Projects Funded
All the research projects funded by Geological Survey Ireland between 2015 and 2024 have been compiled in one document and can be found here.
GSI Short Call
In 2015 Geological Survey Ireland redeveloped and relaunched the Short Call. This call provideed funding for researchers in academia or industry on the island of Ireland for projects of up to 12 months duration, with a budget less than €25,000.
In 2020, the call funding level were increased to €30,000 and duration to 14 months.
The reports and details of calls from 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2022 are available here. Topics included topics such as groundwater, marine geology and mapping, geophysics, geochemistry, quaternary geology of Ireland, groundwater resources and protection, marine geology & mapping, geochemistry, geophysics, geohazards & geotechnical engineering, online database delivery and management.
More on Short Calls Funded Projects
GSI Targeted Calls
GSI Targeted Call 2023
In 2023, GSI launched a new Targeted Call aimed at directly supporting GSI programmes and activities. This included 6 specific Topics and an Open topic for new and innovative research.
More information the funded projects is available here.
GSI Target Call for Groundwater Research
Integrated modelling of hydrogeological/hydrological data and climate change scenarios for preselected Irish groundwater systems.
Outputs from this project will improve the reliability of planning and forecasting, which will inform climate adaptation strategies.
> More on Groundwater Research funded
GSI Target Call – Pyrite/Mica in construction materials
GSI and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, have awarded research funding which will help to improve our understanding of the effects of:
Topic 1: Excessive amounts of pyrite and/or muscovite mica in concrete blocks
Topic 2: Excessive and/or reactive pyrite in sub-floor fill
This research will support evidence-based decision making for policy-makers and standardisation bodies.
> More on pyrite research funded (pdf)
GSI IODP Call
in 2022 GSI launched a call for funding for high quality research projects utilising data collected from International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) expeditions.
The aim of the call is to build capacity and increase the impact of the participation of researchers in IODP activities.
> More on IODP research funded
GSI Masters by Research
In 2023 Geological Survey Ireland launched a new call for Scholarships for students wishing to undertake a Masters by Research. Projects should aim to support the GSI programmes and/or use GSI datasets.
The call comprises a two stage process: and Expression of Interest and a Full Proposal stage. Full proposals could only be submitted after an Expression of Interest was submitted and the topic was deemed eligible. The Full proposal stage had to be submitted by both a Lead Applicant and the named Scholar.
For more about the call details please click here.
For more information about the projects funded click here.
GSI Postdoctoral Fellowships
The aim of the Postdoctoral Fellowships is to address key scientific questions, build capacity, increase research impact and strengthen geoscience research teams in Ireland. It is expected that the research outputs will be of use to the GSI, the wider research community and other relevant stakeholders.
These fellowships provide financial support for a 2 or 3 year postdoctoral position and research costs in an Irish 3rd level institute.
Fulbright (outgoing)
Since 2015 a number of Irish based researchers have been awarded a Fulbright-GSI scholarship or fellowship to travel to the US. Information about our incoming Fulbright students/scholars are in the link below.
Fulbright (incoming)
Since 2015 a number of US based researchers have been awarded a Fulbright-GSI incoming scholarship or fellowship to travel to Ireland. Information about our outgoing Fulbright students/scholars are in the link below.
SEAI-GSI
SEAI and GSI have partnered to co-fund research projects in the area of geothermal energy.
2019/2020 awards include larger scale projects to de-risk the subsurface and novel drilling techniques and a smaller scale project for improved information for shallow geothermal resources.
2021/2022 awards include larger scale project that showcases the impact of geothermal energy in decarbonising a district heating network as part of a broader renewable energy mix and a feasibility study to assess the potential for excess wind energy to be stored as Hydrogen gas in manmade subsurface salt caverns directly below or adjacent to offshore wind farm locations around Ireland.
EPA-GSI
Since 2016 GSI have partnered with the EPA to fund research in the area of water resource estimation and management, sustainabiliy and climate change, soils and minerals. Projects funded under the EPA-GSI partnership are supported by the GSI Groundwater, Tellus and Research Programmes.
2016 awards was for one project to develop a dataset of hydro-climate variables.
2018 awards include two projects, one on mettalloids in soil and groundwater monitoring.
2021 awards include a project on Irish soil mapping, a project on identifying critical raw material for an efficient circular economy, and a third project on management of groundwater resources.
