The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling on researchers to fill “knowledge gaps” on climate change and other environmental issues.

The EPA is seeking proposals from the research community on three ‘strands’: climate and air; environmental sustainability; and water.

Up to €10.2 million is being made available for research projects, to be awarded this year and next year. These projects will begin in late 2019 or early 2020.

Some of these projects will span a 12-month period, while others will be conducted over the course of several years. The agency has set down 40 topics to be tackled by potential researchers.

The EPA’s call is aimed at highlighting “the importance of a clean, healthy and well-protected environment for our health, our well-being and our quality of life”.

The initiative is funded through the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, and is designed to support Ireland’s environmental policies, according to the EPA.

“The EPA Research Programme funds research that addresses knowledge gaps and provides the evidence base to inform policy-making by Government,” explained Dr. Alice Wemaere, the EPA’s research manager.

EPA-funded research is an essential component of Ireland’s role in meeting its requirements under environmental policies, such as: the 2015 Paris Agreement; the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015; the EU Clean Air Package; the Water Framework Directive; and the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

She went on to say that the research call will be competitive, and that the agency is expecting to receive “many high-quality submissions”.

“We have leveraged a high level of co-funding from other departments and agencies and we welcome this opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with other organisations in addressing key environmental challenges, while nurturing an integrated cross-sectoral approach,” she concluded.

The timeline for the research call is as follows:

  • Call submission deadline: June 28, 2019 (5:00pm);
  • Call authorisation deadline: July 10, 2019 (5:00pm);
  • Award of new projects: November and December 2019;
  • Publication of the 2019 awards: January 2020.

To apply for EPA funding, you must be registered on the EPA’s online grant application and project management system. Research proposals must be submitted in response to one of the topics included in the call descriptions.

Further information can be found here.