Applied Partnership Awards (APA)

Applied Partnership Awards (APA) sits under the Health Research Board in Ireland and funds collaborative applied health research. It brings researchers together with knowledge users such as health service bodies, policy organisations, and charities, so the research question is tied to practice rather than an academic agenda alone. HRB runs the scheme through themed calls, including a 2026 women's health round. The award is a grant of up to €200,000 for 12 to 24 months, from a pool of about €2 million for roughly ten projects. Each proposal needs a Lead Applicant-Researcher and a Lead Applicant-Knowledge User, and the knowledge-user partner contributes at least 10% matched funding. Eligible applicants are universities, research organisations, and non-profit bodies based in Ireland, with both sides rooted on the island and the knowledge-user organisation registered in the Republic of Ireland. The strongest applications pair a clear applied question with a genuine implementation partner and a topic that matches the live theme. In 2026 the focus was women's health, with priority areas spanning postpartum mental health, endometriosis, menstruation, and culturally sensitive healthcare. Teams that can show a practical route to use the findings and a committed knowledge user are best placed.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.