Satellite view of storm over the British Isles

UCD Earth Institute

UCD's institute for environmental, climate and sustainability research

About the UCD Earth Institute

Our multidisciplinary community of researchers work on topics relating to climate, water, biodiversity, plants for the future, sustainable communities, people, work and society, and the built environment.

We foster interdisciplinary research through an active programme of projects, initiatives and events designed to bring researchers and stakeholders together, to start new conversations, spark new ideas and support new collaborations.

Discover more

Leaf image with names of academic disciplines overlaid

Research

Learn about the Marine & Energy Social Sciences & Humanities Interdisciplinary Research Group (MESSAGE)

News

24Jun

That’s a wrap! One of the busiest years at the Earth Institute comes to an end

We’ve just wrapped up one of the busiest years in the Earth Institute.

Our numbers have grown to over 200 academic members drawn from 31 of UCD’s 38 schools and all colleges, with our community’s disciplinary mix continuing to expand to encompass new areas.

$Earth Institute researchers contribute to \'Entangled Life\' series on climate, ecosystems and society$ 13Jun

Earth Institute researchers contribute to 'Entangled Life' series on climate, ecosystems and society

Egle Gusciute and Tanja Narancic participated in panels on just transition and biomaterials for a new series bringing art, research and communities together to explore climate, ecological and social topics

11Jun

Plants for the Future event draws enthusiastic crop of budding botanists

Belfield was a hive of activity last Saturday 7 June for the annual UCD Festival, a showcase of the campus’s education, innovation, creativity and research.

26May

Significant potential to increase partnerships with institutions and industry in Africa

UCD’s research collaboration with African partners has generated rich and impactful outcomes in recent years - but scope remains to develop even more relationships with more universities, industry and societal partners. This was one of the key messages of a keynote panel discussion on Africa, hosted by the Earth Institute and UCD Office of Global Engagement, last Thursday afternoon.

23May

Winners of 2025 Earth Institute Awards announced

Established to celebrate the contributions and achievements of members of the environmental, climate and sustainability research community in UCD, these awards pay tribute to those who contribute to research across the university and the myriad ways they do so.

02May

What a week!

Events this week included our annual early career flash talk competition, a meeting of our sustainable communities theme, a campus walk focused on trees, a research-to-policy seminar on decarbonising buildings and a short talk on geogames.

four panels showing a bird, a plant, a bee on a flower and a lake

29Apr

UCD Biodiversity Week identification workshops

Identification workshops on birds, invertebrates, plants, bumblebees and earthworms in UCD for National Biodiversity Week, 19-23 May

UCD water tower with wildflowers in foreground

14Apr

UCD spring lunchtime walks

Our ever-popular spring campus walks are running again this year from 16 April to 21 May

11Apr

First paper published from UCD-based COST Action on crop diversification

The first paper from a UCD-based COST Action investigating crops that have become underutilised in Europe has been published. The DIVERSICROP network is chaired by Dr Sónia Negrão (UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science) and the lead author on the paper, which features contributors from more than 10 countries across Europe, is Assoc. Prof. Meriel McClatchie (UCD School of Archaeology).

The Perpetual Motion Economy

Can we engineer our way to sustainable growth, asks Dr Kevin Roche from the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, or does the ideal of the circular economy defy the Second Law of Thermodynamics?

Events

18Jul

Earth Institute Writing Retreat 2025

Do you need more time in your calendar to write, analyse or be creative? Sign up for our three day writing retreat! Running this year from 16-18 July 2025.

17Jul

Earth Institute Writing Retreat 2025

Do you need more time in your calendar to write, analyse or be creative? Sign up for our three day writing retreat! Running this year from 16-18 July 2025.

16Jul

Earth Institute Writing Retreat 2025

Do you need more time in your calendar to write, analyse or be creative? Sign up for our three day writing retreat! Running this year from 16-18 July 2025.

Latest updates