GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FOR EARLY-CAREER AWARDS

August 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 4
SCHEDULE 1 – GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ............................................................................... 7
1. Scope ....................................................................................................................................... 7
2. General .................................................................................................................................... 7
3. Warranties ............................................................................................................................... 7
4. Responsibilities of the host institution .................................................................................... 8
5. Responsibilities of the awardee .............................................................................................. 9
6. Responsibilities of the academic supervisor or mentor ........................................................ 10
7. Term....................................................................................................................................... 10
8. Suspension and termination.................................................................................................. 10
9. Payment of the award ........................................................................................................... 12
10. Financial accountability ......................................................................................................... 12
11. Government funding ............................................................................................................. 14
12. Monitoring and review of progress ....................................................................................... 14
13. Audits and record keeping..................................................................................................... 15
14. Additional duties ................................................................................................................... 16
15. Additional awards .................................................................................................................. 16
16. Award transfer ....................................................................................................................... 17
17. Award completion ................................................................................................................. 17
18. Intellectual property .............................................................................................................. 17
19. Open access ........................................................................................................................... 18
20. Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment ....................................................................... 18
21. Gender equality in research .................................................................................................. 19
22. Research governance ............................................................................................................ 19
23. Acknowledgement of funding ............................................................................................... 19
24. Career development .............................................................................................................. 20
25. Conflict of interest ................................................................................................................. 20
26. Data protection ..................................................................................................................... 21
27. Freedom of information ........................................................................................................ 21
28. Dispute resolution ................................................................................................................. 21
29. Force majeure........................................................................................................................ 22
30. Severability ............................................................................................................................ 22
31. Nature of relationship ........................................................................................................... 22

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 32. Legal proceedings .................................................................................................................. 22
SCHEDULE 2 – SPECIAL CONDITIONS .................................................................................................... 23
SCHEDULE 3 – BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE .............................................................................. 23
SCHEDULE 4 – REPORTING SCHEDULE .................................................................................................. 23
SCHEDULE 5 – AWARD ACCEPTANCE DECLARATION............................................................................ 23

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DEFINITIONS

Academic mentor shall mean the person responsible for supporting and guiding the
postdoctoral awardee and ensuring the quality of the research
produced under the award.

Academic supervisor shall mean the person responsible for supporting and guiding the
postgraduate awardee and ensuring the quality of the research
produced under the award.

Applicable law means any law applicable in Ireland (without further enactment) or any
other applicable jurisdiction and shall include without limitation,
common law, statute, statutory instrument, proclamation, bye-law,
directive, decision, regulation, rule, order, notice, code of practice, code
of conduct, governmental circulars or other directions, rule of court,
instruments, or delegated or subordinate legislation.

Application means the application form including all accompanying documents.

Award means the award as described in the letter of offer.

Awardee means the person to whom the award was made.

Budget means the budget identified in schedule 3 and any change agreed in
writing by the Irish Research Council.

Collaborator means an individual who is committed to providing a valuable

intellectual and/or technical contribution to the proposed research.

Final report means the report to be furnished by the awardee to the Irish Research
Council in accordance with schedule 4.

Financial report means the report(s) to be furnished by the awardee to the Irish
Research Council in accordance with schedule 4.

GDPR means EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.

Host institution means the organisation to whom the letter of offer is addressed.

Intellectual property means all intellectual property produced in connection with the award
including copyrights, patents, design rights, trade secrets, confidential
information, trademarks, trade names, domain names, service marks,
utility models, moral rights, topography rights, rights and databases
and know-how in all cases whether or not registered or registrable and
including registrations and applications for registration of any of these

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 rights and all rights and forms of protection of a similar nature or
having equivalent or similar effect to any of these anywhere in the
world.

Irish Research Council an associate agency of the Department of Further and Higher
Education, Research, Innovation and Science, under the aegis of the
Higher Education Authority.

Letter of offer means the letter issued by the Irish Research Council specifying the
level and duration of the award that has been accepted by the host
institution by executing the acceptance certificate attached to such
letter.

No-cost extension means an extension of the duration of the term of the award.

Open access means free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to
read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of
these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software,
or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or
technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to
the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution,
and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors
control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly
acknowledged and cited.

Parties means the Irish Research Council, the host institution and the awardee.

Personal data means any piece of information that relates to an identifiable person.

Programme assets means any asset including equipment, acquired or generated, directly
or indirectly with the benefit of the award.

Progress report means the report(s) to be furnished by the awardee to the Irish
Research Council in accordance with schedule 4.

Research misconduct means fabrication (including without limitation the making up of data
or results and recording or reporting them), falsification (including but
not limited to manipulating research materials, equipment or processes
or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not
accurately represented in the research record), plagiarism (the
appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results or words
without giving appropriate credit) or other serious deviation from
accepted practices.

Research project means the research project described in the application and any

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 amendments agreed in writing by the Irish Research Council.

