EPSRC – Research Ireland Joint Funding

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Research Ireland have an established agreement to welcome, encourage and support research applications that cut across national boundaries involving collaborative teams led by researchers from the UK and Ireland. This Partnership supports joint research and technology development in all areas of EPSRC’s remit which covers chemistry, engineering, information and communications technologies, materials, mathematical sciences and physics. 

Under the lead agency agreement, a single joint proposal from applicants in both countries is submitted to EPSRC. The application is processed according to the normal procedures of EPSRC Standard Research Grants. Successful UK-based research groups will be funded by EPSRC and Republic of Ireland (ROI)-based research groups will be funded by Research Ireland. 

Joint applications to this programme are accepted at any time. Joint applications should follow standard EPSRC format, but applicants should review the following guidance documentation carefully for specific instructions regarding additional information and documentation that must be included. 

• Except where indicated otherwise, joint applications should follow standard EPSRC format. 
• The title of all applications submitted under this partnership must begin with “EPSRC – Research Ireland: ” 
• A single joint proposal should be submitted to EPSRC via the UKRI Funding Service (TFS) under the funding call ‘EPSRC responsive mode working with overseas scientists’. 
• UK applicants should be designated as project lead and project co-leads and the ROI applicants designated as project partners (but the ROI applicants will have the equivalent role of co-leads and will be reviewed by EPSRC as such). 
• A section on the ROI applicant(s) must be included in the Applicant and team capability to deliver section of the application. 
• The total direct costs requested by the ROI applicants from Research Ireland should be included in the TFS application as a project-partner contribution. A maximum request of €500,000 direct costs for durations of 12-60 months will apply to the total ROI budget. An additional contribution to overhead costs will also be made.  The resources and cost justification section must include a section on the costs requested by the ROI-based research groups, making it clear which costs will be funded by Research Ireland and which costs will be funded by EPSRC if the application is successful. 
• The Application Form and associated documents described in the guidance documentation must be included in the TFS application as a single PDF attachment. 

Please note: Currently the guidance documents and templates refer to Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), but grants for successful applications will be issued by Research Ireland. The guidance documents will be updated in the near future to correctly refer to Research Ireland.

The usual eligibility criteria apply for EPSRC applicants. To receive support from Research Ireland, the ROI partner(s) must be based at an institution eligible for Research Ireland support. 

Additionally, the ROI co-lead(s) must hold a PhD or equivalent and be a member of the academic staff of an eligible Research Body (permanent or with a contract that covers the period of the grant) or a Contract Researcher with a contract that covers the period of the grant, who is recognised by the eligible Research Body as an independent investigator and will have an independent office and research space at the host eligible Research Body for which he/she will be fully responsible for at least the duration of the grant. The ROISFI co-lead(s) must also have the capability and authority to mentor and supervise team members.