EPA Announce Funding Of €14.5m For New Research.

EPA Announce Funding Of €14.5m For New Research To Address Climate & Environmental Challenges.

• EPA announces funding of €14.5 million for 25 new research projects to address climate and environmental challenges.
• EPA funding is building essential research capacity in Ireland with 50 per cent of applications in 2024 submitted by researchers new to the EPA Research Programme.
• The funding supports research in the areas of climate change, the natural environment, the green & circular economy and the environment & human health.
• Reflecting the need for cross-sectoral research, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the research projects.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced new funding for environmental and climate research in Ireland, with funding of €14.5 million awarded for 25 new research projects. These innovative, policy-relevant projects will address key knowledge gaps and support the development of vital research capacity in strategically important areas.

The latest EPA Research Call garnered a strong response, with 50 per cent of successful lead researchers not having previously applied to the EPA for funding. This is a welcome and positive trend that reflects a broadening of the research base in Ireland relevant to environmental and climate issues.

Projects that will receive EPA funding this year include topics such as:

• Attribution of weather events to climate change.
• Exploring Irish people’s attitudes and values around climate change.
• Investigating the risk of exposure to chemicals in foodstuffs.
• Susceptibility and resistance of trees to diseases such as ash dieback.
• Novel approaches to managing textile waste.
• Mitigating the risks posed by electronic waste (WEEE).

Announcing the funding awards, Ms Laura Burke, EPA Director General said: “Our latest EPA State of the Environment Report highlights the scale of challenges facing Ireland and the need for determined action across climate, , sustainable consumption, biodiversity and pollution goals. This new EPA funding will help to build the vital research talent and knowledge needed in Ireland to respond to these challenges and achieve a healthier environment. I congratulate the successful research teams and look forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects will have on environmental protection in the years ahead.”

The latest EPA funding is significant in terms of further building the environmental research capacity in Ireland. It will support almost 200 research staff across 10 organisations, including funding for approximately 50 PhD and postgraduate students. Crucially, the EPA will provide hands-on support and training to the researchers to facilitate the uptake of the research outputs by policy makers and other users. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) received the highest number of successful research awards in 2024.

Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, Prof. Sinéad Ryan, commented: “I offer my warm congratulations to our researchers and their teams on securing this EPA funding. This funding is a key enabler for research across a number of our disciplines with a focus in conservation, sustainability and/or climate adaptation. I commend our researchers for their vision and commitment to transformative research that addresses societal challenges, and I look forward to seeing these projects develop.”

Reflecting the importance of collaboration in addressing climate and environmental challenges, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the projects.

The list of Funding Awards made under the EPA Research Call 2024 is available on the EPA website with full project details in the EPA’s online Research Database.

The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA Research Call 2025 will open for applications in April 2025. Details will be made available on the EPA website.