Term means the period of the award as outlined in the letter of offer subject
to any amendments agreed in writing by the Irish Research Council.

Terms and Conditions means the terms and conditions set out in schedules 1 and 2 (where
relevant).

Website means www.research.ie.

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SCHEDULE 1 – GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Scope

1.1. These Terms and Conditions are applicable to the following programmes:

• Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme

• Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

2. General

2.1. This document, in conjunction with the relevant call document, the letter of offer and
the Irish Research Council’s policies and procedures, set out the general Terms and
Conditions for all early-career awards funded by the Irish Research Council.
2.2. The Irish Research Council reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at
any time. Any such amendments will be notified to participating host institutions and
will also be posted on the Irish Research Council’s website.
2.3. The Irish Research Council’s policies and procedures can be found at www.research.ie.
These may be amended, supplemented or replaced by the Irish Research Council at any
time.
2.4. While the award is made to the individual awardee, the award fund will be
administered through the appropriate office within their host institution.
2.5. The award shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ireland
and the parties expressly and irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts.
2.6. Failure to comply with these Terms and Conditions may lead to sanctions, up to and
including termination or revocation of the award, and the Irish Research Council
reserves the right to recover funds paid in part or in full.
2.7. Any reference to the Irish Research Council includes, where appropriate, its
predecessors the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)
and the Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology (IRCSET).

3. Warranties

3.1. The host institution warrants to the Irish Research Council that:the award acceptance
documentation is executed by its duly authorised representative with full power
and authority to enter into these Terms and Conditions;
(b) it has obtained and shall maintain for the duration of the award all necessary
consents, approvals, authorisations, licences and permissions which are required
so that it can comply with its obligations under these Terms and Conditions and
shall not commit any act or omission which might invalidate, breach or
otherwise impair the effect of such consents, approvals, authorisations, licences
or permissions;
(c) every statement, representation or information provided in any report
submitted by the host institution to the Irish Research Council, or information
provided by the host institution in response to a request from the Irish Research

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 Council, is and will be, to the best of the host institution’s knowledge, true,
complete and accurate;
(d) the academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) is suitably skilled, trained and
qualified for the performance of such duties;
(e) the research project shall be conducted in compliance with all institutional
policies and applicable laws;
(f) issues of an ethical nature relating to research project are identified at the
earliest opportunity and, where required, approval has been obtained from the
ethics committee(s) recognised by the host institution;
(g) the research project complies with all national and international requirements
governing the use of sensitive materials or processes, for example, but not
limited to radioactive isotopes, ionising radiation, laboratory or other animals,
pathogenic organisms, genetically manipulated organisms, toxic and hazardous
substances and research on human subjects.
(h) the research project complies with the provisions of the Children First Act
2015 and the National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children
2017;
(i) it will comply with all necessary and statutory permissions laid down by local and
national authorities in relation to protecting the environment, preventing
pollution and ensuring wider societal health and safety protection.

4. Responsibilities of the host institution

4.1. The host institution is fully responsible for the award and for the adherence of the
awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) to these Terms and
Conditions and the Irish Research Council’s policies and procedures. The host institution
must:comply with these Terms and Conditions and with the Irish Research Council’s
policies and procedures;
(b) ensure that the awardee acts as the primary point of contact for the Irish
Research Council during the funding term;
(c) ensure that appropriate direction and supervision of the awardee is provided;
(d) ensure that appropriate grievance procedures are in place which the awardee
can follow in respect of any serious problems arising with their academic
supervisor or mentor (as relevant) or any other academic matter;
(e) not permit a significant change to the research project, unless otherwise agreed
in writing by the Irish Research Council;
(f) ensure that the awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant)
are responsible to the host institution for the direction, management and pursuit
of the research project in all of its objectives;
(g) ensure that the awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant)
has applied for and received an ORCID identifier;
(h) ensure that any and all of its staff interact in a professional manner with staff of
the Irish Research Council;

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 (i) ensure that certification of research integrity training undertaken by the
awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) is available for
inspection on request;
(j) ensure that a safe working environment is provided for all individuals associated
with the award. The host institution’s approach and policy on health and safety
matters must meet all applicable regulatory and legislative requirements and be
consistent with best practice;
(k) comply with all relevant statutory requirements, regulatory requirements,
regulations and bye-laws relating to the award and including without limitation
all such relating to the employment, involvement or engagement of awardee
and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant);
(l) ensure that a clear and reasonable policy on annual leave entitlement exists and
that this is made known to the awardee at the start of their award;
(m) ensure that awardees have access to effective procedures for resolving problems
arising from the administration or supervision of their award.

