Movember's investment in young men's health research in Ireland

Across Ireland, young men are navigating pressure, relationships, and big life moments. And in communities all around the country, there are already programs doing incredible work to support them. Some are helping lads find their footing as new dads. Some are building the kind of friendships that anchor a person through hard times. Some are changing the way entire sporting communities talk about mental health.

These programs are doing great things. And your support is helping make sure they don't just survive, they grow.

Research that lives inside real programs, not just on paper

This year, Movember is making one of its most significant investments in young men's health research in Ireland. But this isn't research for its own sake. We're funding researchers to work directly inside community programs that are already supporting young men; to document what's working, understand why, and build the evidence that gives those programs the credibility and funding to reach more men.

Think of it less as studying the problem, and more as laying down the foundations for stronger future growth.

Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to establish a national Men's Health Policy. That's something to be proud of. But a policy only changes lives when it's backed by real action, real funding, and real evidence of what works.

That's where Movember comes in. And that's where your support comes in.

So, what are we actually doing...?

Movember Sport Health Research Initiative

(Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland)

Up to four grants | Up to €90,000 each | Now closed

Sport is one of the most powerful places to reach young men. The dressing room, the training pitch, the post-match chat - these are spaces where real conversations can happen, and where the right support can make a lasting difference.

We’re funding researchers to explore what's helping young men's mental health in sporting environments, and crucially, what the wider community around them can do to help. Because young men and boys don't exist in sport in isolation. Parents on the sideline, coaches giving the half-time talk, teammates in the dressing room, they all have a role to play.

A great example of what's possible: Movember Ahead of the Game (MAOTG) is now one of the most evidenced mental health programs in sport, delivered in GAA clubs across the country to young players, their parents, and coaches. That's the journey from research to real-world impact. That's what we're investing in.

Applications for this round are now closed, and we're looking forward to sharing what comes next.

Learn more: https://ie.movember.com/about/funding

Community Men’s Health Research Program

Two grants | Now open

Community programs across the country do remarkable work with young men. But tight budgets mean the impact they make isn’t measured and quantified. Two Movember grants aim to change that. With the aim to understand what's working, document it, and build the evidence that gives these programs the credibility, and the funding, to grow. To support areas including:

• Coping and consumption: how men navigate the stress, pressure and hard stuff life throws at them, and what kinds of support actually make a difference.
• Fatherhood: what really works in programs that help new dads step into fatherhood for the first time with confidence, connection, and support.
• Social connection: think friendship, belonging... because having people around you matters more than most of us admit, and the best programs know how to build that meaningful connection

Applications opening soon. Learn More.

Why fund research instead of just funding the programs?

Imagine a program in Cork where young dads meet weekly (not for a formal class), but for real conversation, connection, and the kind of reassurance that only comes from other men in the same boat. Or a GAA club in Galway where players, parents and coaches have all learned a new language around mental health – and where that culture now shapes what happens both on and off the pitch. These things exist. They're working. But without evidence, sufficient funding, or, without someone properly documenting why they work and how, they stay small, they stay underfunded, and eventually, they disappear.

Research changes that equation. It takes something working in one community and gives it the best chance of reaching more people. It's how Movember helps builds things that last.

This is your movement too.

Whether you've grown a Mo, moved with us, hosted a Mo-ment, or Mo'd your own way, you've helped make this possible. This is your donation at work. Not just funding events or campaigns, but building evidence, backing real programs, and shaping a future where more men get the support they need.

And the men in your life? They're who this is for.