Wednesday 22 April 2026
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin are among those to have won National Challenge funding to scale public engagement in transport planning. The award will help to put citizens at the heart of planning Ireland’s evolving transport infrastructure, which must adapt as we seek to reduce transport-related carbon emissions.
The CONUNDRUM team, led by Professor Niamh Moore-Cherry, University College Dublin, and Professor Brian Caulfield from Trinity’s School of Engineering, also worked closely with Societal Impact Champion Kieran Harrahill, TASC: Think-tank for Action on Social Change.
Their success as runners-up in the Sustainable Communities Challenge means they can now enable more communities to adopt low-carbon transportation solutions, with a particular focus in rural areas.
Aligns with Ireland’s carbon reduction goals
By offering a sustainable mode of transportation for areas lacking comprehensive public transport infrastructure, CONUNDRUM empowers local communities to adopt more environmentally friendly travel options and foster greater community interaction. In doing so, it aligns with Ireland’s carbon reduction goals while contributing to social resilience and economic regeneration in rural communities.
In recent months the team used Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, as a testbed, demonstrating how shared mobility solutions – such as shared electric vehicles – can help reduce carbon emissions while simultaneously reconnecting communities and addressing the issue of social isolation, which has become increasingly prevalent since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prof Caulfield said: “Our team is advancing the CONUNDRUM project by deploying innovative digital tools that scale public engagement in transport planning. This initiative will not only democratise the consultation process but also provide the large-scale data analytics necessary for sophisticated transport modelling.”
The team was among those celebrated today when James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, announced more than €6.9m in prize phase funding for four research teams across the final two challenge programmes under the National Challenge Fund.
Funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Fund called on researchers to identify problems related to Ireland’s Green Transition and Digital Transformation, and work directly with those most affected to solve them.
Minister Lawless said: “The teams receiving funding today join a network of researchers supported through challenge-based funding programmes that are delivering real and tangible benefits for the people of Ireland. From pioneering new circular approaches to textile recycling, transforming mobility at community level, advancing sustainable aquaculture and resilient agrifood production, the teams have demonstrated exceptional ambition, scientific excellence, and a clear pathway to real-world impact.”
“I want to congratulate all of the teams – their achievements reflect not only their own dedication, but the strength of Ireland’s research ecosystem, and I look forward to seeing the solutions they will deliver over the coming months and years.”