5. Responsibilities of the awardee

5.1. The awardee must adhere at all times to these Terms and Conditions and the Irish
Research Council’s policies and procedures referenced within.
5.2. The awardee must be a full-time student or employee (as relevant) at an eligible host
institution during the funding term.
5.3. The awardee’s first duty is to the successful completion of the research project for
which they have been awarded Irish Research Council funding. Awardees are expected
to engage in full-time research in their host institution during the funding term.
5.4. The awardee, in collaboration with their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant), is
responsible for the direction and management of the research project from a financial,
legal and ethical perspective.
5.5. The awardee must maintain a physical presence within their department or school in
their host organisation for the duration of the award, reside in the Republic of Ireland
and within a reasonable travelling distance of the host organisation.
5.6. Notwithstanding clause 5.5, the Irish Research Council recognises that awardees may
benefit from spending time away from their host institution, for example to undertake
fieldwork or attend a training course relevant to the research project. Where such
research-related absences were not explicitly detailed in the application form and will
be more than four weeks in duration, the awardee must apply to the Irish Research
Council for prior permission at least two months in advance of such an absence. The
Irish Research Council will not normally sanction such research-related absences from
the host institution for longer than one academic term in duration and will not be liable
for paying any additional fees or expenses arising from same. 
5.7. The awardee must ensure that all information submitted to the Irish Research Council in
progress reports, or in connection with the award, is accurate, complete and provided
in accordance with specified timelines.
5.8. It is the awardee’s responsibility to update their online profile on the Irish Research
Council’s grants management system in line with any changes to their personal details.

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 5.9. Compliance with Irish laws and regulations on taxation will be a matter for the awardee,
their host institution and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.
5.10. Arrangements with respect to immigration will be a matter for settlement between the
awardee, their host institution and the relevant immigration authorities of the State.

6. Responsibilities of the academic supervisor or mentor

6.1. The academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) must be based at the same host
institution as the awardee.
6.2. It is a requirement that the academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) has regular
contact with the awardee.
6.3. The academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) shall ensure that they submit the
required progress reports promptly and, where applicable, within the period specified
by the Irish Research Council.
6.4. The academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) shall notify the Irish Research Council
at the earliest possible opportunity, and no later than two weeks of such a situation
arising, if the awardee:
(a) has reduced their time or commitment to the award;
(b) severs, or intends to sever, their connection with the host institution;
(c) has been absent for a continuous period of one month or more.
6.5. The academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) shall ensure that the awardee submits
the required suspension request form in advance of any leave of absence which may
arise for reasons of an eligible career break1.

7. Term

7.1. All new awards must commence on 1 September in a given year. Awards may only be
deferred for reasons of an eligible career break2.
7.2. The award shall commence on the date specified in the letter of offer and, unless
terminated earlier in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, shall continue for
the period specified in the letter of offer.
7.3. Awardees may apply for a no-cost extension of their funding term if they have not spent
their total eligible research expenses by end date of their award and can justify that the
use of the remaining funds is necessary or beneficial to the completion of the project.
Such a request must be made in writing by the awardee and host institution and must
comply with the Irish Research Council’s No-cost Extension Policy, as may be amended
from time to time.

8. Suspension and termination

8.1. The Irish Research Council expects awardees to complete their project in a single
continuous period and does not encourage the suspension of awards.

1Eligible career breaks include maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, adoptive leave, prolonged sick leave and
carer’s leave. Provision of documented evidence of an eligible career break will be required.

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 8.2. The Irish Research Council recognises that, for personal or professional reasons, an
award holder may wish to terminate their award prematurely. This action should not be
taken without prior consultation with the Irish Research Council. Where the award
holder intends to prematurely terminate their award, the Irish Research Council will
require evidence of academic progress to the date of departure. In the event that the
award holder’s progress is deemed inadequate, the Irish Research Council may pursue
the award holder, host institution, or both for reimbursement of the amounts
expended.
8.3. Awardees may apply to the Irish Research Council to suspend their award for reasons of
an eligible career break2 or in order to undertake an internship, where such an
internship3 contributes and is directly relevant to the research project, consistent with
the training and career development plan, and does not exceed nine months in
duration. Any such requests must be submitted in advance of the suspension period.
The decision to grant an award suspension is at the discretion of the Irish Research
Council.
8.4. The award fund is not payable during periods of suspension except in the case of those
specified within the Irish Research Council’s Maternity Leave Policy which is available
here.
8.5. Any additional fees incurred during a period of suspension will be a matter for the
awardee and their host institution.
8.6. The Irish Research Council reserves the right to reduce, suspend, terminate or revoke,
the award with immediate effect:
(a) if any of the information in the award application is found to be plagarised, not
the applicant’s own work or inaccurate in any material respect;
(b) if the host institution, the awardee or their academic supervisor or mentor (as
relevant) has materially failed to comply with these Terms and Conditions;
(c) if, in the reasonable opinion of the Irish Research Council, progress in the
research project is not satisfactory;
(d) if the host institution is unable to obtain any relevant permits, approvals,
permissions or consents necessary for the carrying out of the research project
(e) if the awardee is found to have engaged in research misconduct;
(f) if the awardee reduces or severs their connection with the host institution.
8.7. Within sixty days of the effective date of termination, revocation or expiration of the
award, the host institution must provide the Irish Research Council with a report
containing such information as would be contained in the final report relating to the
award together with an itemised accounting of costs incurred prior to such date. In the
event that the awardee’s progress is deemed inadequate, the Irish Research Council
may pursue the awardee, their host institution, or both, for reimbursement of amounts
expended.

