & Equality pillar.
The Environmental Protection Agency will again partner with the IRC on the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme.
The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. It operates independently under the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. EPA Research consists of three key pillars: Climate, Water and Sustainability. They also have a strong focus on policy driven by national regulations and European Directives. Policy-related research plays a vital role in ensuring that European Union and national policies are implemented in the most cost-effective manner.
Met Éireann will partner with the IRC on the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme.
Met Éireann’s mission is to monitor, analyse and predict Ireland’s weather and climate and to provide a range of high quality meteorological and related information to its customers. As a scientific and technical organisation, it strives to utilise the latest technological and scientific advances in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy of its forecasts. The agency aims to provide climate information services which promote the safety of citizens and supports economic and environmental resilience. As Met Éireann has an authoritative voice in the community, communication is also an important focus.
Department of Rural and Community Development will partner with the IRC on the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme.
The Department of Rural and Community Development was established in 2017 to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. This is achieved through a number of support systems including a fund supporting rural development, financial and networking support for rural community groups and funding through the Rethink Ireland, set up to support innovative solutions to critical social issues in Ireland.
In 2021, the National Monuments Service (NMS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage launched a revitalised INSTAR programme, INSTAR+, in partnership with the Heritage Council and administered by the Irish Research Council under the COALESCE Research Fund, for 24-month collaborative projects.
The objective of these INSTAR+ awards is to fully realise the potential of Ireland’s archaeological record, transforming our understanding of how Ireland’s society has evolved. The main objective of INSTAR+ is to ensure that the large amounts of archaeological work, previously undertaken in the context of development-led excavations, is translated into knowledge about Ireland’s past.
Further information about each of these partnerships may be found on the relevant call funding pages: