€1.2m for UCC climate and weather projects

Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) have secured €1.2 million under Met Éireann’s Weather and Climate Research Programme to advance projects tackling climate change, extreme weather and environmental sustainability.

The funding supports three projects under the TRANSLATE climate services programme, which aims to optimise climate projections for Ireland and develop tools to aid adaptation and decision-making. The new research will examine how extreme events are changing and explore impacts over annual to decadal timescales.

Met Éireann’s 2024 Research Call awarded a total of €2.8 million to six national projects, the largest number supported in a single competitive round. UCC will lead half of these, continuing a strong record in climate science collaborations with the national forecaster.

Eoin Moran, Director of Met Éireann, said the projects represent “critical contributions” to national and international climate resilience efforts.

Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity for future extreme Events (BRACE)
Led by Dr Paraic Ryan and Dr Jenny Harmon O’Driscoll, BRACE will receive €599,981 to translate complex climate data into practical planning tools for infrastructure. Using case studies such as Storm Ophelia, and working with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the project will assess compound and cascading risks to inform national adaptation strategies.

Climate Services for Multi-sector Benefits (CLIMB)
Dr Paul Holloway and Dr Rosa Rogers will lead CLIMB, which has been awarded €299,392. The project will use machine learning to harmonise sector-specific and cross-sector climate vulnerability data, alongside innovative communication tools such as virtual reality and narrative-based storytelling, to engage the public and improve resilience.

Climate-Informed Energy Systems Planning (ClimEnergise)
With €299,546 in funding, Dr Vahid Aryanpur’s ClimEnergise project will combine high-resolution climate data with national energy system models to assess how weather patterns and extreme events affect renewable energy supply, demand and costs. The work will identify strategies to ensure secure, affordable and low-carbon energy for Ireland’s net-zero targets.

Professor John Cryan, UCC’s Vice President for Research and Innovation, said the awards strengthen the university’s global leadership in sustainability research and deliver “significant positive societal impact” while addressing key environmental challenges.