The Government has allocated €1 million funding for over 40 small scale geoscience research projects to be carried out in Ireland this year.

41 projects will take place from UAV mapping to landslide modelling and clean drinking water.

The projects have been funded by the Geological Survey of Ireland in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources as part of the 2015/2016 GSI Geoscience Research Short Call.

Mr Koen Verbruggen, Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, said: "We are funding a very wide range of applied projects, from using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for coastal mapping to landslide monitoring and 3D modelling of shipwrecks. We also have projects on groundwater drinking supplies, recycling of mine waste, geotourism, geothermal energy and seismicity in Ireland. The outputs of these projects will go a long way to help the country understand and manage its often hidden natural resources. The short turnaround of these projects will also mean the impacts for society will occur quickly. The standard and quality of the applications received have proven that Irish geoscience researchers, both in industry and third level can compete at the highest level and can directly support geoscience industries in Ireland."

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The research programme will complement substantial recent Government investments in this area such as the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience (iCRAG), co-funded by SFI and industry partners.

(CD)