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EPA Research Awards 2017

Results of the 2017 EPA Research Calls

The 2017 Research Calls opened on 5th May 2017, with a total of 106 applications received using SmartSimple resulting in 31 awards:

TOTALS: 106 31 €6,857,413
CallProposals ReceivedAwards MadeFunding Committed
Climate 2017 15 5 €1,147,286
Water 2017 30 7 €2,378,041
Sustainability 2017 17 10 €1,984,998
UN SDG 2017 17 6 €1,190,428
Green Enterprise 2017 27 3 €156,659

Other 2017 Research Awards

Additional projects were awarded resulting from strategic partnerships at national and international level (i.e. Joint Transnational Calls via the Water & Climate Joint Programming Initiatives; IRC-EPA Scholarships; SFI-EPA Investigator Programme; Fulbright-EPA awards), as well as awarding projects from our Reserve Lists from previous calls:

CallAwards MadeFunding Committed
Sustainability 2015 Research Call 1 €349,996
Climate 2016 Research Call 3 €688,861
Dublin Institute of Technology- EPA Fiosraigh Enterprise Scheme 1 €90,000
2016 Climate JPI Joint Call 3 €995,120
Fulbright Awards 2 €36,488
Irish Research Council - EPA Scholarships 2016 & 2017 8 €534,600
SFI-EPA Investigators Programme 2 €800,000
2016 Water JPI Joint Call 2 €444,135

 The EPA’s Research Programme 2014-2020 is designed to identify pressures, inform policy and develop solutions to environmental challenges through the provision of strong evidence-based scientific knowledge:

  • Identifying Pressures: Providing assessments of current environmental status and future trends to identify pressures on our environment. 
  • Informing Policy: Generating evidence, reviewing practices and building models to inform policy development and implementation.
  • Developing Solutions: Using novel technologies and methods that address environmental challenges and provide green economy opportunities

Climate Projects

Lead Organisation

Principal Investigator 

Project Title 

Project Type 

University College Cork  Eilis O'Reilly Irish Nationwide Health and Air Quality Linkage Medium Scale Project
University College Cork  Gerard Mullally Imagining 2050: Engaging, Envisioning and Enabling Dialogue on Pathways towards a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Ireland Medium Scale Project
Dublin City University Diarmuid Torney

A Structured Evaluation of Ireland's Climate Policy Response

 Desk Study
University College Cork  Jeremy Gault Climate Status Report Ireland Medium Scale Project
Dublin Institute of Technology Jose Maria Maya Manzano Pollen Monitoring and Modelling Research Fellowship

Water Projects

Lead OrganisationPrincipal InvestigatorProject Title Project Type 
National University of Ireland Galway  Conor Delaney Remote Sensing of Irish Surface Waters Medium Scale Project
Teagasc Mary Ryan Water: Mitigating Agricultural impacts through Research and Knowledge Exchange Large Scale Project
University College Dublin Mary Kelly-Quinn Managing small stream networks for improved water quality, and catchment biodiversity and ecosystem services protection Large Scale Project
Teagasc Daire Ó Hullacháin Specific Management And Robust Targeting of Riparian Buffer Zones Large Scale Project
Queen's University Belfast Paulo Prodohl Taxonomy and Phylogeography of Irish Arctic Char Medium Scale Project
Dublin City University Blánaid White Innovative monitoring to prioritise contaminants of emerging concern for Ireland Medium Scale Project
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Heather Lally Assessing the potential of drones to take water samples and physico-chemical data from open lak Medium Scale Project

 Sustainability Projects

Lead OrganisationPrincipal InvestigatorProject Title Project Type
University College Dublin Enda Murphy Noise and Health: Evidence from Ireland Medium Scale Project
University College Dublin Enda Muprhy Transitioning to Strategic Noise Mapping under CNOSSOS-EU Medium Scale Project
National University of Ireland Galway Dearbhaile Morris Antimicrobial Resistance and the Environment – Sources, persistence, Transmission and risk management Large Scale Project
University College Dublin Ainhoa Gonzalez Follow-on Review of Effectiveness of SEA in Ireland Medium Scale Project
University College Cork Bernadette Power Environmental Outcomes from Licence Enforcement Medium Scale Project
University of Limerick Colin Fitzpatrick Trialling the Preparation for Reuse of IT WEEE (TriReuse) Desk Study
University College Cork Mairead Harding Assessment of the environment and health impacts arising from mercury-free dental restorative materials Medium Scale Project
University College Cork Martina Hayes Usage and Waste Management of amalgam dental fillings and their alternatives by Dentists in Ireland Desk Study
University of Limerick Colin Fitzpatrick An Investigation into WEEE Arising & Not Arising in Ireland Medium Scale Project
Central Solutions Ltd Niall Keely Behavioural change tools to promote Going-Beyond Compliance in the Regulated Community Desk Study

