Dr Conchúr Ó Maonaigh has been awarded a €202,342.25 postdoctoral fellowship by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to undertake a research project titled ‘Ireland’s Low-Carbon Transport Sector: The Road to a Just Transition.’ This two-year fellowship will be mentored by Dr. Alistair Fraser from the Department of Geography at Maynooth University.
Dr. Ó Maonaigh completed his PhD in 2023 with the Department of Geography at Maynooth University. He investigated the challenges faced by early adopters of electric vehicles (EVs) in Ireland, focusing on their experiences with EV infrastructure. He has since then contributed to research examining how energy sector organisations can leverage equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to drive the energy transition. Building on all this work, his new project will advance research in low-carbon transitions, energy justice, and transport geography.
The project will examine how key stakeholders – policymakers, planners, charge point operators (CPOs), and automobile manufacturers – interpret and apply the concept of a ‘just transition’ in their efforts to decarbonise transport. It will also explore how these approaches align with the needs and perspectives of marginalised groups, including, low-income communities, people with disabilities, and older people, which will inform inclusive and equitable low-carbon transport policies.
Dr Ó Maonaigh’s research is one of 37 new projects funded by the SEAI National Energy RDD Programme, with a total investment of €21 million. Announcing the awards, Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Daragh O’Brien TD, emphasised that “research and innovation are vital for the decarbonisation of our energy system […] The areas addressed by these projects support our vision for a climate-neutral, sustainable future for our citizens, businesses and communities.”
For full list of SEAI RDD Awardees see: https://www.seai.ie/news-and-events/news/21-million-government-funding
This research has been funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2024, Grant number 24/RDD/01119