2 Eligible career breaks include maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, adoptive leave, prolonged sick leave and
carer’s leave. Provision of documented evidence of an eligible career break will be required.
3 Insurance cover in respect of participation in an internship is a matter for agreement between the awardee and their host

institution.

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 8.8. Where the award is reduced, terminated or revoked by the Irish Research Council in
accordance with clause 8.6, the host institution must repay to the Irish Research Council
such amount of the award as remains unspent within sixty days of the effective date of
termination.

9. Payment of the award

9.1. The award shall be paid to the host institution in accordance with schedule 3 below, as
may be amended by the Irish Research Council, subject to compliance by the host
institution and the awardee with these Terms and Conditions.
9.2. The host institution will apply the award as set out in this agreement and will not deviate
in any respect without the prior written consent of the Irish Research Council.
9.3. Payment of the award shall be made by electronic transfer to the bank account
nominated by the host institution in accordance with schedule 3 below.
9.4. Subject to compliance with these Terms and Conditions, it is the host institution’s
responsibility to coordinate payment of the awardee in a timely manner.
9.5. Where major underspend is identified as part of the reporting process, subsequent
payments may be reduced, or the timetable of payments amended.
9.6. An amount of €1,500 will be withheld from the final payment of each award, pending
receipt and approval by the Irish Research Council of all applicable progress and financial
reports as outlined in section 11
9.7. Monitoring and review of progress. Upon receipt of all required reports, a final payment
will be made to the host institution in the next quarterly payment.

10. Financial accountability

10.1. The host institution must ensure that all funds claimed and paid under the award are
allowable, necessary and reasonable for the conduct of the research project. No funds
may be used by the host institution to cover overhead or administrative costs.
10.2. Funds may not be reallocated within headings. Funds may only be carried forward from
the previous year of the award under the direct research costs heading. It is only
permitted to carry forward unused funds under the stipend, salary, PRSI, pension
(where applicable) or fees headings following a period of award suspension.
10.3. Funds awarded under the direct research costs heading may only be used for
reasonable and vouched expenses incurred in carrying out the research project during
the agreed funding term.
10.4. No costs incurred during any period of suspension or after the effective date of
termination or revocation of an award shall be direct costs.
10.5. The host institution shall ensure that the procurement of goods and services under the
award is carried out in accordance with procurement law and policy, including any
guidelines issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to
public sector procurement.
10.6. A maximum limit of €1,000 for laptops or computers applies unless required for high-
performance computing.

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10.7. Laptops or computers may not be purchased within the last six months of an award
unless with prior permission from the Irish Research Council.
10.8. The assets purchased under any award shall primarily be used for the purpose of the
research project.
10.9. Unless otherwise agreed, any assets purchased under the direct research costs heading,
including software or hardware, will remain the property of the awardee. Where
relevant, it is the responsibility of the awardee and their host institution to arrange for
payment of the appropriate benefit-in-kind taxes.
10.10. The host institution shall be responsible for ensuring that, where appropriate, assets
purchased under the award have adequate insurance cover.
10.11. The host institution shall furnish the required financial reports to the Irish Research
Council as set out in schedule 4 below.
10.12. The host institution shall furnish the final financial report to the Irish Research Council
within sixty days of the end of the funding term.
10.13. The host institution will return all unspent funds to the Irish Research Council within
sixty days of the end of the funding term.
10.14. If the host institution incurs costs that exceed the amount of the award, then such
excess shall be borne by the host institution.
10.15. The Irish Research Council shall have the right to seek reimbursement in the event of an
overpayment of the award, including the right to set off such overpayment against
further payments of the award.
10.16. The awardee must not accept or receive funding for the same research project from
any other source unless previously approved in writing by the Irish Research Council.
10.17. Where consistent with institutional policies, the stipend or salary of an awardee may be
supplemented utilising an alternative source of funding provided the successful
completion of their Irish Research Council award remains the awardee’s primary focus.
10.18. The Irish Research Council reserves the right to commission audits of the host
institution for financial or other compliance. The host institution undertakes to fully
facilitate these reviews.
10.19. The Irish Research Council reserves the right to ask for confirmation from external
auditors of the following:
(a) that the annual accounts of the host institution are up to date and have been
approved by the auditors without qualification;
(b) that the management letter from the auditors raised no matters that did or
could significantly affect the administration of the award;
(c) that the funds received have been used for the purpose for which they were
awarded.
10.20. The Irish Research Council accepts no responsibility, financial or otherwise, for
expenditure or liabilities arising out of work carried out under the award.
10.21. The host institution must fully indemnify the Irish Research Council against all such
expenditure or liabilities and against any actions, proceedings, costs, damages,
expenses claims and demands arising from them including, in particular, but without
limitation, any claims for compensation for which the host institution may be liable as
an employer or otherwise, or any claims by any person in relation to any intellectual
property.

