Strand I, Priority Actions 2023, targets a set of five actions identified in the National Action Plan as follows:

1. Incentivising Open Research Practices in Ireland
2. Public Engagement and Open Research
3. Mapping National Open Research Infrastructure
4. National Research Data Management Framework
5. Institutional Open Access Policies and Rights Retention

These actions seek to advance key areas of open research at the national level and proposals will need to demonstrate benefit to all stakeholders across the Irish research system. 

2 March 2023 Call specifications and forms published

31 March 2023 FAQ deadline

6 April 2023 EOI deadline

25 May 2023 EOI outcome

6 July 2023 Full proposals due (from invited applicants)

11 August 2023 Call outcome

16 October 2023 Award start date

The proposals process will take part in two stages:

• • Stage 1: Submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) 
  • Stage 2: Invitation to selected applicants from Stage 1 to submit full proposals.

EOIs and full proposals will be peer reviewed by an international panel of experts.

What is required to submit an expression of interest?

• A completed and signed expression of interest form in PDF format.

Please note that Expression of Interest application forms require institutional sign-off by the Lead Institution (i.e. the institution that employs the lead applicant).

All applications must be submitted via Jotform by 17:00 (Irish local time) Thursday, 6 April 2023. Late applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted in PDF format. Applications must be submitted by the Lead Applicant.

The application form should be submitted here.

2023 NORF Priority Actions Call Specification Document

2023 NORF Priority Actions EOI Application Form – UPDATED 31 MARCH 2023

2023 Open Research Fund Transparency Statement

Can I provide details of non-partner project contributors such as Advisory Board members in the Expression of Interest? Where should this information be included?

Yes, details of Advisory Board members can be included in the Expression of Interest form. We recognise that applicants may want to include the details of individuals and/or institutions who are not contributing to the project at the level of a partner such as members of Advisory Boards, Oversight Committees, Steering Groups etc.

A section has been added to the Priority Actions Application Form under the heading Project Affiliates for the inclusion of this information. Project affiliates do not directly perform Action tasks and do NOT sign a consortium agreement.

Clarifications regarding eligible costs

The budget table in the application form outlines potential costs under the subcategories of personnel costs, other direct costs, and overheads. Please note that the areas identified within these subcategories are suggestions; please remove any that are not applicable and add other areas as needed. In relation to personnel, costs for both existing staff and/or newly hired staff for the project are eligible. Buy out costs for permanent existing staff are allowed (to support existing staff participation in a project through buy out of teaching or other duties), and must be clearly justified as with other costs. Equipment costs needed to implement the proposed project are eligible (i.e., infrastructure and associated services). FAIR data management costs refer to data management costs for data generated by the project and incurred within the lifetime of the project (i.e., necessary to manage, store, and archive data produced by, during and about the project).

Do lead applicant and partners need to be named individuals?

Yes, persons leading organisational involvement and responsible for delivery are required for the lead applicant and any partners. It is understood that contributing personnel or persons executing the project may be subject to change.

Do (maximum) budget ranges include overhead costs?

Yes, budget ranges in the call include overhead costs (to be calculated as 25% of full salary costs).

Are in kind contributions or co-funding permitted?

Yes, in kind contributions or co-funding by the lead applicant and/or project partners is permissible. Such contributions must be clearly indicated and itemised within the proposed budget.

Are co-leads allowed or must there be a single lead applicant?

The inclusion of co-leads is permissible, however an administrative lead should be identified for the purposes of administration of the scheme, such as for communication, progress reporting, and financial transfers.

Is an all-island approach permitted by the funding?

The inclusion of partners in support of an all-island approach is permissible, however proposers should ensure that appropriate governance and oversight arrangements will be in place between partners (e.g. through a grant agreement) for management of funding and reporting processes.

Strand II, Open Research Stimulus 2023, seeks to stimulate and advance the uptake of open research by recognising and rewarding researchers from all disciplines who want to play a leading role in advancing open research in Ireland. This is an open call for projects that align with and address one of the three themes of the National Action Plan for Open Research:

1. Establishing a culture of open research
2. Achieving 100% open access to research publications
3. Enabling FAIR research data and other outputs

Projects will need to be targeted at and benefit a specific community or group of communities (e.g. disciplines, institutions, career stages). 

2 March 2023 Call specifications and forms published

2 June 2023 FAQ deadline

9 June 2023 Application deadline

28 July 2023 Call outcome

2 October 2023 Award start date

The Open Research Stimulus Call has a single stage application process.

All applications will be peer reviewed by an international panel of experts. 

What is required to submit a proposal?

• A completed application form in PDF format.
• A data management plan (see 2.4 Conditions on Granting) in PDF format.
• A Gantt chart to illustrate the project timelines, milestones and deliverables in PDF format.

Please note that application forms require institutional sign-off by the Lead Institution (i.e. the institution that employs the lead applicant).

All applications must be submitted via the Jotform link by 17:00 (Irish local time) Friday, 9 June 2023. Late applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted in PDF format. Applications must be submitted by the Lead Applicant.

Applications should be submitted here.

2023 NORF Stimulus Call Specification Document

2023 NORF ORSC Full Proposal Application Form – UPDATED 31 March 2023

2023 Open Research Fund Transparency Statement

Clarifications regarding eligible costs

The budget table in the application form outlines potential costs under the subcategories of personnel costs, other direct costs, and overheads. Please note that the areas identified within these subcategories are suggestions; please remove any that are not applicable and add other areas as needed. In relation to personnel, costs for both existing staff and/or newly hired staff for the project are eligible. Buy out costs for permanent existing staff are allowed (to support existing staff participation in a project through buy out of teaching or other duties), and must be clearly justified as with other costs. Equipment costs needed to implement the proposed project are eligible (i.e., infrastructure and associated services). FAIR data management costs refer to data management costs for data generated by the project and incurred within the lifetime of the project (i.e., necessary to manage, store, and archive data produced by, during and about the project).

Do lead applicant and partners need to be named individuals?

Yes, persons leading organisational involvement and responsible for delivery are required for the lead applicant and any partners. It is understood that contributing personnel or persons executing the project may be subject to change.

Do (maximum) budget ranges include overhead costs?

Yes, budget ranges in the call include overhead costs (to be calculated as 25% of full salary costs).

Are in kind contributions or co-funding permitted?

Yes, in kind contributions or co-funding by the lead applicant and/or project partners is permissible. Such contributions must be clearly indicated and itemised within the proposed budget.

Are co-leads allowed or must there be a single lead applicant?

The inclusion of co-leads is permissible, however an administrative lead should be identified for the purposes of administration of the scheme, such as for communication, progress reporting, and financial transfers.

Is an all-island approach permitted by the funding?

The inclusion of partners in support of an all-island approach is permissible, however proposers should ensure that appropriate governance and oversight arrangements will be in place between partners (e.g. through a grant agreement) for management of funding and reporting processes.