Research Ireland and the Embassy of France in Ireland are delighted to announce the launch of the Ulysses 2026 funding programme.
Named after James Joyce’s celebrated novel, the Ulysses scheme, through targeted networking grants, aims to foster new collaborations by facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and approaches between researchers based in Ireland and France, across all disciplines. The 2026 awarded projects will share funding of €120,000 in total under the scheme. Now in its 28th year, the Ulysses scheme is supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Research Ireland, RTE-France, EirGrid, ADEME and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
• Electricity transmission system operator EirGrid will partner with France-based RTE-France to support suitably aligned research projects in the area of renewable energies and smart grids and on the technical and societal issues related to energy transition.
• The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, will provide support to research projects exploring topics relating to environmental, climate and energy transition.
Celine FitzGerald, Interim CEO Research Ireland, commented:
The long-standing Ulysses partnership exemplifies Ireland’s and France’s mutual commitment to supporting research collaboration between our two countries. To date, over 800 researchers have benefited from funding under this strategically important programme, which has measurably helped to strengthen connections and cultivate greater understanding between our respective research ecosystems. We look forward to the programme’s continuation and to seeing the benefits stemming from the new call being launched today.
H.E. Céline Place, the French Ambassador to Ireland, remarked:
I am thrilled to see the launch of the 2026 Ulysses program with Research Ireland. This significant research initiative underlines our commitment to the special bond between France and Ireland. The program has evolved over time to better serve our researchers’ needs and is now stronger than ever, featuring two years of funding, partnerships with the private sector, and a focus on priority areas such as climate and renewable energy.
Over the years, projects have covered a wide range of topics, the last ones including for example the effect of air pollutants on respiratory health, active mobility of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, innovative electrocatalytic green hydrogen production processes, the promotion of Franco-Irish cultural relations, etc.
The call for new projects across all disciplines is now open, and full details can be found here.
Key Dates
Call Open 16:00 PM (Irish time) 20 February 2025
FAQ Deadline 16:00 PM (Irish time) 24 April 2025
Applicant deadline 16:00 PM (Irish time) 6 May 2025
Expected call outcome End of October 2025
Photo caption: Pictured at the official launch of the Ulysses 2026 funding programme were (left-right) H.E. Céline Place, French Ambassador to Ireland, and Interim CEO Research Ireland, Celine Fitzgerald. Ulysses, through targeted networking grants, aims to foster new collaborations by facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and approaches between researchers based in Ireland and France, across all disciplines.