The EPA Climate Fellowships Call is seeking to support up to four researchers to be seconded to the EPA’s Climate Programme to work collaboratively on research questions that address identified policy needs. These Fellowships will offer successful candidates an opportunity to contribute to the work of the EPA Climate Programme, which plays a central role in Ireland’s climate change response and has the strategic objective to use our knowledge to drive climate action.
The specific objectives of the Climate Fellowships are to:
Applications may be submitted under seven project outlines, listed below, with details available in the call documentation.
Key dates for the call are:
Applicants should review the information provided here and in the call documentation. For any other queries, please contact research@epa.ie.
Applications for Fellowships are restricted to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) on the island of Ireland. Applicants must have a minimum of two years of postdoctoral research or equivalent experience, and must have a contract with an eligible HEI/RPO at the commencement of the Fellowship. Fellowships will be full time and Fellows will nominate an EPA Office (Wexford, Dublin or Cork), which they will attend on an approximately 50% basis.
Applicants should carefully review the EPA Research Climate Fellowships Call 2024 Technical Description, which provides full details of the conditions, eligibility and funding available for this call.
All applications must be made using the EPA’s Online Grant Management and Application Portal (https://epa.smartsimple.ie) in advance of the deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the following documentation in advance of preparing an application:
Applicants must use the project description and budget templates for the Climate Fellowships Call.
All documentation is also available through the EPA’s Online Grant Management and Application Portal, which also includes User Guides for the Portal.
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Deadline Type |
Date |
|
Call opening |
08 August 2024 |
|
Deadline for queries relating to the technical contents of this call |
27 September 2024, 16:00 (Irish standard time) |
|
Submission deadline |
3 October 2024, 16:00 (Irish standard time) |
|
Approval deadline |
10 October 2024, 16:00 (Irish standard time) |
|
Invitation to attend interviews* |
29-31 October |
|
Stage 2 Evaluation – Interviews* |
4-8 November |
|
Notification / Negotiation |
November 2024 |
|
Grant award of successful projects |
November/December 2024 |
|
Start of successful projects |
By 31 March 2025 |
Titles for each of the available projects and the maximum funding available are listed below. It is important that applicants review the detailed background and scope for each project available in the EPA Research Climate Fellowships Call 2024 Technical Description.
Applicants may submit queries on the technical descriptions to the EPA in advance of the deadline for technical queries specified above. These should be directed to research@epa.ie and clearly indicate the project to which they refer. Responses to technical queries will be published on the EPA website for reference by all potential applicants.
While there are seven project outlines included in the Climate Fellowships Call, it is envisaged that a maximum of four Fellows will be appointed through this call.
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Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs |
Max Budget (€) Per Project |
|
Carbon budgets, non-CO2 greenhouse gases and Climate neutrality |
€ 220,000 |
|
Semi-quantitative and quantitative climate risk assessment methods and national and sectoral levels |
€ 220,000 |
|
Analysis of transport-related air emissions |
€ 220,000 |
|
Greenhouse gas removal technologies and Carbon Dioxide Removal |
€ 220,000 |
|
Exploring the interactions between air pollutants and well-mixed climate forcers and the implications for policy |
€ 220,000 |
|
Aligning top-down and bottom-up emissions estimates |
€ 220,000 |
|
Climate Action Synergies and Trade-offs |
€ 220,000 |
The EPA plays a central role in Ireland’s climate change response, with the strategic objective to use our knowledge to drive climate action. We drive the transition to climate neutrality and resilience through our evidence and engagement work. The Agency has a wide climate remit which includes compiling emissions statistics, climate adaptation, climate science and international engagement, climate research, behavioural insights and administration of the European Trading System and Climate Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in Ireland.
The Climate Change Programme encompasses the following four teams, which collectively play an important role in delivering the EPA's Climate Change objectives:
Further details on the Climate Programme are provided in the EPA Research Climate Fellowships Call 2024 Technical Description and available on the Climate Change section of the website.
As part of its wide range of functions the EPA manages an environmental research programme that delivers essential scientific support for environmental policy development, implementation and broader decision making. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. A ten-year high-level framework (2021-2030), EPA Research 2030, has been designed to ensure that EPA's research programming is agile, responsive and flexible.
The scope of EPA-funded research is informed by its relevance to policy and its alignment with the key activities of the EPA. EPA Research 2030 comprises four interconnected hubs that bring an integrated and cross-sectoral approach, enabling holistic management and protection of our environment:
Details on EPA Research 2030, its hubs and all other aspects of the EPA Research Programme can be found on the Research section of the website.