Date released: May 08, 2019
The EPA is seeking proposals from the research community to help identify solutions to climate change and other emerging and complex environmental problems. With up to €10.2 million available for new research projects, to be awarded in 2019 and 2020, the Research Call is divided into three strands: Climate & Air, Environmental Sustainability, and Water.
The Research Call highlights the importance of a clean, healthy and well-protected environment for our health, our wellbeing and our quality of life. Managed by the EPA and funded by the Government through the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the research call is designed to support the implementation of environmental policies in Ireland.
Innovative research proposals are invited in response to 40 research topics. The new research projects are expected to start in late 2019/early 2020 and will range from 12-month to multi-annual research projects.
Dr Alice Wemaere, EPA Research Manager, said,
“The EPA Research Programme funds research that addresses knowledge gaps and provides the evidence base to inform policy-making by government. 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, the National Biodiversity Action Plan, as well as in the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Research Call is competitive, and we expect to be assessing many high-quality submissions from the research community. We have leveraged a high level of co-funding from other Departments and Agencies and welcome this opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with other organisations in addressing key environmental challenges while nurturing an integrated cross-sectoral approach.”
The EPA has been funding research in Ireland since 1994 and is currently funding more than 200 on-going research projects. Further details about the 2019 EPA Research Calls are available on the EPA website.
Notes to Editor
Supporting environmental policies: The Research Call is designed to support the implementation of environmental policies in Ireland including: the National Climate Mitigation Plan, National Climate Adaption Framework, Circular Economy Action Plans and Strategies, Biodiversity National Action Plan and National Peatlands Strategy, as well as the forthcoming Clean Air Strategy, UN Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Plan and National River Basin Management Plan.
Research applications: EPA Research Calls are open to all types of organisations, within and outside Ireland. 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.
The call timeframe is outlined below:
Queries relating to the call: research@epa.ie
Further funding: Other EPA funding opportunities this year include Joint Transnational Calls in the areas of Water, Climate and Biodiversity; Fulbright-EPA Scholarships and Fellowships; as well as scholarships, as part of the Irish Research Council-EPA Postgraduate Scheme (due to open later this year) and cofunding under the new Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme.
Further details about the EPA Research Programme are on the EPA website.