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11. Government funding

11.1. The host institution acknowledges that the Irish Research Council is dependent on the
Irish State for funding of its grant activities and that, if sufficient funding is not
forthcoming from the State, the Irish Research Council may not be in a position to fund
all of its award commitments. Accordingly, the host institution agrees that if the Irish
Research Council does not have sufficient funding to cover all of its award
commitments as aforesaid:
(a) the Irish Research Council shall be entitled in its sole discretion to determine
which award commitments it will continue and which commitments it will
reduce, suspend, terminate or revoke;
(b) the Irish Research Council shall be entitled in its sole discretion to forthwith
reduce, suspend, terminate or revoke the award by written notice to the host
institution.

12. Monitoring and review of progress

12.1. The Irish Research Council attaches considerable importance to monitoring the
progress, outputs and outcome of its awards. The timetable for submission of interim and
final progress reports by the award holder and their academic supervisor or mentor (as
relevant) is outlined in schedule 4. These reports will be collected via the Irish Research
Council’s online grants management system. The continuation of funding will be
dependent on the demonstration of sufficient progress through these progress
reports.
12.2. Awardees under the Irish Research Council’s strategic funding partnerships may be
required to provide project updates to the relevant strategic funding partner or attend
meetings or events as required. These activities will not normally exceed 12 hours in any
given month and may include presentations, briefings and research papers as relevant.
12.3. It is the ultimate responsibility of the host institution to ensure that progress reports
satisfactory to the Irish Research Council are submitted either:
(a) as required under the award conditions or;
(b) otherwise at the request of the Irish Research Council including, where relevant,
reports in relation to research outputs that are generated after the award has
terminated for up to a period of ten years following the date of such
termination.
12.4. Where the required progress reports incorporate information or data from third parties,
the host institution is responsible for ensuring that it is duly authorised to disclose such
third-party information to the Irish Research Council.
12.5. The host institution shall ensure that the awardee and their academic supervisor or
mentor (as relevant) submits the required progress reports promptly and, where
applicable, within the period specified by the Irish Research Council. If there are
exceptional reasons which will cause a delay in the submission of any report, including
the final report, a written request to extend the deadline may be made to the Irish
Research Council before the due date passes.

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 12.6. Where an unsatisfactory progress report is received, the Irish Research Council reserves
the right to convene a review committee to evaluate progress on the award in
accordance with the deliverables outlined in the original application.
12.7. Failure to file the required progress report by the specified deadline, or submission of an
unsatisfactory report, may result in the Irish Research Council reducing, suspending or
terminating the award. Where an award is terminated, the Irish Research Council will
have leave to seek recovery of monies which have been awarded.
12.8. As per clause 9.6, an amount of €1,500 will be withheld from the final payment of each
award pending receipt and approval by the Irish Research Council of all applicable
progress and financial reports. If final progress reports from the awardee and their
academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) satisfactory to the Council are not received
within one month of the end date of the award, and a final financial report from the host
institution within sixty days of the end date of the award, the Irish Research Council shall
be entitled to withdraw the final award payment.
12.9. Where progress reports are outstanding, or unsatisfactory to the Irish Research Council,
the awardee will not be eligible to be named on a subsequent application for funding
from the Irish Research Council until such outstanding report has been submitted and
declared satisfactory.

13. Audits and record keeping

13.1. The host institution shall maintain separate financial records for the award identified by
a reference code which is specific to the award.
13.2. All financial records in relation to the award must be maintained in accordance with
good accounting practice.
13.3. The host institution shall maintain such other records as may be reasonably necessary to
satisfy the Irish Research Council that the host institution has complied with these
Terms and Conditions, including records relating to completion of the degree for which
the award has been provided (where relevant), and the progress, outputs and outcome
of the research project.
13.4. The host institution, awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant)
must make all records referred to in clause 13.3 available to the Irish Research Council
or its authorised representative(s) upon reasonable notice for the duration of the
research project and for a period of six years following submission to the Irish Research
Council of the final report relating to the award.
13.5. All awards may be subject to external research and financial audit for up to a period of
six years following the end date of the funding term. The purpose of any audit is to
verify the original aims of the award and determine progress as specified. A
research audit may include independent peer review or site visit as appropriate. The
host institution shall fully cooperate with any such auditor or professional adviser and
allow them full access to all financial and other records referred to in clause 13.3.

