Events

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Finding Your Funding: Navigating the Funding Landscape across the island

🗓 19th November 2026

⏰1–2pm

💻 Online via Teams

Speakers

Dr Avril Kennan, CEO, Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI)

"Who gets to shape research? Insights from working at the interface between charities, researchers, funders and the public"

Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI) is the national umbrella organisation of charities engaged in health, medical and social care research, collectively representing over 2 million people in Ireland. We champion our members’ interests, to enhance the environment for health research in Ireland. We empower them to realise our shared vision of improving lives through impactful research.

Bio: Dr Avril Kennan is CEO of Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI), an organisation that supports a community of 40 charities to engage in all aspects of health research. Under her leadership, HRCI runs the Irish Health Research Forum, manages a funding scheme for patient-focused research projects in partnership with the Health Research Board and hosts a patient and public involvement (PPI) ‘Shared Learning Group’ for over 30 charities. HRCI is also a national partner on the National PPI Ignite Network.

Avril’s PhD and subsequent lab experience are in the field of molecular genetics. In previous roles in DEBRA Ireland and DEBRA International, she drove a range of patient-focused international initiatives. She’s passionate about improving lives through research

Prof Gráinne Gorman, CEO, Health Research Board (HRB)

"HRB Funding Opportunities"

The Health Research Board funds research and delivers evidence to advance health and social care with the aim of making a real difference to people’s lives. We have teams who work in specific areas, all focus on putting people and their health at the centre of what we do.

We fund research projects and programmes in universities and hospitals to improve health and enhance patient care. We collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders to create a strong, supportive environment for health research in Ireland; building health research career paths and providing infrastructure to ensure innovative practices are developed and put into practice here in Ireland.

Bio: Dr Gráinne Gorman was appointed CEO of the HRB in October 2025. She oversees an annual investment of €66m in health research activity, an awards portfolio of approximately €155m, and leads 127 staff.

Dr Gorman is a Neurologist by training specialising in mitochondrial disease. At Newcastle University, she served as Professor of Neurology, Director of the Welcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, and Theme Co-Lead within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. She is an alumna of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences’ FLIER (Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research) programme and a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

She completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Ireland, attaining specialist certification in Neurology before moving to the UK to join Newcastle University, where her work has focused on clinical trials and translating mitochondrial research into innovative, co-designed care with patients and communities.

​Dr Nicola Armstrong, Senior R&D Programme Manager, HSC Research & Development Division

"HSC R&D Funding Opportunities"

HSC Research and Development Division (R&D)

Our R&D function is a core activity that builds the evidence base that informs decisions about existing and new HSC interventions and services. It helps us to provide high-quality evidence to improve care for patients, clients and the general population and adds to our understanding of health and disease, treatment and care.

HSC R&D does not ‘do’ research, but we work to support research that provides high-quality evidence to improve care for patients, clients and the general population, and adds to our understanding of health, disease, treatment and care. This involves supporting researchers based in Northern Ireland as well as those in Health and Social Care Trusts or other bodies who use the outputs from research findings.

Bio: Dr Nicola Armstrong is a Senior R&D Programme Manager within the Health and Social Care Research & Development Division (HSC R&D Division), where she has worked for more than 20 years. She provides strategic leadership for public health research and oversees the Northern Ireland Public Health Research Network (NIPHRN). Nicola also serves as an observer on the NIHR Public Health Research Programme and is a member of the advisory boards for PHIRST South Bank and PHIRST CONNECT.

Nicola holds a degree in Nursing and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Prior to joining the HSC R&D Division, she spent eight years in postdoctoral research, contributing to longitudinal cohort studies, population-based registries, and clinical and prevention research at University College London, the University of Exeter and Ulster University.

👉 Register now Click here

Finding Your Funding: Navigating the Funding Landscape across the island

🗓 19th November 2026

⏰1–2pm

💻 Online via Teams

Speakers

Dr Avril Kennan, CEO, Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI)

"Who gets to shape research? Insights from working at the interface between charities, researchers, funders and the public"

Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI) is the national umbrella organisation of charities engaged in health, medical and social care research, collectively representing over 2 million people in Ireland. We champion our members’ interests, to enhance the environment for health research in Ireland. We empower them to realise our shared vision of improving lives through impactful research.

Bio: Dr Avril Kennan is CEO of Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI), an organisation that supports a community of 40 charities to engage in all aspects of health research. Under her leadership, HRCI runs the Irish Health Research Forum, manages a funding scheme for patient-focused research projects in partnership with the Health Research Board and hosts a patient and public involvement (PPI) ‘Shared Learning Group’ for over 30 charities. HRCI is also a national partner on the National PPI Ignite Network.

Avril’s PhD and subsequent lab experience are in the field of molecular genetics. In previous roles in DEBRA Ireland and DEBRA International, she drove a range of patient-focused international initiatives. She’s passionate about improving lives through research

Prof Gráinne Gorman, CEO, Health Research Board (HRB)

"HRB Funding Opportunities"

The Health Research Board funds research and delivers evidence to advance health and social care with the aim of making a real difference to people’s lives. We have teams who work in specific areas, all focus on putting people and their health at the centre of what we do.

We fund research projects and programmes in universities and hospitals to improve health and enhance patient care. We collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders to create a strong, supportive environment for health research in Ireland; building health research career paths and providing infrastructure to ensure innovative practices are developed and put into practice here in Ireland.

Bio: Dr Gráinne Gorman was appointed CEO of the HRB in October 2025. She oversees an annual investment of €66m in health research activity, an awards portfolio of approximately €155m, and leads 127 staff.

Dr Gorman is a Neurologist by training specialising in mitochondrial disease. At Newcastle University, she served as Professor of Neurology, Director of the Welcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, and Theme Co-Lead within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. She is an alumna of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences’ FLIER (Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research) programme and a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

She completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Ireland, attaining specialist certification in Neurology before moving to the UK to join Newcastle University, where her work has focused on clinical trials and translating mitochondrial research into innovative, co-designed care with patients and communities.

​Dr Nicola Armstrong, Senior R&D Programme Manager, HSC Research & Development Division

"HSC R&D Funding Opportunities"

HSC Research and Development Division (R&D)

Our R&D function is a core activity that builds the evidence base that informs decisions about existing and new HSC interventions and services. It helps us to provide high-quality evidence to improve care for patients, clients and the general population and adds to our understanding of health and disease, treatment and care.

HSC R&D does not ‘do’ research, but we work to support research that provides high-quality evidence to improve care for patients, clients and the general population, and adds to our understanding of health, disease, treatment and care. This involves supporting researchers based in Northern Ireland as well as those in Health and Social Care Trusts or other bodies who use the outputs from research findings.

Bio: Dr Nicola Armstrong is a Senior R&D Programme Manager within the Health and Social Care Research & Development Division (HSC R&D Division), where she has worked for more than 20 years. She provides strategic leadership for public health research and oversees the Northern Ireland Public Health Research Network (NIPHRN). Nicola also serves as an observer on the NIHR Public Health Research Programme and is a member of the advisory boards for PHIRST South Bank and PHIRST CONNECT.

Nicola holds a degree in Nursing and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Prior to joining the HSC R&D Division, she spent eight years in postdoctoral research, contributing to longitudinal cohort studies, population-based registries, and clinical and prevention research at University College London, the University of Exeter and Ulster University.

👉 Register now Click here