Since its foundation in 2015, the HRB Primary Care CTNI has supported Principal Investigators in more than 35 successful grant applications, securing over €25million for Irish research. We have created a list of these Principal Investigators and their successful grant applications, both to showcase success in grant acquisition, and to serve as a resource for academics and clinicians seeking potential collaborators in Irish primary care research.

See the list here.

Anyone planning or doing primary care research in Ireland can request supports from the Primary Care CTNI. We give priority to clinical trials, but also support pre-trial studies that have the potential to lead to a full trial.

All requests for support are considered through our formal Study Adoption Process. Studies are evaluated based on the following:

1. Does the study involve recruitment and/or advertising through general practice or primary care centres?
2. Is the study a pilot or a trial, or is it gathering data that may be used/useful when designing a trial in the future?
3. Does the study investigator and team have an acceptable track-record?
4. Is there a confirmed funding source and does the sponsor have an acceptable track-record?
5. Does the study have ethical approval granted and is the study GDPR-compliant (with supporting documentation)?
6. Are there potential risks to the HRB Primary Care CTNI?
7. Does the protocol include any procedures that the adoption panel believe will jeopardise the study?
8. Does the study improve patient care or have the potential to improve patient care in the future?
9. Is the study compatible with primary care practice in Ireland; is the prevalence of the target patient population sufficient for recruitment?
10. Does the HRB Primary Care CTNI have the capacity to provide requested resources?
11. Are there conflicting trials ongoing within the HRB Primary Care CTNI, or higher priority studies pending?

To obtain a Study Adoption Request form, or to make an enquiry about the study adoption process, please email primarycaretrials@universityofgalway.ie

The Primary Care Research Seed Funding Award is intended to contribute to the pipeline of clinical trials in Irish Primary Care.

We have funded projects up to a value of €10,000 (plus overheads at 25%, or €2,500), which have the potential to be highly impactful and successful in leveraging larger scale research funding in the future. 

If a call is open, details will be provided below:

Our 2025 call is now closed. This call focused on projects that align with our Top Ten research priorities for the management of chronic conditions in primary care. Documents are archived below:

2025 Seed Funding Guidance Notes 
Application form 

Following the announcement of the HRB Investigator-Led Clinical Trials (ILCT) scheme, previously known as the DIFA scheme, the HRB Primary Care CTNI are pleased to invite research teams to request our support. 

We encourage researchers to do so at the earliest opportunity, by downloading the form and following the included instructions. 

The ILCT is a rolling call, with 3 funding decisions expected in 2025/26:

• Applications submitted before 25 April 2025 will be reviewed in the first cycle, outcomes are expected in November 2025. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 February 2026.
• Applications submitted before 18 July 2025 will be reviewed in the second cycle, outcomes are expected in February 2026. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 May 2026.
• Applications submitted by 17 October 2025 will be reviewed in the final cycle, outcomes are expected in May 2026. The anticipated earliest start date for these grants is 01 August 2026.

The CTNI will accept support requests up to 12 working days before the close of each cycle, and will endeavor to uphold a quick turnaround for each request. 

Click here to download the form in Word document format: ILCT (prev DIFA) support request form 2025