The establishment and management of Addiction Research Network Ireland (ARNI)

Posted on: 18 December 2025

The Department of Health has commissioned the Health Research Board (HRB) to establish a network to support the development of alcohol and other drugs research in Ireland. The ARNI will facilitate partnerships among academic institutions, policymakers, individuals with lived and living experience, and citizen scientists.

The Department of Public Health & Primary Care, at Trinity is uniquely positioned to lead this work. As Ireland’s most research-intensive university, Trinity brings international research recognition, robust infrastructure, and strong interdisciplinary leadership. Trinity’s Department of Public Health offers unrivalled expertise in addiction research and knowledge translation, demonstrated through extensive engagement in nationally and internationally funded projects and through international policy advisory roles.

Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers is an international leader in addiction science and brings a proven record of collaborative and participatory research in complex systems. She will be joined by a number of national experts and advisors from across a range of disciplines that contribute to the advancement of addiction science, including Epidemiology; Health Economics and Health Policy and Management; Psychiatry and Psychology; Public Health and Medicine; Sociology; Implementation Science; Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biochemistry; and Citizen Science and Public and Patient Involvement (PPI).

Participants will include senior academics, early career researchers, and students from across Ireland, as well as an International Advisory Board representing Australia, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

ARNI will deliver an actionable, evidence-based, and strategic work plan focused on four core objectives: building a resilient substance use research community; facilitating research prioritisation; supporting the contribution of evidence to policy and practice decision-making; and working towards network sustainability.These objectives will be underpinned by three activity strands: Convening; Concept Development and Planning; and Capacity Building.

At the heart of this approach is a commitment to equity, inclusion, and consultation. The first major deliverable will be a comprehensive, sector-wide action plan (2026–2028), developed through five collective intelligence workshops, an audit of higher education institution (HEI) addiction research activity, and a national researcher directory. This work will prioritise early career researchers, embrace knowledge translation, and enable meaningful public and patient involvement.

ARNI will provide national and international coordination of drug and alcohol research, establishing a strong foundation for a sustainable, policy-engaged, and inclusive future for addiction research in Ireland.

Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said:

“I’m very pleased to be allocating funding to support the establishment of Addiction Research Network Ireland, which will enable the development of research that will help inform our health-led approach to reducing drug-related harms.  

“ The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use recommended strengthening the national research and data collection systems for drugs to inform evidence-based decision-making. Investment in this initiative comes at a critical time as we prepare for the publication of our next national drugs strategy. It is important that we continue to develop robust policies that are informed by strong evidence and research.”

Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s most research-intensive university and is internationally recognised for excellence in health, social science, and translational research. It is home to a significant portfolio of interdisciplinary research in addiction, population health, public policy, and neuroscience. The School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health & Primary Care, where ARNI will be hosted, is a national leader in evidence-informed policymaking, population-level intervention design, and translational research. The Department houses expertise in implementation science, epidemiology, biostatistics, and behavioural sciences, all of which are critical to advancing addiction research. It maintains deep and sustained partnerships with the Health Service Executive, the Health Research Board, the Department of Health, and community-based service providers across Ireland.

Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers, as Principal Investigator, is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. She is Principal Investigator of the Neurobehavioral Addiction Research Group at Trinity and Founder and Director of the M.Sc. in Addiction Recovery. Her research is anchored in a neuro-bio-psycho-social understanding of addiction, integrating behavioural science, neurobiology, epidemiology, and addiction science. Her approach offers advanced, multi-level insight into addiction, prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Professor Ivers has held multiple national advisory roles, including with the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs and the Rapid Response Group on Emerging Drug Trends. Internationally, she is a member of the EUDA Scientific Committee, a former member of the EMCDDA Scientific Committee, and a member of the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group Expert Group on Human Rights and Drug Policy. She is also connected to research consortia across the UK, US, Canada, and Europe. Her strategic leadership and collaborative approach position her to lead ARNI with rigour and innovation.

Professor Ivers said:

“ARNI enables Ireland to shape the future direction of addiction science, one that is collaborative, transdisciplinary, and deeply informed by lived experience. Ireland already has exceptional researchers working not only in addiction but across many disciplines that can significantly strengthen and enrich addiction science. ARNI will bring this expertise together to build national capacity, meet the ambitions of national and European drugs strategies, respond to emerging health and social challenges, and grow the next generation of addiction researchers. By uniting our strengths, ARNI ensures that Ireland is strongly positioned to shape global knowledge and compete at the highest levels of European research funding.”

Brian Galvin, Programme Manager for Drug and Alcohol Research in the Health Research Board’s Evidence Centre, said:

“The Health Research Board welcomes Addiction Research Network Ireland and looks forward to working with colleagues in Trinity College Dublin on this exciting project. The establishment of this network is an important milestone in the development of the knowledge base around drugs in Ireland and will help to ensure that early career researchers are attracted to the field and Irish universities can participate in consortia in competitions for international funding.  It will strengthen the evidence base supporting those working in policy, services and advocacy as we embark on a new national drugs strategy.”

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