SFI Science Week Call 2023

This Science Week Call is open to a wide range of people and organisations. Organisations are defined in the SFI Discover Grant Terms and Conditions. 

Science Foundation Ireland has a list of Eligible Research Bodies (which includes universities, institutes of technology etc.) – check list of Eligible Research Bodies here. 

If your organisation is included on this list, then your application must be signed off by the appropriate officer (typically the Research Office) within your organisation using the Eligible Research Body Cover Sheet available on SESAME. 

Applications are also welcome from other bodies (i.e. any organisation not included on the above list). 

There are two categories of other bodies that can become eligible for the Science Week Call 2023

(a) State Body (e.g. city or county council)

In order to become eligible for the Science Week Call 2023, applicants in this category are required to complete, sign, stamp and upload the ‘Other Bodies - State Body Cover Sheet’ available on SESAME. A senior executive within the organisation is required to sign the cover sheet indicating the organisation’s support for the application. 

(b) Other Body (i.e. not an Eligible Research Body or a State Body) 

In order to become eligible for the Science Week Call 2023, applicants in this category are required to:  

✔complete the ‘Other Organisation Cover Sheet’ available on SESAME, providing details of the organisation’s status, registration number, auditors, solicitors and bankers  

✔provide details of the organisation structure detailing positions and names of post holders

✔provide a copy of the most recent annual report (if appropriate, i.e. if your organisation is required to publish an annual report)

✔provide a signed copy of the most recent Audited Financial Statements (if applicable)*

If you have any doubt about your organisation’s status, please email discover.programme@sfi.ie for clarification. This must be done in good time before the closing date (minimum three days) to ensure that your application is completed and submitted before the deadline as no exceptions can be made in relation to the submission date for this, or any other, reason.

Applications must be submitted via SESAME, Science Foundation Ireland’s Grants Award System. Log-in details are required to access SESAME. 

• If you are already registered on SESAME you can log in using the same email address; if you have forgotten your password, you can use the Forgot Password functionality to re-set it. 
• If you are from an Eligible Research Body but not registered on SESAME, you should contact the Research Office in your institution to be registered 
• If you have not previously been registered with SESAME, please email the following information to discover.programme@sfi.ie: 
  • Project Lead Name 
  • Email address 
  • Registered Company Name 
  • Legal Status: (e.g. company limited by guarantee, limited company, charity etc.) 
  • Trading Name 
  • VAT Number 

A SESAME profile will be created for you and log-in details will be emailed to the email address provided. 

Science Foundation Ireland’s grants and awards management system, SESAME, is accessed using the Internet; no additional software needs to be installed.  You can access SESAME online from any location.  The configuration of some browsers and internet infrastructure (pop-up blockers, firewalls, etc.) can restrict an individual’s access to the internet and as a result to the SESAME system.  If you are having any such difficulties, please contact your organisation’s IT support team. 

A User Guide for SESAME for applications under the SFI Science Week Call can be found here.    

Draft applications may be amended as many times as required but once submitted no further changes can be made. Once submitted, applications cannot be withdrawn and subsequently modified for re-submission in the same Call. 

Early submission in SESAME is strongly recommended.  Applicants who wait until shortly before the close of the Call risk encountering submission issues. The submit button will cease to be active at the indicated deadline. 

A checklist of requirements is provided at the end of the Call document. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that eligible proposals are received by Science Foundation Ireland on, or before, the deadline indicated. In order to safeguard against ineligibility, applicants are reminded to adhere rigorously to the guidelines in the Call documentation and to review the proposal document prior to submission. 

Please note that SESAME will only accept applications 13.00 hours (Irish time) on 19th May 2023.

SFI has specific requirements for the reporting on awards that it makes. Individuals who hold the primary responsibility for reporting and who fail to comply with reporting requirements, run the risk of having their grant payments suspended and their eligibility to apply for funding in forthcoming SFI calls affected. 

The SFI Grants and Awards Management System, SESAME, is the primary conduit for reporting. Science Week 2023 awardees will be requested to submit their final report by 31st March 2024. A template for this report will be provided on SESAME.  

Successful applicants will be required to outline in the final report the outputs from the funded project (i.e. activities/deliverables/results) and where relevant outcomes (i.e. what has changed as a result of what you have done).