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14. Additional duties

14.1. The awardee is permitted to engage in additional duties such as teaching, tutoring or
demonstration work in their host institution during the award, provided:
(a) the work does not take place in the first year of the awardee’s PhD or master’s
degree in the case of postgraduate awardees;
(b) the work is relevant to the research project and consistent with the awardee’s
training and career development plan;
(c) the awardee has the written permission of their academic supervisor or mentor
(as relevant);
(d) the work does not exceed a total of 50 hours per academic term, including
contact and non-contact hours, and does not prevent the awardee from carrying
out their research activities;
(e) such additional duties are detailed as part of the required progress reporting.
14.2. The Irish Research Council requires host institutions to ensure that additional duties such
as teaching, tutoring or demonstration work is appropriately renumerated, contributes
to the professional development of the awardee and is taken into account as part of the
relevant evaluation or appraisal systems.
14.3. With regards remunerated work outside the host institution, the awardee will be bound
by the rules that apply to similar employees in their host institution. 
14.4. From time to time, the awardee will be required to attend events or meetings as
arranged by the Irish Research Council.

15. Additional awards

15.1. This award may be held in conjunction with other externally funded travel bursaries,
equipment grants or small awards which do not exceed the amount of annual funding
provided by the Irish Research Council in any given year provided that:
(a) the awardee seeks the approval of the Irish Research Council prior to accepting
any such additional funding;
(b) the awardee’s request for approval is endorsed by the host institution confirming
the amount, source and stipulations of any such additional funding;
(c) doing so does not affect the ability of the awardee to carry out their research
project as outlined in their application;
(d) accepting such an award is in line with the awardee’s career training and
development plan;
(e) the Irish Research Council continues to be recognised as the primary funder and
acknowledged as such in any material relating to the award;
(f) there is no significant overlap with the research project that has been funded by
the Irish Research Council;
(g) the relevant information is recorded as part of the required progress reporting;
and
(h) compliance with Irish laws and regulations on taxation in respect of any additional
funding will be a matter for the awardee, their host institution and the Office of
the Revenue Commissioners.

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 15.2. Should the awardee apply for another source for funding during the award term, they
must explicitly state as part of that application that they hold an Irish Research Council
award.

16. Award transfer

16.1. Funding will only be provided for the research project as presented in the application.
The written consent of the Irish Research Council must be sought in advance of any
significant departures from the research project during the funding term. Such requests
will be independently peer-reviewed and the Irish Research Council’s decision on
whether to approve the proposed change(s) will be final.
16.2. The Irish Research Council expects awardees to complete their research project as
originally proposed, however it is recognised that exceptional circumstances may call for
a change of host organisation or of academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant). The Irish
Research Council may, but shall not be obliged to, agree to such a request provided that:
(a) it is satisfied that such an action will not impact on the completion of the award
according to the agreed budget, objectives and deliverables;
(b) the transfer is agreed, in writing and in advance, by the Irish Research Council,
and all other relevant parties; and
(c) arrangements satisfactory to the Irish Research Council are put in place to
continue the research project in a manner in which it was originally approved.

17. Award completion

17.1. Where a postgraduate awardee submits the hard-bound copy of their thesis before the
end of the funding term, the awardee must inform the Irish Research Council
immediately whereupon funding to the awardee will cease.
17.2. Where a postgraduate awardee submits the hard-bound copy of their thesis before the
end of the funding term, the awardee must inform the Irish Research Council
immediately whereupon funding to the awardee will cease.
17.3. Where a postdoctoral awardee finishes their project before the specified end date of the
funding term, they must inform the Irish Research Council in writing and cease drawing
any remaining funds from their award at the end of the calendar month in which the
project was completed.
17.4. Awardees are required to provide follow-up contact details and ORCID for the purpose of
researcher career tracking in their final report or as otherwise requested by the Irish
Research Council. Where an awardee’s contact details change following completion of
their award, they are asked to provide updated details via the online grants management
system.
17.5. The Irish Research Council periodically carries out a destination survey of the awardees
that it funds. The awardee shall agree to cooperate in responding to this survey.   

18. Intellectual property

18.1. The Irish Research Council does not make any claim to intellectual property arising from
the award.

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 18.2. Where appropriate, the Irish Research Council encourages that all reasonable
endeavours are taken to ensure that, where practicable, discoveries and advancements
in knowledge arising from the research project are translated for public benefit including
commercial development as set out in Ireland’s National IP Protocol 2019.
18.3. Where research is wholly funded by the Irish Research Council, the host institution shall
own any intellectual property arising from the research. The host institution shall then
be free to negotiate arrangements for other organisations to access the intellectual
property to maximise the benefits of commercialisation for Ireland.
18.4. The host institution must establish rules and procedures for protecting and managing
any intellectual property arising during the award. These rules and procedures must be
in accordance with national guidelines.
18.5. The host institution and the awardee must disseminate, as widely as reasonably
practicable and in accordance with the Ireland’s National IP Protocol 2019, the outputs
of the research project in internationally peer-reviewed publications, and, where
appropriate, among the general public.
18.6. In the case of collaborative research where more than one host institution is involved, a
research agreement (including reference to intellectual property rights, dispute
resolution and confidentiality) must be in place before the award can commence. The
terms of any such agreement must not conflict with those outlined in this document and
a copy of any such agreements should be made available to the Irish Research Council.

