The Trinity team, led by Professors Aonghus McNabola and Pádraig Carmody from the Schools of Engineering and Natural Sciences respectively, will work with Dr Godfrey Hampwaye, Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (Zambia), and Ms Mangiza Chirwa Chongo, Hivos Zambia, Societal Impact Champion, on a project that will recycle heat from meat production to reduce costs and carbon footprint of food products.

Profs McNabola and Carmody said: "We are delighted to have received this funding from SFI and Irish Aid to work, in a practical way, on addressing one of the world's biggest challenges – climate change – in a way that also has positive social impact."

Innovative solutions

Further education minister Simon Harris and junior minister Sean Fleming announced the six teams developing innovative solutions to climate action challenges.

Minister Harris said: “SFI’s Challenge Funding Programmes seek to support Ireland’s research community to accelerate the pace of innovation, developing novel, potentially disruptive, technologies to address significant societal challenges.

“These teams will work with researchers in Irish Aid’s partner countries to devise, refine and implement solutions to problems that threaten everyday life.

“This real-world impact is at the heart of the challenge-based funding supported by SFI and my department, which will utilise the best of research to make many lives better.” 

The focus of the SDG Challenge is for the development of innovative solutions relating to challenges associated with climate, biodiversity and the environment, with a specific objective of addressing challenges in countries where Irish Aid works.  

These projects represent international collaborations between research institutes in Ireland and groups in Irish Aid partner countries, in this case Tanzania, Zambia, Vietnam, Malawi and Uganda.

The SDG Challenge calls on research teams to develop innovative solutions that contribute to SDG 13: Climate Action, and related goals and targets. Recognising the interconnectedness between climate, biodiversity and the environment, the challenge theme also encompasses SDG 14: Life below water and SDG 15: Life on land.