Science Foundation Ireland

Charity Number: CUSTOM_FFC56DE4

Annual Expenditure: £213.0M

Stay updated on changes from Science Foundation Ireland and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: €213 million (2022 base investment)
  • Success Rate: Variable by program (33-86% depending on program and applicant type)
  • Decision Time: 2-8 months (varies by program)
  • Grant Range: €50,000 - €5,000,000+ (depending on program)
  • Geographic Focus: Ireland (national)

Contact Details

Address: Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland D02 FX65

Phone: +353 (1) 6073200

Email: info@sfi.ie

Website: www.sfi.ie

Application Portal: grants.sfi.ie (SESAME system)

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of 1st August 2024, Science Foundation Ireland merged with the Irish Research Council to form Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland (www.researchireland.ie). For current funding opportunities, applicants should consult the Research Ireland website.

Overview

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was Ireland's largest national competitive research funder, established to support excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research. With a 2022 base investment of €213 million and leveraging an additional €267 million in external funding, SFI funded oriented basic and applied research with strategic focus on biotechnology, information and communications technology, and sustainable energy technologies. In August 2024, SFI amalgamated with the Irish Research Council to become Research Ireland, creating Ireland's unified national competitive research and innovation funding agency. SFI's strategic approach emphasized funding across the career spectrum from early-stage to established researchers, research infrastructure development, and industry collaboration, with approximately 80% of funding committed to basic research (TRL 1-2) and 40% of grants including industry collaborators.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG)

  • Amount: Up to €425,000 direct costs over 4 years
  • Target: Excellent postdoctoral researchers taking initial steps towards independent research careers
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

Career Development Award (CDA)

  • Target: Early and mid-career researchers who have demonstrated research independence
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

Frontiers for the Future Programme

  • Amount: Variable (recent rounds: €34-53.7 million total distributed across multiple awards)
  • Target: World-class research capability development in STEM areas supporting enterprise competitiveness and societal development
  • Recent funding: 28-76 projects per round, supporting 124-197 research positions
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

SFI Investigators Programme

  • Target: Established research leaders
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

Research Centres Programme

  • Amount: €1-5 million per year in direct costs
  • Target: Large-scale research centres with economic impact for Ireland
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

SFI Discover Programme

  • Amount: €3.6 million invested (recent round funding 38 projects)
  • Target: Public engagement with STEM, empowering deep engagement with science
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA)

  • Target: Joint SFI-Enterprise Ireland initiative for applied research with commercial benefit
  • Application: Fixed deadlines via SESAME portal

Priority Areas

  • Biotechnology and biomedical sciences
  • Information and communications technology
  • Sustainable energy and energy-efficient technologies
  • Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across career stages
  • Research infrastructure development
  • Public engagement with STEM
  • Industry-academia collaboration
  • Attracting world-leading researchers to Ireland (target: 20 annually by 2025)
  • “Shared island” research initiatives
  • Climate and health research

What They Don't Fund

Disciplinary Exclusions:

  • Humanities and Social Sciences (except where pertaining to SFI's specific mission, e.g., assessing impact of funded research, STEM teaching)
  • Research outside biotechnology, ICT, and sustainable energy fields

Research Type Exclusions:

  • Human embryonic stem cell research (pending legislation)
  • Clinical trials beyond early-stage (Phase I or combined Phase I/II, and only within specific programs: Research Centres, Spokes, Strategic Partnerships, Research Professorships)
  • Events or public engagement activities not involving a program of research (for certain programs)

Ineligible Costs:

  • Applicant salaries (for most programs)
  • International co-applicants or collaborators' salaries
  • Collaborator salaries
  • Teaching buyout (for certain programs like SFI-IRC Pathway Programme)
  • Conference/workshop participation, study tours
  • Car hire, travel and health insurance (for certain programs)
  • Laptops and general equipment (context-dependent)
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for Science Foundation Ireland?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Director General: Prof Mark Ferguson (also Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland)

Board Chair: Professor Peter Clinch (appointed August 2019)

Previous Chair: Ann Riordan (appointed 2017)

Key Board Members

  • Cliona Murphy: Experienced Board Director and Senior Executive with global innovation experience, formerly Head of Global Quality Assurance for PepsiCo
  • Máire Geoghegan-Quinn: Former European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science (2010-2014) and Irish government minister

Leadership Quotes

Prof Mark Ferguson emphasized: "From the mechanisation of agriculture to the invention of television, from vaccines to the internet, from mobile phones to electric cars, the positive contribution that science, research, and innovation makes to people's lives globally is unquestionable."

Ann Riordan stated: “I am particularly excited about the role SFI can play in enabling Ireland to gain international global advantage in the areas where Ireland has research and industry strengths and further potential.”

Strategic Direction

The board establishes strategic direction, reviews strategic plans, sets ethical standards, and oversees the Director General. The “Shaping Our Future” strategy (2025) has four core priorities:

  1. Excellence in research with independent assessment
  2. Collaboration between funders
  3. International engagement
  4. Developing research as a pillar for a “shared island”

Note: SFI was dissolved on 31 July 2024 with functions transferred to Research Ireland.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

SESAME Online Portal (grants.sfi.ie):

  • All applications submitted through SESAME (SFI's online grants and awards management system)
  • Accessible via any internet browser without additional software
  • Researchers must be registered by their institution's Research Office
  • Integrated with ORCID for importing publication data

Registration Process:

  1. Contact your institution's Research Office to be registered in SESAME
  2. Receive email with username, password, and access PIN
  3. Create/update researcher profile
  4. Navigate to specific call and click “Apply”
  5. Complete application (text boxes, uploads, budgets)
  6. Submit to Research Office for institutional approval
  7. Research Office submits to SFI

