Investigator-Led Projects (ILP)

Investigator-Led Projects (ILP)

Funds independent investigator teams at Irish host institutions for health and biomedical questions, supporting leadership and practical translational outputs.

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

The Investigator-Led Projects (ILP) scheme is a flagship research funding program from the Health Research Board (HRB) of Ireland, supporting independent investigator-led teams at HRB-recognised Host Institutions to conduct health research across three categories: patient-oriented research, population health research, and health services research. The ILP 2026 cycle committed approximately €12 million to fund a minimum of 27 awards, making it one of the HRB's largest recurring grant programs. The scheme opened August 5, 2025 and closed October 14, 2025; funding decisions are expected June 2026.

The maximum award is €430,000 per project, comprising €330,000 in direct costs plus overhead. Project duration ranges from 24 to 48 months. The lead applicant must hold a permanent post or a contract covering the full award period at an HRB-recognised Host Institution, or must be recognised by the Host Institution as an independent investigator with dedicated office and research space upon award receipt. A suitable track record and evidence of achievement as an independent researcher are required. Solo applicants are not eligible: every application must include a team composed of researchers, knowledge users, and patient-and-public involvement (PPI) contributors. Applications are submitted through the HRB Grant E-Management System (GEMS) at grants.hrb.ie, and Host Institution approval must be obtained before submission to HRB.

The ILP is a recurring scheme with an annual cadence — the prior cycle was ILP 2024, which closed October 2023. The next actionable cycle is ILP 2027, expected to open approximately Q3 2026. Teams planning to apply should engage their Host Institution research office early to confirm institutional recognition status and begin assembling knowledge-user and PPI contributors well in advance of the opening date, as HRB scoring places significant weight on team composition and PPI integration.