19. Open access

19.1. The Irish Research Council’s policy in relation to open access is available here.
19.2. Where relevant, the host institution shall ensure that the awardee complies with the
National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment.
19.3. The Irish Research Council requires a data management plan to be submitted in line
with the requirements outlined in schedule 4. A guide for the preparation of data
management plans is available here.

20. Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment

20.1. The Irish Research Council supports a system in which researchers, both staff and
students, are entitled to carry out their research free from any form of harassment,
victimisation or bullying. The Irish Research Council’s Policy on Bullying, Harassment and
Sexual Harassment is available here.
20.2. It is the responsibility of the host Institution to create an appropriate research culture
and to deal with any complaints of harassment, victimisation or bullying in accordance
with fair procedures and natural and constitutional justice and in line with their internal
procedures guided by national policies.
20.3. All Irish Research Council staff are entitled to be treated with courtesy and respect at all
times and, accordingly, are encouraged to report any instances of infractions to
management. In cases where staff experience abusive or inappropriate behaviour from
an individual, the Irish Research Council reserves the right to report any such behaviour
to the relevant personnel in the host institution connected with the individual.

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21. Gender equality in research

21.1. The Irish Research Council’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan commits to systematically
and consciously working to address gender challenges by:
(a) encouraging more equal gender representation in the research population, for
example by showcasing relevant role models;
(b) acknowledging unconscious gender bias may exist and taking steps to limit any
effect on internal processes and procedures to deliver a level playing field for all
applicants;
(c) supporting the development of national initiatives to remove gender related
structural constraints and barriers in the recruitment, advancement, retention and
mobility of all researchers in the Irish research system;
(d) increasing awareness of the need to consider whether a potential sex and/or
gender dimension is relevant in a research proposal and, where relevant, requiring
integration of sex/gender analysis into the design, implementation, evaluation and
dissemination of the research.
21.2. It is a requirement that the awardee and their host institution promote gender balance
in research development and dissemination activities, in particular in relation to the
organisation of conference or networking panels associated with the award.

22. Research governance

22.2. The host institution must ensure that the highest quality of research conduct is
maintained at all times throughout the award.
22.3. The host institution shall have in place effective systems for assuring the quality of
research carried out by the awardee.
22.4. The host institution shall have effective mechanisms for identifying research misconduct
and shall have clearly publicised and agreed procedures for investigating allegations
made of such misconduct.
22.5. The host institution shall ensure that the awardee complies with the European Code of
Conduct for Research Integrity, the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research
Integrity in Ireland and any other guidance the Irish Research Council may release in
relation to research integrity.
22.6. The host institution shall ensure that the awardee and academic supervisor or mentor
(as relevant) has received appropriately certified training in research integrity within six
months of the date of commencement of the award. Failure to ensure that this is the
case may result in reduction, suspension or termination of the award.
22.7. The host institution shall as soon as possible furnish to the Irish Research Council, in
writing, details of any proven allegation of research misconduct directly or indirectly
relating to the award.

23. Acknowledgement of funding

23.1. It is an explicit requirement for the awardee, academic supervisor or mentor (as
relevant) and the host institution to publicly acknowledge the support received from the
Irish Research Council, to include appropriate use of the Irish Research Council’s full
logo.

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 23.2. The awardee, academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) and the host institution must
comply with the Irish Research Council’s Requirements for Acknowledgement of Funding
policy at all times.
23.3. Where an awardee, academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) or host institution
consistently fails to acknowledge the Irish Research Council’s support, sanctions may be
applied including prohibition from applying for additional Irish Research Council funding
for a period of two years.
23.4. The full name of the organisation, the Irish Research Council, should always be used
when acknowledging support.
23.5. The host institution shall ensure that:
(a) any and all publications resulting from the award include the following reference:
“The research conducted in this publication was funded by the Irish Research
Council under award number [XXXXXXX]”;
(b) the support of the Irish Research Council is acknowledged in all press releases and
referenced orally in news media interviews, including popular media, such as,
radio, television and news magazines;
(c) the support of the Irish Research Council is acknowledged appropriately in all
social media.
23.6. It is a requirement that the awardee notifies the Irish Research Council in advance of
their participation in any significant events, for example, attaining an award of
significant merit or substantial participation in events of national interest or impact
connected to their award.
23.7. If the host institution intends to issue a press release about the research project, the
Irish Research Council must be notified in advance to allow for coordination.

24. Career development

24.1. It is the policy of the Irish Research Council to ensure that the early-stage researchers it
funds are equipped with the relevant disciplinary and transferrable skills to allow them
to pursue diverse career paths and establish themselves as independent researchers and
thinkers. The Irish Research Council’s Career Development Policy Statement is available
here.

