The HRB has a strong track record of supporting collaborative research networks in key policy areas, and the Collaborative Research Networks scheme is a competitive funding mechanism designed to support networks that bring together interdisciplinary teams to address key health and social care challenges in Ireland. The scheme funds networks that demonstrate strong governance, meaningful knowledge user engagement, and a clear pathway to research impact.
Mental health has been identified as a key area requiring targeted research investment, given its profound impact on individuals, families, and communities, as well as the urgent need for stronger, more coordinated research to drive meaningful changes in policy and practice. The Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2022–2024 tasked the HRB with developing a national mental health research strategy aligned with Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, and the National Mental Health Research Strategy was published in December 2024. The HRB played a central role in developing the strategy, which provides a framework to strengthen mental health research in Ireland, ensuring it is impactful, responsive to societal needs, and integrated into policy and practice. The strategy emphasises the crucial role of collaboration in addressing the multisectoral determinants of mental health.
Under Pillar 4: Collaboration, the strategy calls for the development of an all-island, interdisciplinary mental health research network. This network is intended to integrate researchers from research institutions, voluntary and community organisations, mental health service providers, and the many other stakeholders who play a pivotal role in mental health research. This reflects the HRB’s commitment to embedding co-production as a core tenet of mental health research. The establishment of the network will create opportunities for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and people with lived experience to collaborate across all stages of research – identifying priorities, co-producing knowledge, and achieving impactful results.
Details of this scheme
The aim of the Collaborative Research Network in Mental Health is to bring together all relevant stakeholders to promote and advance research in mental health and ensure its application to policy and practice, informed by the National Mental Health Research Strategy.
This network will be co-produced with lived experience experts and will serve the mental health research community on an all-island basis, with an identity independent of any single institution.
The HRB will provide funding up to a maximum of €1,000,000 (inclusive of overheads) over 60 months for a single collaborative research network in mental health.
Who can apply?
Applications should be made on behalf of a team of researchers, knowledge users, and people with lived experience. The team should include a broad range of co-applicants and collaborators and must encompass the necessary research expertise and policy and practice experience.
The applicant team must demonstrate clearly that appropriate and relevant partners from multiple institutions are involved. Multi-institutional membership is expected within the Applicant Team, as an eligibility requirement.
Given the expected all-island nature of the networks, geographic coverage must be a consideration in the applicant team. Co-Applicants and Collaborators from outside the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are welcome.
The network will be managed by a leadership team. The leadership team will have two or three members in total (one Lead Applicant and one or two Co-Leads), each of whom will hold equal responsibility for the management of the network. The Lead Applicant will be the primary point of contact for the HRB and will have fiduciary responsibility for the grant.
How to apply?
Applications must be completed and submitted through the HRB online Grant E-Management System (GEMS) (https://grants.hrb.ie).
The application must have been reviewed and approved by the signatory approver at the research office (or equivalent) in the Host Institution before it is submitted to the HRB. Therefore, applicants should ensure that they give the signatory approver sufficient time before the scheme closing date to review the application and approve it on GEMS. Please note that many host institutions specify internal deadlines for this procedure.
Apply for this award
Contact:
David Connolly
