The Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) was established in 2000 by the then Minister for Education and Science in response to the need to develop Ireland's research capacity and skills base in a rapidly-changing global environment where knowledge is key to economic and social growth.

The Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) was established in 2000 by the then Minister for Education and Science in response to the need to develop Ireland's research capacity and skills base in a rapidly-changing global environment where knowledge is key to economic and social growth. With the support of the National Development Plan, the IRCHSS funds cutting-edge research in the humanities, social sciences, business and law with the objective of creating new knowledge and expertise beneficial to Ireland's economic, social and cultural development. The Department of Education and Skills allocated the Research Council a budget of €10.4 million for 2011.

The IRCHSS has thoroughly transformed the research landscape in Ireland by supporting talented early-stage and postdoctoral researchers as well as senior academics whose research contributes to Ireland’s wider social, cultural and economic wellbeing. IRCHSS funding has addressed problems of long completion rates and programme drop-out through the provision of sustained support for researchers and the professionalisation of PhD formation. Perhaps more importantly, the Council supports research-led teaching which is now widely recognised as a key component of a successful higher-education system. Overall, the IRCHSS represents a significant funding initiative which contributes to Ireland’s position as a high-skills economy, retains talent and maintains our standing in the European research area.

Funding Schemes

The IRCHSS manages a suite of inter-linked research schemes, funding scholars at various career stages, from postgraduate study to senior research project based awards. For early stage researchers these include the Government of Ireland Post-Graduate Scholarships and Government of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellowships, which fund research at pre- and post-doctoral levels, and the Research Development Initiative Scheme, which allows researchers and research teams to expand their activities into new research areas by way of stimulus project grants and knowledge transfer initiatives. For established academics the Government of Ireland Research Fellowships and the Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellowships offer research opportunities for members of the academic staff of recognised higher education institutions to undertake stated projects. The Government of Ireland Research Projects Grants Scheme funds world-class, innovative research undertaken on an extended or group project basis. IRCHSS manages and monitors all awards funded under these schemes on a bi-annual basis.

IRCHSS has managed research funding on behalf of a number of agencies and Government Departments. These include the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme, the National Disability Authority, the Family Support Agency, the Social Inclusion Division of the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. These agencies and Departments have leveraged IRCHSS expertise to promote funded research opportunities, to evaluate research proposals through international, independent peer review (in some cases consolidated with concurrent IRCHSS review and evaluation activities) and to monitor research progress, compliance with terms and conditions and budget management. This enables these bodies to gain access to high quality research, both fundamental and applied, and enhance their long term collaborative relationships with the Irish research community. The IRCHSS also benefits in terms of enhancing opportunities for HSS researchers.

IRCHSS International Cooperation

IRCHSS holds the roles of National Delegate (ND) and National Contact Point (NCP) for theme 8 of the Cooperation Programme under the Framework Programme 7 (FP7) and National Contact Point (NCP) for the European Research Council (ERC), covering the domains of socio-economic sciences and humanities. Mr. Tim Conlon (Acting Director of the IRCHSS) is the National Delegate and Ms. Sorcha Carthy (IRCHSS European Projects Officer) is the NCP. Since the commencement of FP7 in 2007, €6min EUfunding has been leveraged by SSH researchers in Ireland within these two SSH-specific programmes, in addition to the many SSH research participations in the other areas of FP7 such as ICT, Marie Curie and the infrastructures programmes.

IRCHSS is also an active applicant and partner in the many FP7 programmes established to facilitate researcher mobility and joint initiatives of research councils. Through IRCHSS membership, research teams in Ireland have access to ring-fenced EU funding. IRCHSS is currently a coordinator and partner in four FP7 research initiatives:

1. MARIE CURIE COFUND:In 2009 IRCHSS was awarded €2.7m in FP7 funding under the FP7 Marie Curie COFUND to implement its CARA scheme. The CARA scheme is attached to the successful IRCHSS Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship and offers twenty five early-career researchers the opportunity to study at an international host institution anywhere in the world, followed by a reintegration phase in an Irish host institution. In 2009/10 and 2010/11, IRCHSS has awarded twenty-five CARA fellowships.
2. NORFACE: New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe (NORFACE) is a partnership between fourteen social sciences research councils across Europe was established in 2004, when the network successfully bid for an FP6 award to coordinate activities. Research teams in Ireland are collaborating in 5 of the NORFACE funded research projects. For more information: www.norface.org/
3. HERA: Established in 2005 under an EU FP6 award, Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) is a partnership of twenty-one research councils and the European Science Foundation (ESF) across Europe. In 2009, HERA launched first Joint Research Programme (HERA JRP) and it is currently funding 19 transnational projects under two themes “Cultural Dynamics: Inheritance and Identity” and “Humanities as a Source of Creativity and Innovation”. In early 2012, HERA will launch its second HERA Joint Research Programme under the theme "Cultural Encounters". The research programme will fund new and exciting humanities-centered projects involving three or more scholars based in the HERA JRP participating countries. IRCHSS is currently the co-ordinator of the HERA Network for the period 2010-12. For more information: www.heranet.info/
4. NET4SOCIETY: an international network of National Contact Points for Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in the FP7. NET4SOCIETY is a learning network through which the IRCHSS SSH NCP gains full and easy access to all the essential tools to enable them to support SSH researchers in the FP7 proposal preparation process. IRCHSS has been awarded funding of €0.2m under FP7 to participate in NET4SOCIETY activities. For more information: www.net4society.eu/

Research Infrastructures

IRCHSS is currently sponsoring two HSS research infrastructures on the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap – Digital Research Infrastructures in the Arts and Humanities (DARIAH) and the European Social Survey (ESS):

• DARIAH: DARIAH is the digital research infrastructure that will connect scholarly data archives and repositories with cultural heritage for the arts and humanities across Europe. IRCHSS involvement in the grant includes significant contributions to the strategic directions of the infrastructure. To support the work of DARIAH in Ireland, a national steering committee of key stakeholders (academic, technology, culture, policy and commercial), has been established. For more information: www.dariah.eu/
• ESS: is an academically-driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe’s changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. The principal long-term aim of the project is to chart and explain the interaction between Europe’s changing institutions, its political and economic structures, and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. To support the work of ESS in Ireland, IRCHSS appoints a national coordinator oversee and implement the survey. For more information: www.europeansocialsurvey.org/

Membership

IRCHSS is a member of the European Science Foundation (ESF) and Science Europe:

• ESF: IRCHSS has been a member of the ESF since 2000. ESF have a number of joint research funding initiatives and IRCHSS currently supports and funds researchers based in Irish higher-education institutions to participate in a number of Research Networking Programmes (RNPs) and thematic Collaborative Research Programmes (CRPs). Support of these initiatives enables researchers in Ireland to form collaborative networks with researchers across Europe. For more information: www.esf.org/
• ScienceEurope: Established in 2011, Science Europe is an association of European Research Funding Organisations (RFO) and Research Performing Organisations (RPO). Science Europe promotes the collective interests of the Research Funding and Research Performing Organisations of Europe. It supports its member organisations in their efforts to foster European research. It will strengthen the European Research Area through its direct engagement with key partners. In doing so, it will be informed by direct representation of all scientific communities in its reflections on policies, priorities and strategies. For more information: www.scienceeurope.org/