Critical Raw Materials for Ireland for a Resource-Efficient Circular Economy (CIRCLE) Research Report is available for consultation and download here.
GEOTHERMICA (ERA-NET)
GEOTHERMICA is an ERA NET Cofund under Horizon2020 and comprising 17 geothermal energy research and innovation programme owners and managers from 14 countries and their regions.
In 2017 the network launched the co-funded joint call for innovative demonstration projects and technology development projects that accelerate geothermal energy deployment. Two Irish projects, both including strong industry participation, were funded and started in 2018.
In 2020 the network launched a joint call for innovative demonstration projects and technology development projects that accelerate geothermal energy deployment. Two Irish projects were funded and started in 2020.
In 2021 GEOTHERMICA launched a third joint call with ERA-NET Smart Energy Systems to foster the integration of existing technology as well as technology development for clean energy. One Irish project was funded and will start in 2022.
ERA MIN 2 & 3 (ERA-NET)
ERA-MIN 2 & 3 are two ERA-NET Cofund scheme under Horizon 2020. Both network aim to implement an European-wide coordination of research and innovation programmes on raw materials to strengthen the industry, competitiveness and the shift to a circular economy. The objective of the ERA-MIN is to strengthen the coordination of national and regional research programmes in the field of non-energy non-agricultural raw materials by implementing several activities.
In 2017 ERA-MIN 2 launched the co-funded joint call, one Irish project was funded by GSI and two Irish projects were co-funded with EPA.
In 2021 ERA-MIn 3 launched the co-funded call. One Irish project was co-funded with EPA.
GSI Equipment Call
In 2021 GSI launched a new call for small equipment items and equipment/infrastructure upgrade.
Funding of €5,000 to €25,000 was made available to purchase new equipment, or to upgrade existing equipment, for use in Earth and Geoscience research.
IRC-GSI Research for Policy & Society / COALESCE
In 2016 Geological Survey Ireland partnered with the Irish Research Council’s programme for Research for Policy and Society. Four projects connecting physical and social science research were selected for funding and started in early 2017.
In 2018 IRC relaunched the programme as COALESCE.
IRC-GSI Employment Based Programme
The IRC Employment Based Programme is aimed as researchers based in industry. In collaboration with the IRC and the industry partner, Geological Survey Ireland supports employees undertaking an MSc (Research) for two years.
IRC-GSI Enterprise Partnership Scheme
Geological Survey Ireland co-funds a number of projects under the Irish Research Council Enterprise Partnership Scheme. These includes projects funded geomorphology, radon risk mapping and marine geoscience.
SFI-GSI Frontiers for the Future Programme
GSI co-funds research under both strands of SFI’s new programme (i) Frontiers for the Future Projects provides funding for high-risk, high-reward research that facilitates highly innovative and novel approaches to research. (ii) Frontiers for the Future Awards provides larger scale funding for innovative, collaborative and excellent research programmes that have the potential to deliver economic and societal impact.
SFI-GSI Investigators Programme
Geological Survey Ireland co-fund four projects to date under the SFI Investigator’s Programme;
(i) Developing geochronology by LA-ICPMS imaging: applications of U-Pb calcite dating in raw materials research, (ii) Structure, evolution and seismic hazard of the Irish offshore: An investigation using the first broadband, ocean-bottom seismometer deployment offshore Ireland (iii) Mapping, Modelling and Monitoring Key Processes and Controls on Cold-water Coral Habitats in Submarine Canyons and monitoing and predicting coastal change.
iCRAG PhD Programme, Env. Geoscience
iCRAG and GSI funded three PhDs in the reas of Environmental Geoscience;
- Heavy metal bioavailablity in soils
- AMOC response dueinr abupt climate change
- Multiscale modelling of AMR in the subsurface
iCRAG Geohazards & Geotechnical Eng.
The disciplines of science and engineering are highly complementary and many great discoveries have been made when scientists and engineers work together. Under the Geohazards and Geotechnical Engineering Spoke, iCRAG brings together scientists and engineers to tackle the research challenge of protection from Earth’s hazards.
This research aims to develop new engineering solutions to complex geotechnical problems based on the latest scientific information available. Problem areas include road building in karst terrains, the stability of submarine slopes in the continental shelf area, stability of peat, derisking offshore wind and a better understanding of the movement of offshore sea bed sediments during storms.