Application Methods: Fixed deadlines for most programs (not rolling basis)

Support: Queries should first be directed to institutional Research Office, then to sesame@sfi.ie if unresolved

Decision Timeline

Stated Timeline: SFI can make decisions within 60 days of receipt

Actual Timeline (varies by program):

  • Royal Society-SFI Fellowship: 7-8 months from deadline to decision announcement
  • Most programs: 2-8 months depending on complexity and review requirements

Notification: Applicants notified via email and SESAME system

Success Rates

Overall: Success rates vary significantly by program and applicant characteristics

Recent Program-Specific Rates:

  • Frontiers for the Future Awards 2020 (women applicants): 86%
  • SFI-IRC Pathway Programme 2021 (women applicants): 52% applied, 58% of grants awarded to women
  • Research Centres (female applicants): 33% vs 25% for male applicants

Gender Trends (2011-2021):

  • Women applicants increased from 17% to 43%
  • Grants awarded to women increased from 20% to 40%
  • Overall male and female success rates are similar in aggregate across portfolio

Note: SFI publishes an interactive Gender Dashboard with detailed statistics on applications, grants awarded, success rates, and average grant sizes by gender for program calls between 2011-2021

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication Permitted: Candidates can apply again following previous unsuccessful applications

Requirements:

  • Applications based on unsuccessful submissions must demonstrate that review comments have been addressed
  • Applicants must declare if proposal relates to previously submitted application
  • Statement explaining differences between submissions must be provided
  • Statements detailing changes assist SFI staff in assessing eligibility but are not shared with reviewers

Important Warning: Resubmissions that have not clearly addressed major comments or concerns from prior assessment will be withdrawn without review

Assessment: Takes place after call deadline; ineligible applications withdrawn without review

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from SFI

Before You Begin:

  • “Read the Call Document and main body of the application form in full before you start to answer any questions – this will ensure that you are fully aware of what you are being asked to do and will help you to avoid duplication in your answers”
  • “The word count is a limit not a goal – not all projects are the same and therefore applicants are encouraged to address each question as succinctly and relevantly as possible for their project”

Writing for International Reviewers:

  • “Keep in mind that the reviewers who read your proposal are experts, but you should make sure that your proposal is clear and can be valued by someone who is not as familiar with the proposal as you are”
  • “As Science Foundation Ireland only includes international reviewers in this process, ensure that you clearly introduce any acronyms included in your proposal, and upload a glossary to SESAME”

Ambition and Realism:

  • “Be ambitious but also realistic”

Submission Timing:

  • “Early submission in SESAME is strongly recommended. Applicants who wait until shortly before the close of the call take serious risk of encountering submission issues”
  • “Draft applications may be amended as many times as required but once submitted no further changes can be made”

For Industry Fellowships:

  • “Tailor your application to highlight how these align with the objectives of the fellowship and the industry partner”
  • "Make sure your CV and proposal are well-crafted and specific to the fellowship's focus areas"
  • "Networking is also crucial; don't hesitate to reach out to contacts in your field, attend industry events, and get advice from academic mentors"

Recently Funded Projects (Examples)

Frontiers for the Future 2024 (€34 million, 28 projects):

  • New Irish satellite development (Sheila McBreen, UCD)
  • 124 research positions supported

Frontiers for the Future 2022 (€53.7 million, 76 projects):

  • Childhood ADHD research
  • Future coastal sea levels
  • New generation batteries
  • Antiviral drugs for Covid-19
  • Safety critical software
  • Obesity-cancer links
  • Crop futureproofing for flooding resistance

SFI Discover Programme 2024 (38 projects):

  • Junior Engineer Development Initiative (sixth-class student engineering training)

Research Infrastructure 2023:

  • €1.5 million to RCSI for neurological research facility (part of €53.3 million total investment)

Language and Terminology

SFI emphasizes:

  • “Excellence with impact”
  • “World-class research capability”
  • “Enterprise competitiveness and societal development”
  • “Strategic focus”
  • “International collaboration”
  • “Shared island”
  • “Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)”
  • Industry collaboration and partnerships

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate clear alignment with SFI's strategic priorities (biotechnology, ICT, sustainable energy)
  • Show potential for economic impact and/or societal benefit
  • Include industry collaboration where relevant (40% of grants include industry partners)
  • Address review comments thoroughly if reapplying
  • Submit early to avoid technical issues
  • Ensure international reviewers can understand your proposal without specialized knowledge
  • Balance ambition with realistic deliverables
  • Demonstrate research excellence through track record and proposal quality

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Organizational Transition: As of August 2024, SFI is now part of Research Ireland – check www.researchireland.ie for current opportunities and updated policies
  1. STEM Focus Only: SFI strictly funds biotechnology, ICT, and sustainable energy research – humanities and social sciences are generally excluded unless directly supporting STEM mission
  1. Excellence + Impact Required: Applications must demonstrate both research excellence and potential for economic/societal impact; 40% of grants include industry collaboration
  1. International Peer Review: All proposals reviewed by international experts – write clearly, define acronyms, avoid assumptions about reviewer familiarity with your specific context
  1. Reapplication Requires Response: If reapplying, you MUST demonstrate how you've addressed previous review comments or your application will be withdrawn without review
  1. Early Submission Critical: Submit early in SESAME portal to avoid technical issues; once submitted, no changes allowed
  1. Fixed Deadlines Not Rolling: Most programs operate on fixed call deadlines – plan accordingly and monitor www.researchireland.ie for announcements
  1. Strong Success Rates for Well-Prepared Applications: Recent programs show 33-86% success rates depending on program type, indicating competitive but achievable funding

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References