Researchers secure EPA funding to pursue seven “green living” projects

Posted on: 20 February 2025

Seven researchers from Trinity have secured Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding totalling €4.4 million to pursue research projects with a focus in climate change, environmental and human health, and more sustainable living [Thursday 20^th February 2025].

Five – Professor Laurence Gill, and Drs Julie Clarke, Mohammad Reza Ghaani, Jin Zhao and Muhammad Ali – are based in the School of Engineering, while Dr Silvia Caldararu (School of Natural Sciences) and Dr Peter Dunne (School of Chemistry) were also successful.

Prof. Gill will lead a project on fen conservation and restoration; Dr Clarke will develop a climate change adaptation toolkit for local authorities; Dr Ghaani will focus on developing a green, circular economy with industry involvement; Dr Zhao will lead a project centred on enhancing the resilience of the Irish power grid reliant on renewable energy; Dr Ali will develop energy efficient “sludge” for wastewater treatment; Dr Caldararu will develop methods to forecast the ecological resistance of trees to pathogens; and Dr Dunne will work on new solvents for green nanomaterials.

Prof. Alan O’Connor, Head of Trinity’s School of Engineering, said: “We are delighted and grateful to the EPA to see our researchers awarded funding under the EPA Research Call 2024. These awards are a testament to the world-class research happening at Trinity’s School of Engineering in critical areas such as climate change, the natural environment, the green and circular economy, and environmental and human health.

“Their projects will contribute valuable insights and innovative solutions to some of Ireland’s most pressing sustainability challenges. We look forward to seeing the impact of their work in shaping a more resilient and sustainable future.”

Welcoming her award, Dr Silvia Caldararu, School of Natural Sciences, said: “My E-PATH project will investigate the capacity of trees to survive infections such as ash dieback, and bridge between genetics and field data to theoretical understanding, with the aim of scaling to the point that management decisions are taken at. The project will ultimately produce a forecasting tool to aid decision makers in the face of new outbreaks.”

Speaking about his project, Dr Peter Dunne, School of Chemistry, said: “Nanomaterials are a key enabling technology across multiple sectors including energy, catalysis, and the environment. While the uses of nanomaterials may be green, frequently their production is not. Mass for mass the largest components in a material’s production cycle are typically solvents; solvents which are petrochemically derived and environmentally damaging.

“With the DESIGN project we aim to establish a novel class of renewable, naturally derived Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) as viable, green alternatives to conventional petrochemical solvents for the safe and environmentally benign production of functional nanomaterials for use in catalysis and clean energy generation.”

Prof. Sinéad Ryan, Dean of Research at Trinity, added: “I offer my warm congratulations to our researchers and their teams on securing this EPA funding. This funding is a key enabler for research across a number of our disciplines with a focus in conservation, sustainability and/or climate adaptation. I commend our researchers for their vision and commitment to transformative research that addresses societal challenges, and I look forward to seeing these projects develop.”

Prof. Jane Stout, Vice President for Biodiversity & Climate Action at Trinity, said: “Congratulations to all the researchers involved. It’s great to see a diverse set of research projects addressing nature restoration, climate adaptation and mitigation funded, all of which have direct practical applications beyond the laboratory.”

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