Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants

Strengthen co-operation between researchers and practitioners in Scotland and Ireland.

The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), with the support of the Scottish Government Office in Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs, are pleased to invite applications for the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants.

The ambition of the Ireland–Scotland Bilateral Network Grants is to strengthen co-operation and learning between excellent researchers, academics and practitioners in Scotland and Ireland within the five thematic areas identified within the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Cooperation Framework 2030.

Objective

• To strengthen cooperation and learning between Scotland and Ireland through bilateral funding for joint projects;
• To foster partnerships/networks within and beyond academia;
• To encourage the initiation of new partnerships and/or the development of existing partnerships;
• To contribute to policy discussion in Ireland and Scotland in the specified thematic area.

Applicant eligibility

• The grant is open to academic researchers working in higher education institutions (HEI) or research institutes (RI) in Scotland or Ireland. In each application, the lead applicant must be a full or part-time academic in any of the listed disciplines, and a tenured and/or salaried staff member of an HEI or RI in Scotland or Ireland (not including Northern Ireland).
• Lead applicants must be on open-ended, continuing, or fixed-term contracts which extend beyond the end date of the envisaged grant period. The grant cannot be used to extend an applicant’s contract.
• Each application must include a partner in the other country, i.e. those with a lead applicant in Ireland must have a co-investigator in Scotland and vice versa.
• Lead applicants must be from the three fields listed below, but application co-investigators may come from any discipline across the Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences. In addition to the two main partners, industry participation is welcomed as part of the project consortia.
• Each application may have a number of partners/co-investigators across both countries, if appropriate to the project.

Project eligibility

In 2026, the Ireland–Scotland Bilateral Network Grants invites applications which address the theme of ‘Culture, Language and Sport’.

• The project can build on existing international collaboration between the two countries or may demonstrate plans for the development of new collaborative networks.
• Projects are welcome from all disciplines across the Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, but must focus on the theme of ‘Culture, Language and Sport’.
• Applications that push disciplinary boundaries by bringing various disciplines together are particularly welcome, especially where wider inclusion and diversity elements are evident.
• While awards will be open to all career stages and all HEIs in Ireland and Scotland, we encourage applications that are either led by early career researchers (ECRs) or include ECRs as active participants in the proposed project.

Application process

This award is open from noon on 2 September to noon on 21 October 2026.

The online application link below will become live when the award is open. Please follow these steps to apply:

1. Create a profile or log-in here.
2. Once into your profile, access and complete the online application – access to the application form is only available if you are logged-in. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

Resources for applicants

Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants terms and conditions

RSE Research Awards general terms and conditions

RSE referee form

What makes a good RSE application?

Contact us

For more information regarding the award, please contact the Research Awards team at awards@therse.org.uk

The Royal Irish Academy

In line with its aims and remit, the RIA has a long history of promoting, supporting and communicating research. The Academy began providing research grants in 1876, and this legacy of supporting academic researchers in Ireland continues today. Through the vehicle of its various grants schemes, world-class researchers are identified and recognised throughout their careers.