25. Conflict of interest

25.1. The host institution is responsible for:

(a) recording and managing actual and potential conflicts of interest in respect of the
award;
(b) ensuring that any relationship between the host institution, the awardee or other
members of the research team and any commercial organisation or other third
party relevant to the award does not give rise to a conflict of interest for the host
institution, the awardee or other members of the research team;
(c) putting in place a dedicated conflict of interest policy, where this is required by
any applicable guidance.
25.2. Any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest relating to the host institution, the
awardee or other members of the research team must be fully disclosed to the Irish
Research Council as soon as such conflict or potential conflict becomes apparent. In the

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 event of any conflict or potential conflict of interest, the Irish Research Council shall, at
its discretion, decide on the appropriate course of action.

26. Data protection

26.1. The host institution shall comply with all General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
applicable laws in the processing of personal data.
26.2. The Irish Research Council will collect, use and disclose personal data provided in the
application and otherwise obtained under or in connection with these Terms and
Conditions for the payment, monitoring, maintenance and review of the award, for the
performance of its statutory powers and functions and for its general activities. Further
details regarding the Irish Research Council’s collection, use and disclosure of personal
data and individuals’ rights in respect of personal data relating to them are available in
the Irish Research Council’s Data Protection Notice.
26.3. During the award, or at any time following the expiration or termination of the award,
the Irish Research Council may contact the awardee or academic supervisor or mentor
(as relevant) concerning funding opportunities, Irish Research Council activities or
events.
26.4. During the award, or at any time following the expiration or termination of the award,
the Irish Research Council may contact the awardee or academic supervisor or mentor
(as relevant) for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating research data and data
related to impact. The awardee and their academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant)
are expected to comply with such requests.
26.5. The Irish Research Council may choose to authorise a third party to contact the host
institution, the awardee or any member of the research team on its behalf.

27. Freedom of information

27.1. The Irish Research Council may be required to disclose information provided to it in
response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
27.2. Should the awardee, academic supervisor or mentor (as relevant) or host institution
consider that any information supplied to the Irish Research Council is confidential or
commercially sensitive it shall, at the time of providing the information, identify such
information and give reasons for its confidentiality or commercial sensitivity. The Irish
Research Council may, if it considers it appropriate, consult with the awardee, academic
supervisor or mentor (as relevant) or host institution prior to releasing or consenting to
the release of such information.

28. Dispute resolution

28.1. The Irish Research Council aims to deal with any issues that arise on its awards in a fair
and timely manner. Awardees are required to engage with the Irish Research Council in
the resolution of any such issues arising via the appropriate channels. The use of public
fora, including social media, for this purpose will be considered to be a serious
departure from this requirement.
28.2. The parties shall use their best efforts to negotiate in good faith and settle any dispute
that may arise out of or in relation to the award, these Terms and Conditions or any
breach of them. If any such dispute cannot be settled amicably through ordinary

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 negotiations by the authorised representative of the parties, the dispute shall be
referred to the Vice President of the host institution and the Director of the Irish
Research Council, who shall meet in good faith to try and resolve the dispute.
28.3. Nothing contained in these Terms and Conditions shall prevent either party from
seeking injunctive or other relief in a court of law to protect or enforce its legal rights.

29. Force majeure

29.1. Neither party shall be liable to the other in contract, tort or otherwise for any failure or
delay in the performance of any of its obligations under the award that are caused by any
event of force majeure including, but not limited to, an act of God, labour dispute, or
interruption or failure of utility service.

30. Severability

30.1. If any provision under these Terms and Conditions shall become or be declared illegal,
invalid or unenforceable for any reason, including by reason of the provisions of any
legislation or other provisions having the force of law, or by reason of any decision of any
Court or other body or authority having jurisdiction over the parties, including the EU
Commission and the European Court of Justice, such terms or provisions shall be
severable from the Terms and Conditions and shall be deemed to be deleted, provided
always that if any such deletion substantially affects or alters the basis of the award, the
parties shall negotiate in good faith to amend and modify the provisions and terms of the
award as may be necessary or desirable in the circumstances.

31. Nature of relationship

31.1. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall constitute a partnership or joint venture or
establish a relationship of agency between the parties.
31.2. The Irish Research Council does not act as an employer with respect to the awardee or
any other personnel of the host institution. The Irish Research Council shall not be
responsible for, and shall have no liability whatsoever in respect of, any claim for
redundancy, compensation, dismissal or discrimination or any other claims for which the
host institution or awardee may be liable as an employer or otherwise.

32. Legal proceedings

32.1. The host institution shall ensure that the awardee and their academic supervisor or
mentor (as relevant) shall make themselves available to participate in any legal
proceedings arising out of the award including, but not limited to, proceedings in
connection with the ownership, exploitation, commercialisation or management of any
intellectual property.

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SCHEDULE 2 – SPECIAL CONDITIONS
To be included where relevant.

SCHEDULE 3 – BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

To be included at the award stage.

SCHEDULE 4 – REPORTING SCHEDULE

To be included at the award stage.

SCHEDULE 5 – AWARD ACCEPTANCE DECLARATION

To be included at the award stage.

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