About Us

Our aims

To develop implementation research capability and support implementation methodologies to encourage the uptake of evidence-informed policy and programmes in areas identified as problematic in routine public service delivery.
To be a trusted advisor with expertise in developing strategies to support implementation.
To build capacity in implementation science nationally and internationally through teaching and contributions to the academic literature.

Work of the Centre

To build capacity in implementation science nationally and internationally, to work on policy focused research projects, to deliver place-based implementation solutions for societal “wicked problems”, to develop implementation science theories, methods and tools and to contribute to the academic literature through excellent research outputs.

Our origins

Although science is identifying more effective and efficient solutions to real world problems, uptake of those solutions is still patchy and marginal in routine practice. Issues such as ineffective compliance technologies and a lack of understanding of local context hinder the uptake of evidence-informed programmes in the delivery of public services. Irish policies and strategies are developed with the implementation of key actions at their core. For example, “implement” is mentioned in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2023, Programme for Government and the National Strategy for Higher Education. However, there is an implementation gap.

The Centre was predated by the Health Implementation Science and Technology (HIST) Research Cluster at the Health Research Institute, University of Limerick. A collaboration of HIST and Research Evidence into Policy, Procedures and Practice (REPPP) at University of Limerick led by Prof. Alice Coffey and Dr Seán Redmond has culminated in the development of the Centre for Implementation Research at University of Limerick (CIRcUL).

Configuration

The Centre has a core staff and members with mastery levels of implementation science knowledge and a network of researchers and policy makers trained and mentored by the Centre. We also support a number of PhD students, both within the Centre and affiliated with the Centre.

We received core funding for the period 2024 - 2027 from the Higher Education Authority Performance Funding to carry out several projects. The research focuses on the implementation of policy. Policy topics that will be covered include hospital services, child poverty, housing, inclusion, and education. Learn more about the different projects here.