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Projects

Lead OrganisationPrincipal InvestigatorProject TitleProject Type
National University of Ireland Galway Vincent O'Flaherty  An Irish nutrient platform to underpin sustainable development Medium Scale Project
University College Dublin Anita McKeown  Co-designing for resilient rural community development through P2P knowledge networks and STEAM place-based learning interventions Medium Scale Project
University College Dublin Patrick Paul Walsh Framework for Achieving Environmental Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Medium Scale Project
Central Solutions Ltd Niall Keely Charting Ireland's sustainable future: Innovative approaches towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals Medium Scale Project
The Wheel Hugh O'Reilly Piloting innovative approaches in sustainable communities towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals In Ireland Medium Scale Project
Patrick Breslin Trinity College Dublin Learning from Group Water Schemes: Community Infrastructures for Sustainable Development Medium Scale Project

Green Enterprise Projects

Lead OrganisationPrincipal InvestigatorProject Title Project Type
Community Reuse Network Claire Downey  Designing a service model to improve bulky item reuse Green Enterprise
FoodCloud Emma Walsh Food for Ireland Campaign Green Enterprise
Central Solutions Ltd Ken Stockil EPA Large Water Users Community of Practice Phase 4 Green Enterprise

Other 2017 Research Awards

Lead OrganisationPrincipal InvestigatorProject TitleProject Type
University of Limerick Lisa O'Donoghue Raw materials Ireland Medium Scale Project
APEnvEcon Leonhard Lades Enabling Transition Research Fellowship
University of Limerick  Susan Byrne Developing the Potential of Community Energy Action Groups Towards Transition to a Low Carbon Society Research Fellowship
University of Dublin, Trinity College  Aonghus McNabola Quantitative approaches to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Neutrality Research Fellowship
Dublin Institute of Technology  Stephen Barry Process & Policy - A Mechanistic simulation of Carbon GHG Dynamics & Inventories in Irish Upland Mire Dominated Catchments DIT Fiosraigh Enterprise Scheme Scholarship
University College Cork  Barry O'Dwyer Clim2Power - Translating climate data into power plants operational guidance Medium Scale Project
Marine Institute Elvira de Eyto WatexR - Integration of climate seasonal prediction and ecosystem impact modelling for an efficient adaptation of water resources management to increasing climate extreme events Medium Scale Project
Marine Institute Eleanor O'Rourke CoClime - Co-development of CLimate services for adaptation to changing Marine Ecosystems Medium Scale Project
Berkeley University Laura Devaney Bioeconomy Governance in the United States: scales, roles, rights and responsibilities Fulbright Scholarship
New York University Fiona McDermott Urban informatics Fulbright Fellowship
University College Dublin Paul McCabe Changing concentration of atmospheric CO2 impact on programmed cell death and plant defence to pathogens Irish Research Council Scholarship
University College Dublin Patrick Murphy Towards a higher resolution national risk map: Incorporating multiple covariates to develop a new spatial model of indoor radon levels Irish Research Council Scholarship
University of Dublin, Trinity College Jane Stout Enhancing natural capital for ecosystem service provision Irish Research Council Scholarship
University of Dublin, Trinity College Carlos Rocha Redefining waste as a resource when increasing marine food production Irish Research Council Scholarship
University College Cork John Wenger Sources, fate and impact of volatile organic compounds in Ireland Irish Research Council Scholarship
National University of Ireland Galway Rachel Cave Groundwater nutrient discharges and bloom dynamics in semi-enclosed bays on the west coast of Ireland Irish Research Council Scholarship
IT Carlow John Cleary Optochemical detection strategies for heavy metals in water Irish Research Council Scholarship
IT Carlow John Cleary Distribution of metal ions in ground &surface water, soils and plants in South East Ireland Irish Research Council Scholarship
University of Dublin, Trinity College Frank Wellmer A new avenue for crop protection: generating Brassica cultivars with supernumerary trichomes SFI Investigators Programme 2017 Award
University of Limerick Michael Zaworotko Green Adsorbents for Clean Energy (GrACE) SFI Investigators Programme 2017 Award
Maynooth University Fiona Walsh Advanced Biotechnology for Intensive Freshwater Aquaculture Wastewater reuse (ABAWARE) Medium Scale Project
University of Dublin, Trinity College  Laurence Gill EUTROSED - Eutrophication hotspots resulting from biogeochemical transformations and bioavailability of phosphorus in the fluvial suspended sediment of geologically contrasting agricultural catchments Medium Scale Project