Professor Philip Nolan is expected to seek a High Court injunction later on Thursday seeking to restrain his dismissal.
Prof Nolan was notified on Monday night that he was being dismissed from his job as director general of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), his barrister Padraic Lyons SC told the court Thursday morning.
Mr Lyons was speaking as he made an urgent application to Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy to hear Prof Nolan's application for an injunction restraining his dismissal.
The papers in the case would be ready by lunchtime, the court heard.
The judge said if he got the papers by then, he would hear the case at 2pm.
In a statement on Tuesday, SFI said Prof Nolan is no longer director general of the organisation and a new acting head had been appointed on Monday.
SFI is a State-funded research agency which provides grants for researchers from around the world who wish to relocate to Ireland.
