Written answer
Medical Research and Training
The HRB funded no chronic migraine research in ten years; two 2024 applications failed, with future funding available through open competitive calls.
1200. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Health the research conducted by the Health Research Board on chronic migraine in Ireland; the plans she has to support additional research on this topic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64608/26]
Comment on this
Funded by the Department of Health, the Health Research Board (HRB) is the lead funding agency for health and social care research in Ireland. The HRB operates through a combination of project and programme grants, capacity building initiatives, collaborative research networks and infrastructure investment. The HRB funds research performing organisations across the island of Ireland to conduct high-quality research, and partners with national, EU and international funding bodies to leverage resources and to advance projects with shared goals. The HRB actively participates in EU trans-national programmes, providing opportunities for the Irish research community and leveraging European Commission co-funding.
The HRB does not typically issue calls restricted to specific disease conditions but considers submissions from the research community in any and all areas of clinical research, population health sciences and health services and policy research. In this way, there are ongoing opportunities, modes and instruments for applicants from all disciplines, career stages and areas of health or diseases research to compete for funding, including research on chronic migraines.
According to the HRB funding database there were no funded grants for projects on chronic migraines within the last ten years.
The HRB awards funding following international peer review and open competitive calls and only those grant applications deemed excellent are considered for funding. In 2024 two applications related to chronic migraines were received through the HRB Summer Scholarships Scheme and were unsuccessful.
The HRB continues to welcome applications from the research community in any area as long as they are aligned with the agency’s broad remit (clinical research, population health research, health services and systems research) and these schemes are always publicly advertised on the HRB's website, with funding decisions made by the Board of the HRB following international peer review.