Irish EPA urges researchers to tap into funding

Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency is calling on academics to take advantage of European funding set aside for research and development of clean tech.


Irish academics are being advised to give their research an international angle and form partnerships with overseas universities in order to open up funding under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP-7).

Industry and academia have highlighted emerging knowledge gaps where more research would be valuable in several key areas, including water, environmental technologies, soils, biodiversity and environment & health.

Dr Mary Kelly, director general of the EPA said: “The provision of a sound, evidence-base is vital to support effective policy and decision making and for addressing pressing existing and emerging environmental issues.

“Transnational cooperation, such as that promoted by the EU FP7 programme brings together resources, disciplines and scientific excellence.

“The synergy created unlocks new methods of protecting our environment and ensuring sustainable natural resources.

“In the current economic climate, it is vital to maximise the value of environmental research that has been funded nationally by the EPA and others over the past number of years.

“As the co-ordinating body in Ireland for the FP7 environment theme, the EPA will continue to support and provide specialist expertise to Irish researchers to help them leverage further research funding from the EU to undertake valuable projects tackling urgent environmental issues.”

Liam Brown from the FP7 National Support Office, Enterprise Ireland added: “In the first two years of FP7, 18 research participants from Ireland have been successful in winning funding in excess of €4.25 million under the environmental thematic area in this major EU research funding programme.

“Enterprise Ireland has scaled up the national resources to support Irish researchers and companies to participate in FP7 with dedicated specialists from a number of agencies including the EPA.”

Sam Bond

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