Researchers at South East Technological University (SETU) have secured significant funding in the latest Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) research call, supporting a series of projects addressing key challenges in forestry, agriculture, sustainability, and food systems.
Among the successful awards, Dr Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi, lecturer in Forestry in SETU’s Department of Land Sciences, will lead the project ‘C-BioStock: 3D laser scanning for detecting changes in carbon stocks and biodiversity across native and commercial Irish forests’.
Combining technologies with field research
The project will examine how different forest management approaches influence biodiversity and carbon storage, combining advanced technologies such as terrestrial LiDAR (3D laser scanning) with ecological field research. It will also support the recruitment of three PhD researchers, strengthening research capacity in this critical area. Other partners on this project include University College Cork (UCC) and University College Dublin (UCD), with the total funding coming to €693,569.
Dr Mohammadi, Project Lead, said, “Irish forests are expected to deliver many benefits at once – from supporting biodiversity to storing carbon and producing timber. The challenge is understanding how management decisions influence these outcomes over time. By combining new technologies such as 3D laser scanning with ecological research in the field, this project will help us build a clearer picture of how forests change and how they can be managed to maximise both biodiversity and carbon storage.”
The research will explore how biodiversity and carbon stocks evolve across forest lifecycles, comparing native woodlands and commercial conifer plantations. It will also contribute to improving ecological classification systems and support the development of evidence-based forest management practices aligned with national and European climate and biodiversity targets.
SETU involvement in other successful projects
In addition to this project, SETU researchers are contributing to a number of other successful projects under the same funding call, reflecting the breadth of research expertise across the University.
Dr Kieran Germaine
Dr Kieran Germaine (enviroCORE) is the SETU lead on a project entitled 'Advancing Tree Improvement Research for Climate-Resilient, Diverse, and Productive Forests for Ireland', led by Teagasc with University College Dublin and Technological University Dublin. SETU’s share of the funding is €233,400, contributing to a total project value of €1.45 million. Kieran's research focuses on how bacteria and plants can solve real-world environmental and agricultural challenges. This includes studying bacteria that can break down pollution, survive in contaminated environments, support plant growth, and protect crops from disease.
Dr John Carroll
Dr John Carroll (enviroCORE/Wexford), with internal co-applicant Dr Brince Kunnel (engCORE), is leading SETU’s contribution to Improving fertiliser N recommendations for cereals in Ireland, a Teagasc-led project with a total value of €641,001. SETU’s share of this funding is €296,979. John has a keen interest in all aspects of farming research, demonstrated by my past and current involvements in research projects on biofuels, break crops, rotations and protein in which he has secured over €1.5 million worth of external funding.
Dr Anastasia Ktenioudaki
At SETU Eco Innovation Research Centre, Dr Anastasia Ktenioudaki is leading SETU’s involvement in two further projects, both in collaboration with University College Cork and University College Dublin. The first project, 'Valorising Innovative Plant Ingredients – Naturally Generated Resource Extracts, Delivering Indigenous and Essential Nutrition Through Sustainability', has a total value of €1.57 million, with SETU receiving €189,410. The second project, 'FIELD2FLOUR Ireland: Cultivating a Sustainable Future', has a total value of €1.49 million, with SETU’s share amounting to €222,710. Both projects also involve internal co-applicant Dr Ultan McCarthy. Anastasia is a former Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie fellow, having completed her global fellowship at University College Dublin and University of South Florida, USA, focusing on an innovative systems approach to address existing agri-food supply chain waste
Kieran Sullivan is leading SETU’s role in ‘Industry-level data integration and development of a digital sustainability platform and decision support tool for agricultural production systems in Ireland’, a Teagasc-led project in collaboration with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation. SETU’s share of the funding is €225,723.74, contributing to a total project value of €1.51 million. Kieran is a software engineer and experienced researcher at SETU's Walton Institute, where he also acts as an external evaluator for European funding applications.
Eleanor Kent, Head of the Department of Land Sciences at South East Technological University (SETU), said, “This success in the DAFM funding call highlights the strength and diversity of research at SETU, particularly in areas that are critical to Ireland’s environmental and economic future. From forestry and sustainable agriculture to food innovation, these projects will generate important knowledge to support climate action, biodiversity protection, and resilient food systems. They also reflect SETU’s strong collaboration with national partners and our commitment to delivering research with real-world impact.”
The projects align closely with national and European priorities, including the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027 and the European Green Deal, which emphasise the need for measurable outcomes in carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and sustainable land use.
Collectively, these awards demonstrate SETU’s growing role in delivering applied, collaborative research that supports regional development while addressing global challenges.
