Applied Partnership Awards (APA)

Applied Partnership Awards — Women's Health

Funds applied women's health research co-designed by researchers and non-academic knowledge users.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Health Research Board (HRB) Applied Partnership Awards – Women's Health 2026 (APA-WH 2026) is a one-off thematic funding cycle administered by Ireland's statutory health research agency, which invests approximately €50 million annually across the health research ecosystem. The programme supports applied women's health research projects co-designed and co-led by a researcher and a non-academic knowledge user, bridging the gap between evidence generation and health system impact. Four priority areas were especially encouraged: Postpartum Mental Health (including Traumatic Births), Endometriosis, Menstruation, and Culturally Sensitive Healthcare including intersectional impacts on women's health.

APA-WH 2026 allocated a total budget of €2 million across approximately ten projects, with individual awards up to €200,000 and project durations of 12 to 24 months. The Lead Applicant–Researcher must be based in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland and at mid-stage or senior stage in their career. The Lead Applicant–Knowledge User must represent an organisation registered in the Republic of Ireland and contribute a minimum 10% co-funding. For-profit entities and individual applicants are ineligible; universities, research organisations, and nonprofits may apply.

The call closed on 1 April 2026, and funding decisions are expected in October 2026, meaning awarded projects will be active from late 2026. This cycle is distinct from the general APA programme, the last general cycle of which ran in 2024. Applications were submitted through the HRB Grant E-Management System (GEMS). Strong proposals will clearly articulate the applied research question, demonstrate genuine partnership between the research and knowledge-user leads, and show a defined pathway to policy or practice impact within the Irish health and social care system.