Research Ireland Public Service Fellowship

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is participating in Research Ireland’s Public Service Fellowship Programme, which offers researchers a unique opportunity to work closely with the Department on policy-relevant research projects, making a significant contribution to the development of high-impact policy in the Media, Communications, and Culture, Arts, & Creative Industries sectors.

Fellowships can have a duration of between 6 and 12 months if full-time, and between 12 and 24 months if part-time. The maximum award amount is €130,000 direct costs.

There are four research projects in the Department open for applications:

• An Estimate of the Value of the Night-Time Economy in Ireland
• An investigation of whether investment in the Arts, Culture and wider creative industries benefits society in Ireland.
• Supporting the effective implementation of Ireland’s Online Safety Framework
• Critical Communications Infrastructure – Mapping, Monitoring & Actionable Insights

If you are a researcher and interested in working on one of our research projects, please click here for more information. Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026.

The Night-Time Economy (NTE) refers to the diverse social, cultural and economic activity occurring between the hours of 6pm to 6am in cities and town centres. The Night-Time Economy Unit in the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport works to implement national policy on the NTE and liaises with a wide range of sectors and stakeholders covering areas such as culture, entertainment, tourism, hospitality, retail, transport, safety, planning and regulation.

In order to assess and inform policy making in this area, data is required across several areas including economic value, social and cultural vibrancy, safety and infrastructure. The NTE unit is now seeking a researcher for its project entitled An Estimate of the Value of the Night-Time Economy in Ireland. This research will look at the existing data, identify any significant gaps, build an overall picture of the health and size of the NTE, and provide an estimate of the value of the NTE to the Irish economy.

Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026. Apply now or find out more at Research Ireland.

In consideration of the fact that rapidly evolving technologies result in an ever-changing online harm environment, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is seeking the support of a Research Ireland Public Service Fellow with a view to co-creating and realising a relevant research project that will support the work of the unit, with a focus on online safety or disinformation policy.

This is an opportunity for a researcher with a background in online safety and/or disinformation and associated disciplines to co-create and drive a research project that will generate valuable insights, and ultimately, inform policy development and decision-making.

The exact details of the research project will be co-created by the researcher and the Department in accordance with the researcher’s interests, the Department’s policy priorities and stakeholder collaboration opportunities.

Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026. Apply now or find out more at Research Ireland.

The numbers of overhead fibre and copper lines, the wooden telephone poles and the underground ducts/chambers of telecoms networks are vast. Some of these assets can become vulnerable to damage over time. Traditional manual inspections can be hazardous, costly, and often catch defects too late. A single failure may lead to catastrophic economic loss and possible risk to life. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is seeking the support of a Research Ireland Public Service Fellow to join an innovative project focused on enhancing the resilience of Communications Critical Infrastructure.

The project proposes to develop a scalable, cost-effective system for the automated inspection and timely identification of actionable tasks.

By leveraging advanced imagery and AI, the project will aim to:

• Detect Early Warning Signs: Identify structural damage, pylon lean, and erosion.
• Monitor Environmental Risks: Track vegetation encroachment and ground deformation.
• Produce Predictive Analytics: Use time-series satellite data to score anomalies and prioritise resources.
• Provide Actionable Insights: Build a GIS dashboard to turn data into real-world maintenance tasks.

Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026. Apply now or find out more at Research Ireland.

In consideration of increased investment in the Arts, Culture, and the Creative sector in recent years, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is seeking the support of a Research Ireland Public Service Fellow to investigate to what extent such investment benefits Irish society.

This is an opportunity for a researcher with expertise in the analysis of socio-economic data and an interest in the Arts, Culture, and Creative Industries to contribute to national understanding of how investment in the sector impacts on, for example, participation by the public, in particular the poorest and most disadvantaged communities, in arts, culture, and creativity; economic opportunities for work in the arts, cultural, or creative industries; and vibrancy in our cities, towns and villages.

It is expected that this project will inform policy development. An important component will be determining gaps in currently available information, and proposing how such gaps might be addressed in future.

Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026. Apply now or find out more at Research Ireland.