Ireland‘s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced €6.5 million in funding for 24 new projects addressing climate and environmental policy issues.
The funding, which will focus on research projects in areas such as climate change, the natural environment, the green and circular economy and the environment and human health, will support 148 research staff across ten higher education institutions, as well as collaborating with some 34 organisations, the EPA said.
It noted that the EPA Research Programme, which incorporates the EPA Research Call, provides an evidence-based platform for environmental policy in Ireland, in turn supporting the country’s Research and Innovation Strategy, Impact 2030.
‘Complex challenges’
“We face complex challenges in becoming a resilient, competitive and sustainable society,” commented Dr Eimear Cotter, EPA deputy director general. “Research, such as that funded through the EPA Research Call, will play a vital role in supporting robust policy- and decision-making while ensuring the protection of our environment and climate.
“The projects announced today will support targeted, policy‑relevant research and build connections with policy-makers and practitioners, and ultimately support more effective action. I congratulate the successful teams and look forward to seeing the positive impacts of their work.”
The University of Galway received the highest number of successful research awards, with Aengus Parsons, acting vice-president for research and innovation, stating that the support will strengthen its “commitment to research and innovation around sustainable and resilient environments. I look forward to seeing these projects progress to impacts across climate policy, coastal risk, air quality, emissions reduction, peatland resilience, the bioeconomy, and water quality.”
The annual EPA Research Call is a key element of the EPA 2030 Research Strategy. A full list of funded projects announced under the EPA Research Call 2025 can be found below. Read more here.
Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs
| Lead Applicant | Lead Organisation | Project Title | Grant Aid Committed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Gharbia | Atlantic Technological University (ATU) | RE-CAP: Reviewing, Experimenting, and Co-Designing Action Pathways for Ireland’s Climate Action Plans | €159,303.08 |
| Arash Beiranvand | Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) | INTEgrated GRID Resilience for Infrastructure Sustainability & Emergencies | €272,427.00 |
| Roisín Moriarty | University College Cork (UCC) | Exploratory analysis of the effect of climate change on forest carbon stores in Ireland | €440,572.24 |
| Tomas Mac Uidhir | University College Cork (UCC) | Indicators for Measuring Policy Actions and Climate Trends | €164,572.94 |
| Liz Coleman | University of Galway | Investigating National Policy Impacts on Atmospheric Climate Targets | €330,221.75 |
| *Agnieszka Indiana Olbert | University of Galway | Joint probability of multi-driver floods along Ireland’s coastline | €164,910.94 |
| **Vaios Moschos | University of Galway | Air pollutant Evolution and Regulatory Outcomes through TRend EvaluatioN and Diagnostics | €329,990.33 |
| Feidhlim McGowan | University of Galway | Local Examples of Cooperation and Harnessing Experimental Insights to Lower Emissions | €163,663.52 |
| Jurgita Ovadnevaite | University of Galway | SourcEs And Sinks Of methaNe | €470,108.25 |
| Saeed Alsamhi | University of Galway | Dataspace for Empowered Monitoring of Peatland Stability and Climate Resilience in Ireland | €494,999.02 |
Delivering a Healthy Environment
| Lead Applicant | Lead Organisation | Project Title | Grant Aid Committed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenny Lawler | Dublin City University (DCU) | Integrated Spatial and Temporal POPs Evaluation with Cutting-Edge Strategies for Environmental Monitoring | €328,054.89 |
| Jenny Lawler | Dublin City University (DCU) | Ethanol Emissions and Fungal Growth from Irish Whiskey Maturation: Implications for Environmental Monitoring & Regulatory Compliance | €159,624.34 |
| James McGrath | Maynooth University (MU) | PRevnation through Integrated Outcomes: Reducing radon ImpacTs on Irish Society and Economy | €318,996.60 |
| Patrick Quille | Munster Technological University (MTU) | GreenCOD Investigating green methodologies for the routine measurement of Chemical Oxygen Demand | €133,000.00 |
| Vibhutesh Kumar Singh | South East Technological University (SETU) | F-gases and Chemicals Human-in-the-loop Artificial Intelligence Surveillance System Design | €161,493.51 |
| Patrice Behan | Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) | Greening of Regulated Analytical Chemistry Methods using the existing regulated State Laboratory | €328,783.36 |
Facilitating a Green and Circular Economy
| Lead Applicant | Lead Organisation | Project Title | Grant Aid Committed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swarna Jaiswal | Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) | System Design and Policy Roadmap for B2B and Trade Packaging in Ireland | €164,852.13 |
| David Styles | University of Galway | BIOeconomy INdicators for foreSIGHT | €329,420.84 |
Protecting and Restoring Our Natural Environment
| Lead Applicant | Lead Organisation | Project Title | Grant Aid Committed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Lally | Atlantic Technological University (ATU) | Assessing Landscape Fragmentation Impact on Ecosystems | €163,789.29 |
| Timothy Sullivan | University College Cork (UCC) | Pasture irrigation with treated wastewater: challenges, risks and opportunities | €329,181.61 |
| Karen Ray | University College Cork (UCC) | Determining environmental impacts on landscape – understanding landscape sensitivity in assessment of strategic plans and programmes | €139,409.10 |
| Ainhoa Gonzalez | University College Dublin (UCD) | Artificial Intelligence Supported Expert-Prioritisation of Significant Effects: Streamlining Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping and Improving Effectiveness | €160,336.89 |
| Patrick Morrissey | University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD) | Assessing the thermal effects of dams and barriers on river and lake habitats | €634,445.00 |
| **Edelle Doherty | University of Galway | Low-Flow statistics for Assimilative Capacity Assessments | €158,470.88 |
* Co-funding provided by Met Éireann and the Office of Public Works
** Co-funding provided by Met Éireann
