The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced funding of €14.3 million for 33 new research projects addressing climate and environmental challenges.
The funding covers research in the areas of climate change, the natural environment, the green and the circular economy, and the environment and human health.
The projects will support the development and implementation of environmental policies in Ireland, and building research capacity in “strategically important” areas, the EPA said.
The announced funding will support more than 200 research staff across 13 organisations to conduct projects in innovative areas such as:
- How blue light can affect human health and biodiversity;
- Societal transformation required to address climate, environmental and social challenges;
- Digital twins for coastal areas;
- Nature-based solutions for water quality and ecology;
- The circular economy for batteries;
- Sustainable tourism;
- Air pollution in Irish towns.
A total of 71 eligible applications were received under the EPA’s 2023 research call. Nine higher education institutions, three enterprises and one registered charity received funding.
Agri-research projects
Among the research projects that received funding under the EPA’s 2023 research call are several in relation to farming and the agriculture sector in Ireland.
The project titled ”Sow what?’: Connecting Farmers and Policy Makers on Climate Change‘ led by University College Dublin (UCD) received €598,355 in funding.
Munster Technical University (MTU) received €299,253 for its project ‘The Roadmap towards enabling regulatory environment for agri-food waste streams in innovative bio-based value chains’.
The EPA awarded University College Cork (UCC) with €521,290 for its research project titled ‘Dairy Sustainability Through Regenerative Experimentation and Mindsets’.
Trinity College Dublin also received €599,196 for its project ‘Evaluating the benefits of agri-environmental schemes incorporating nature-based solutions for water quality and ecology’.
EPA funding
The projects address current and future knowledge gaps to provide evidence to support the implementation of environmental policies in Ireland, EPA director general, Laura Burke said.
“This EPA funding will also help to build transdisciplinary research capacity and talent in Ireland in key areas relating to sustainability transitions and societal transformations.
“These specialist skills and expertise are essential to enable Ireland to effectively leverage the full range of environmental, economic and societal opportunities offered by the green transition.
“I congratulate the successful research teams and look forward to seeing the project outputs making a positive contribution to environmental protection in the years ahead,” Burke said.
The EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and Geological Survey Ireland to co-fund a number of projects. The research call for 2024 will open for applications in April.
UCC received the highest number of EPA research awards in 2023. Thanking the EPA for its awards, UCC vice president for research and innovation, Prof. John Cryan said:
“These projects will enable UCC researchers to support environmental policies in Ireland, address key societal challenges caused by climate change, and help deliver a healthier environment for all.”