FUNDING RESEARCH TO PROVIDE THE EVIDENCE AND THE KNOWLEDGE-BASE TO INFORM AND SUPPORT POLICY IN IRELAND: THE EPA WATER RESEARCH PROGRAMME

摘要

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Research Programme is focused on major environmental challenges and the provision of evidence, knowledge base and policy relevant solutions. By ensuring that its research programme is relevant, flexible and responsive, by making the research more accessible, and by involving the key actors in the co-design, monitoring and evaluation of the research, the EPA plays a key role in providing the evidence base to inform and support policy. The EPA Water Research Programme has also developed high quality research capacity and supported innovation that is internationally respected. The EPA supports the Irish research community in competing for European funding (e.g. Horizon 2020, Water Joint Programming Initiative (JPI)), and to date, the Irish research community has performed strongly in the water area. Over the coming years, the EPA Water Research Programme will ensure that it aligns itself with the latest priorities identified in the 2016 EPA State of the Environment report, the policy requirements at national and international level, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Water JPI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, in addition to the upcoming Horizon 2020 research priorities.