Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new funding for environmental and climate research in Ireland, with funding of €6.5 million awarded for 24 new research projects. These innovative projects will support the development of vital research capacity and expertise in strategically important areas. Research plays a critical role in informing robust policy and decision-making as set out in Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, Impact 2030. The outcomes of the EPA Research Call 2025 will contribute to the evidence base for environmental policy in Ireland, strengthen connections between the research and policy communities & deliver positive environmental outcomes.
Projects that will receive EPA funding this year include topics such as assessing impacts of national policies on climate targets, use of technology in peatland monitoring, impacts of dams & barriers on rivers & lakes, streamlining Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) through the use of AI, greening of laboratory analysis protocols & greater understanding of sources & sinks of methane. Dr Eimear Cotter, EPA Deputy Director General said: “We face complex challenges in becoming a resilient, competitive and sustainable society. Research, such as that funded through the EPA Research Call, will play a vital role in supporting robust policy & decision-making while ensuring the protection of our environment and climate. The projects announced today will support targeted, policy relevant research and build connections with policy-makers and practitioners, and ultimately support more effective action.”
The latest EPA funding is significant in terms of further building environmental research capacity in Ireland. It will support 148 research staff across 10 Higher Education Institutions & will have a wider reach through 34 collaborating organisations across the public and private sectors in three different countries. University of Galway received the highest number of successful research awards in 2025. Commenting on the announcement, Aengus Parsons, Vice-President for Research & Innovation (Acting) at University of Galway, said “Our researchers are to be commended for their vision & dedication to addressing the urgent environmental challenges of our times. We thank the Environmental Protection Agency for this support, which strengthens our commitment to research & innovation around sustainable & resilient environments.” Reflecting the importance of collaboration in addressing climate and environmental challenges, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann & the Office of Public Works to co-fund a number of projects in areas including flood probability, flow statistics for our rivers & climate modelling.
