The HRCI-HRB Joint Funding Scheme
The HRCI-HRB Joint Funding Scheme (JFS) is a flagship initiative that unites HRCI member charities and the Health Research Board (HRB) to co-fund projects vital to member charities and their communities. Launched in 2006, the scheme maximizes the reach and impact of members’ research activities. Participation in the JFS allows our members to create a direct link between community needs and the research they fund.
Rare disease charities have especially benefited from the Scheme, as it provides funding opportunities for research that might otherwise be overlooked due to a lack of scientific expertise in Ireland.
The scheme has positively impacted the Irish health research ecosystem, in particular, breaking new ground when it comes to championing PPI in health and social care research. Through sustained advocacy nationally and work with our partners in the HRB, we’ve seen a notable improvement in the quality of PPI in research applications to the scheme over time.
In 2022, HRCI and the HRB partnered with Dr Nicola Mountford and Emily Merrick in Maynooth University on an IRC New Foundations-funded project examining decision-making and the role of the public/patient voice in the JFS (the RIVA study). This research found that the JFS could provide “a model for citizen involvement in public research decision-making processes that could be used across research sectors. Participants in the RIVA study reported that the scheme had positive impact and improved outcomes for patients, that it is embedded in practice and charity goals, and makes a clear connection between charity fundraising at the coalface and the ultimate benefit of research funded under the scheme.
Research funded under the JFS has impacted health policy, clinical practice, and service delivery. To recognise this, we launched our first HRCI research impact award in 2022, emphasising impact beyond academic publications to celebrate research that has had an impact on people’s lives. We also created three case studies of impactful research funded under the JFS and collected testimonials from our members about the scheme’s value to their organisations and communities.