Sustainability Call 2017

The EPA Research Programme has a strong focus on policy and is driven by national policy and strategy, European Directives and International Policy commitments, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The EPA recognises the importance of Ireland’s role and the role of research in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals to protect the planet from degradation, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.

The EPA Research Programme has allocated funding of approximately € 2.84m for new commitments as a result of this 2017 Sustainability research call.

Click here to view the Sustainability Call 2017 Documents

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for addtional information.  Any queries related to the call not covered by our FAQs must be emailed to research@epa.ie

The EPA Sustainability Pillar is structured into four thematic areas of research as follows:

• Resource Efficiency
• Health & Wellbeing
• Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services including soils and biodiversity
• Socio-Economic Aspects of a Sustainable Environment

Research conducted under the umbrella of the Sustainability Pillar is cross-cutting with complementarity and links across the four themes listed. These links also extend to the Water and Climate pillars.

Multi- and inter-disciplinary research is required on these themes, with expected social, economic, technological, environmental and policy impacts.

Cofunding and Partnerships

As part of the 2017 EPA Sustainability Research Call, two topics will be cofunded with the European Recycling Platform (ERP) and WEEE Ireland

The European Recycling Platform (ERP) is Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and waste battery recycling and is an approved body under the Waste Management (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)) Regulations (S.I. No. 355 of 2011). ERP’s mission is to develop high-quality, cost-effective recycling services for the benefit of producer members, consumers and ultimately the environment and society. ERP Ireland has considerable expertise in managing WEEE and Waste Battery compliance for its members across various industry sectors from IT to pharmaceuticals and various organisational sizes from SMBs to some of the largest multinationals in the world. For more information please visit www.erp-recycling.ie

WEEE Ireland is the largest Compliance Scheme for the Management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and waste batteries in Ireland. The not for profit Scheme, approved by the Minister for the Environment, works with a community of organisations on behalf of its Members to help meet their Producer Responsibilities under Irish legislation.
WEEE Ireland works closely with Retailers, Local Authorities, other collection points and stakeholders at a national level to develop the WEEE and battery take back system in Ireland. They also work with European colleagues in the WEEE Forum and Eucobat to share experiences, technical information and best practice in compliance scheme management on behalf of its members. For more information please visit www.weeeireland.ie

Funding Structure

The EPA invites research proposals under the specific topics listed in the table below.

These proposals will be Desk-Studies, Medium-Scale or Large-Scale Projects

• Desk-Study will typically last from 6 to 12 months with an indicative cost range of €50,000 to €100,000
• Medium-Scale Project will typically last from 24 to 36 months with an indicative cost range of €100,000 to €350,000
• Large-Scale Project will typically last from 36 to 48 months with an indicative cost range for this Call of €350,000 to €650,000