As an organisation that has invested over €1.5 million in a range of epilepsy research projects, we are delighted to announce that our Research Funding Scheme is now open for expressions of interest, in conjunction with the Health Research Board/ Health Research Charities Ireland Joint Funding Scheme (HRB/ HRCI JFS).
This is our 9th Research funding call, having first began investing in research projects in 2009.
Researchers and research institutions - please read the information provided below carefully and ensure that your expressions of interest are submitted by the closing date of the 26th September 2025.
Should you have any queries about this process, please contact our Research Officer, Grace Hallinan by emailing ghallinan@epilepsy.ie.
Key Information
Key Dates
- Deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOI) – 26th September 2025
- Outcome of EOI evaluation (review and feedback from Epilepsy Ireland Review Committee) - 17th October 2025
- Deadline for full applications to HRB (via GEMS) – 26th November 2025, 1:00pm
- Deadline for applicants' responses to international peer reviews - 26th February 2026
- Notification of outcome to applicants – July 2026
- Earliest projects start date – October 2026
Note that above is a selection of key dates – full timeline is outlined below. Dates are subject to change as the process proceeds.
Funding available
Epilepsy Ireland are inviting epilepsy focused research projects of up to a three-year duration. Funding of a maximum of €80,000 per annum are being invited under this call (50% provided by Epilepsy Ireland, 50% provided by the HRB). This represents a 60% increase in the maximum amount compared to previous calls.
Please note - HRB guidance notes makes reference to a maximum award of €300,000 on any one project. For all applications under the HRB/ HRCI scheme made through Epilepsy Ireland, an upper limit of €240,000 over 3 years applies. Please ignore all HRB/HRCI references to a figure of €300,000. You can find out more by downloading the preliminary guidance document at the end of this page.
Eligibility
We strongly encourage all applicants considering submitting an EOI to study the HRB Guidance notes (see end of page) in detail. Particular attention should be paid to the sections on PI eligibility, the scope of the scheme, and Public & Patient Involvement (PPI). PPI is a critical aspect of the final decision-making process and applications that do not include a strong PPI component are unlikely to be approved for funding.
Process
This is a two-stage process consisting of an initial Expression of Interest phase (EOI), followed by invitation to selected projects to submit full applications to the HRB/ HRCI JFS. Further details of the full application process are available in the HRB Guidance Documents at the end of this page.
Research Priorities
For this call, we are inviting proposals that address any of the Top 10 priorities identified by the UK epilepsy community (including people living with epilepsy, families, healthcare professionals, and patient organisations) as part of a comprehensive priority-setting process in 2022 led by our colleagues in the Epilepsy Research Institute UK.
Following a consultation with Epilepsy Ireland service-users and members in recent months, proposals on the following research questions within the Top 10 are particularly welcomed:
- What impact do epilepsy, seizures and anti-seizure medication (ASMs) have on brain health – including cognition, memory, learning, behaviour and mental health?
- What are the causes and contributing factors of epilepsy-related deaths, including Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and how can these deaths be prevented?
- How do hormonal changes in women throughout the lifespan (puberty, pregnancy, menopause) impact epilepsy, and how can this impact be addressed?
All types of research projects e.g. basic science, psychosocial, health services research, digital health, translational etc. are invited.
Application Process and Full Timeline
The closing date for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) is the 26th September 2025 at 5pm. EOIs will be reviewed by the Epilepsy Ireland Research Review Committee and shortlisted projects will be invited to make a full application to the HRB via the GEMS platform before the closing date of 26th November 2025.
The application form for expressions of interest can be downloaded at the end of this page. Completed applications should be sent to Epilepsy Ireland Research Officer Grace Hallinan at ghallinan@epilepsy.ie. All emails received will be acknowledged.
The full timeline for this Research Funding call, and the roles and responsibilities of both Epilepsy Ireland and HRB are outlined below - note the key dates are highlighted in bold.
- HRB - Charity Calls can open - July 2025 onwards
- EI - Launch of calls for expressions of interest - 23rd July 2025
- EI - Close of expressions of interest - 26th September 2025
- EI - Research Review Panel meeting to rank EOIs- 13th - 16th October 2025 (TBC)
- EI - Provide feedback to all EOI applicants - 17th October 2025
- HRB - HRB Application Deadline - 26th November 2025 at 1:00pm
- HRB - Peer Review Deadline - 26th February 2026
- HRB - Applicant Response to peer reviews - 13th March 2026
- EI - EI Final Review Panel Meeting and recommendations - 20th - 25th March (TBC)
- EI - Board confirmation of recommendations - 31st March 2026
- HRB - Charity Endorsement and shortlisting deadline - 3rd April 2026
- HRB - HRB Pre-panel Review - 10th April to 8th May 2026
- HRB - Joint Funding Committee Meeting - Late May 2026
- HRB - HRB Board Decision - Late June 2026
- HRB - Applicant Notification - July 2026
- HRB - Contracts Issued - September/ October 2026
- HRB - Earliest Research Project Start Date - 1st October 2026
Research Review Panel
Membership of our Research Review Panel is currently being finalised and will be updated here when confirmed. The panel will be chaired by Professor Gus Baker. Professor Baker is a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist who has worked at the Walton Centre, Liverpool and the University of Liverpool for 30 years, spending his time equally between clinical practice and research.
Further Information
If you require further information on this call please contact our Research Officer, Grace Hallinan by emailing ghallinan@epilepsy.ie
Further information on HRB/ HRCI JFS – as well as frequently asked questions on the scheme – can be found by visiting the ‘HRCI’ website.
We look forward to receiving expressions of interest and to making new investments in Irish research in October 2026.
Together, we can achieve a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy.