Investigator-Led Clinical Trials (ILCT) Programme

Investigator-Led Clinical Trials is the Health Research Board's clinical-trials programme in Ireland, replacing the older DIFA route. It funds definitive intervention trials and feasibility studies, with room for embedded trial-methodology sub-studies, and it includes a separate budget envelope for cancer-specific trials. The programme runs three cycles a year and uses a single-stage application through GEMS. Feasibility studies can go to €430,000, definitive interventions can go to €1.3 million, and the overall award range spans 12 to 60 months. Applicants need mid-stage or senior-stage experience in intervention research and institutional approval before submission, while the current cycle was due to close in December 2025 and the next round is expected to follow the same three-cycle rhythm. The scheme suits teams that are ready for a pragmatic, well-governed trial rather than an early pilot. The strongest applications are likely to show clear clinical relevance, a multidisciplinary team, and enough operational maturity to manage recruitment, delivery, and analysis within the chosen funding envelope, because the programme is built for studies that can move from protocol to patient-level evidence.

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