ESAI are delighted to announce Morad Mirzaei , from Trinity College Dublin as the winner of the prestigious ESAI Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Award 2025. Morad’s research was titled “Assessing the role of multi-species swards in mitigating carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from intensively managed grasslands in Ireland”. Morard’s research addresses the urgent need to make Irish grasslands more sustainable, as agriculture contributes ~30% of national GHG emissions and grasslands are major sources of CO₂ and N₂O. Current emission estimates are uncertain, particularly regarding multispecies swards and nitrogen management. This study investigates how multispecies grasslands and improved nitrogen practices can reduce gaseous emissions and enhance soil carbon sequestration compared with conventional ryegrass systems.
Congrats to Morad. The ESAI will be featuring his research on our upcoming newsletter in the coming weeks.
2025 Highly Commended: This year, due to the high quality of research entered into the Postgraduate Researcher of the Year competition, the ESAI decided to recognise another applicant’s work by awarding a “Highly Commended” distinction.
Ultan O’Donnell from University College Dublin was recognised for his research, “Proactive Forestry Protection: Evaluating Invasive Forestry Pest Risks Through Evidence-Based Modelling Strategies.” This research focused on the threat posed by invasive forestry species to biodiversity and the economic services provided by trees, as well as the challenges of early detection due to uncertainty about which species to monitor. It identified species most likely to establish in Ireland by analysing global data and climate suitability, and compiled a baseline dataset of historically introduced pests and pathogens. The study also developed a surveillance approach using a decision-making algorithm to improve detection efficiency, with findings provided to government and regulatory bodies to support more effective monitoring and reduce tree loss.
2024 Winner: Jeovan Araujo from Technological University of The Shannon wards Circularity for Petroleum- and Bio-Based Plastics: Tailoring Properties and End-of-Life Routes”. Whos resaerch explored the environmental impact of plastics by focusing on the degradation of mixed petroleum- and bio-based plastics and their upcycling into valuable bioproducts, particularly bacterial nanocellulose, while also developing bioplastics with enhanced properties.
2023 Winner: Adrienn Szucs from Trinity College Dublin whos research explored mimicking natural processes rather than focusing solely on natural resources to meet the growing demand for Rare earth elements (REEs)
2023 Highly Commended: Sarpong Hammond Antwi, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) whos research focused on Water Governance and Management Practices in the Republic Of Ireland by identifying the factors that have driven policy reforms and making recommendations towards a sustainable water future.
2022 Winner: Larissa Macedo Cruz de Oliveira, UCC who's sesearch thesis focuses advancing seabed mapping techniques for deep-water habitat classification in submarine canyons and cold-water coral habitats (ASMAT)
2022 Highly Commended:Elena Zioga ,TCD whose resaerch focused on characterising pesticide residues in floral resources for bees.
2021 Winner: Irene O’Callaghan, UCC whos research thesis focuses on the development of a novel technique to improve the detection and quantification of emerging contaminants within the freshwater environment.
2021 Highly Commended: Katherine Burns, UCD for her research project
looking at the contributions and conservation of Irish Pollinators in Ireland.
2020 Winner: Sean O’Connor, Institute of Technology Sligo
PhD thesis entitled “Meeting Ireland's Sustainability Challenges and Obligations - The role of small-scale waste/energy management as sustainable solutions in the
circular economy.”
2020 Highly Commended: Kate Mahony, University College Cork
PhD thesis entitled “A temporal investigation of Europe-wide drivers of cockle Cerastoderma edule biology, health and population dynamics.”
2020 Highly Commended: Samuel Ross, Trinity College Dublin
PhD thesis entitled “Understanding the consequences of global environmental change for ecological dynamics and resilience.”
2019: Molly-Ann Williams, Dublin City University
PhD thesis entitled “Development of a Novel Biosensor for the Detection of Specific Species using Enviornmental DNA”
2018: Conall Holohan, National University of Ireland, Galway
PhD thesis entitled “The Anaerobic Digestion of Fats: exploring microbial technological solutions”
2017: Philip Shine, Cork Institute of Technology
PhD thesis entitled “Electricity and direct water consumption on Irish dairy farms”
2016: Christopher Finnegan, Institute of Technology Carlow
PhD thesis entitled “Detection and bioremediation of tributyltin in several environmental matrices such as sediments, soils, water and biological samples”
2015: Luke J. Prendergast, University College Dublin
PhD thesis entitled “Monitoring of scour around structures using changes in natural frequency of vibration”
2014: Richard Manton, NUI Galway
PhD thesis entitled “Route Selection and Design of Greenways: Guidance for the Irish National Cycle Network”
Listen back to previous winner Philip Shine talking about the how applying and winning the award benefited his research
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