Belfast investigative website The Detail has announced it would expand its work and recruit new journalists.

The Detail is a not-for-profit digital media outlet founded in 2011 with an emphasis on in-depth reporting on “issues of vital public interest”.

The Irish Times has published some of The Detail's biggest projects, including its investigations of the religious makeup of schools in Northern Ireland, the legacy of the Troubles and the impact of the abortion laws on both sides of the Border. In the coming months The Irish Times will work with The Detail on journalism projects covering healthcare, the criminal justice system and the problems faced by children across the island.

The Detail places a strong emphasis on data journalism, and its work in that area has been recognised with awards from the Royal Statistical Society, the Online Media Awards and the Northern Ireland Media Awards.

Over the past five years it has received support from philanthropic, public and private sources, with project funders including its parent company Below The Radar Ltd, the Big Lottery in Northern Ireland, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Community Relations Council.

Editor of The Detail Steven McCaffery said: “We are looking forward to working with The Irish Times on projects that will cover issues that are vitally important to the lives of people, north and south.”

The Editor of The Irish Times Kevin O’Sullivan said: “We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with The Detail by embarking together on journalism in the public interest; especially data-driven stories and investigations that are relevant in an all-Ireland context.”