Dr Bolger is interested in how inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches can be used to create more impactful outcomes for environmental and sustainability research. He is principal investigator on a number of research projects on climate change and the circular economy including Imagining 2050 (envisioning pathways for a zero carbon Ireland), NEWTRIENTS and BRAINWAVES (exploring the valorisation of wastewater). He is Co-PI on the Discovering Circular Tales project which is bringing the past and the future together through sharing and collecting urban and rural stories and memories of reuse, recycling and thrift. He is Co-Lead on the All-Island UN SDSN led by UCC and Queen's University Belfast.
Dr Bolger teaches a module on Leadership for Sustainability as part of the HDip for Sustainability in Enterprise for at UCC. He is a PI on the UCC SUSTAINABLE FUTURES programme which is focused on education and training for climate action, environmental sustainability, and achieving net zero in industry and enterprise, and delivers CPD training workshops to industry on sustainability leadership.
Dr Bolger is a US-Ireland Fulbright Scholar and a member of the Royal Irish Academy Climate Change and Environmental Sciences Committee. He is a member of the European Environment Agency EIONET Foresight Group developing knowledge, skills and methodological expertise on futures' analysis and foresight studies to support policy-making and governance of sustainability transitions at national and European level. He is the Environmental Expert on the Advisory Steering Group for Cork City Council Local Economic and Community Plan. He is a member of the UCC President's ULT Subcommittee on Sustainability and Climate Action, and Lead for UCC Action on Mapping UCC Research on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Bolger delivers a 5 week Climate Action for Kids programme in primary schools and co-organises a Sustainability and Climate Book Club at the Environmental Research Institute.
Biography
Dr Paul Bolger is Manager of the Environmental Research Institute at University College Cork, Ireland. He has a BSc Degree in Environmental Science, holds a PhD in Chemistry, and a Masters in Business Administration. He has worked across academia, industry and government for over 25 years developing long term research solutions for global sustainability challenges.Dr Bolger is interested in how inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches can be used to create more impactful outcomes for environmental and sustainability research. He is principal investigator on a number of research projects on climate change and the circular economy including Imagining 2050 (envisioning pathways for a zero carbon Ireland), NEWTRIENTS and BRAINWAVES (exploring the valorisation of wastewater). He is Co-PI on the Discovering Circular Tales project which is bringing the past and the future together through sharing and collecting urban and rural stories and memories of reuse, recycling and thrift. He is Co-Lead on the All-Island UN SDSN led by UCC and Queen's University Belfast.
Dr Bolger teaches a module on Leadership for Sustainability as part of the HDip for Sustainability in Enterprise for at UCC. He is a PI on the UCC SUSTAINABLE FUTURES programme which is focused on education and training for climate action, environmental sustainability, and achieving net zero in industry and enterprise, and delivers CPD training workshops to industry on sustainability leadership.
Dr Bolger is a US-Ireland Fulbright Scholar and a member of the Royal Irish Academy Climate Change and Environmental Sciences Committee. He is a member of the European Environment Agency EIONET Foresight Group developing knowledge, skills and methodological expertise on futures' analysis and foresight studies to support policy-making and governance of sustainability transitions at national and European level. He is the Environmental Expert on the Advisory Steering Group for Cork City Council Local Economic and Community Plan. He is a member of the UCC President's ULT Subcommittee on Sustainability and Climate Action, and Lead for UCC Action on Mapping UCC Research on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Bolger delivers a 5 week Climate Action for Kids programme in primary schools and co-organises a Sustainability and Climate Book Club at the Environmental Research Institute.
Research Interests
Dr Bolger research interests are in how to utilise interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary (co-production) approaches to address complex environmental challenges, and in how broad academic knowledge across natural and social sciences, humanities, business and law can help society achieve sustainable development goals.Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Technology - Realising the Potential | Environmental Protection Agency | 01-JAN-12 | 31-DEC-14 | ||
| Discovering Circular Tales | Science Foundation Ireland | 01-MAR-23 | 31-DEC-24 | ||
| Brainwaves | INTERREG | 01-JUN-20 | 31-DEC-23 | ||
| Imagining 2050 | Environmental Protection Agency | 01-JAN-19 | 01-APR-21 | ||
| Higher Diploma in Sustainability in Enterprise | Higher Education Authority | 01-SEP-20 | 31-DEC-24 | ||
| Fulbright Irish Scholar Award | Environmental Protection Agency | 18-FEB-19 | 31-JUL-19 | ||
| NEWTRIENTS | Environmental Protection Agency | 01-JAN-18 | 31-DEC-20 |
Publications
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | 'A Journey in Sustainable Development in an Urban Campus' Darren Reidy, Maria Kirrane, Barrie Curley, Denis Brosnan, Stephan Koch, Paul Bolger, Niall Dunphy, Michelle McCarthy, Mark Poland, Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty, John O'Halloran (2015) 'A Journey in Sustainable Development in an Urban Campus' In: Walter Leal Filho, Luciana Brandli, Olga Kuznetsova, Arminda Maria Finisterra do Paço (eds). Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level. Switzerland: Springer. [DOI] [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | 'Understanding how institutions may support the development of transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability research' Boyle, E., McGookin, C., O'Mahony, C., Bolger, P., Byrne, E., Ó Gallachóir, B., Mullally, G. (2023) 'Understanding how institutions may support the development of transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability research'. Research for All, 7 (1):1-19 [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Imagining climate resilient futures: A layered Delphi panel approach' Flood, S., Rogan F., Revez, A., McGookin, C., O’Dwyer, B., Harris, C., Dunphy, N., Byrne, E., Ó Gallachóir, B., Bolger, P., Boyle E., Glynn, J., Barry, J., Ellis, G., Mullally, G. (2023) 'Imagining climate resilient futures: A layered Delphi panel approach'. Futures, (147) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Duckweed bioreactors: Challenges and opportunities for large-scale indoor cultivation of Lemnaceae' Coughlan N.E.;Walsh É.;Bolger P.;Burnell G.;O'Leary N.;O'Mahoney M.;Paolacci S.;Wall D.;Jansen M.A.K. (2022) 'Duckweed bioreactors: Challenges and opportunities for large-scale indoor cultivation of Lemnaceae'. The Journal of Cleaner Production, 336 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Mapping emergent public engagement in societal transitions: a scoping review' Revez, A;Dunphy, N;Harris, C;Rogan, F;Byrne, E;McGookin, C;Bolger, P;Gallachoir, BO;Barry, J;Ellis, G;O'Dwyer, B;Boyle, E;Flood, S;Glynn, J;Mullally, G (2022) 'Mapping emergent public engagement in societal transitions: a scoping review'. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 12 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Delivering on the promise: how are sustainability research institutes enabling interdisciplinary research?' Bolger, Paul (2021) 'Delivering on the promise: how are sustainability research institutes enabling interdisciplinary research?'. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'A study of faculty perceptions and engagement with interdisciplinary research in university sustainability institutes' Bolger, Paul (2020) 'A study of faculty perceptions and engagement with interdisciplinary research in university sustainability institutes'. Journal Of Environmental Studies And Sciences, [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2000) | 'Current and emerging technologies for extending the lifetime of electroless nickel plating baths' Bolger P. and Szlag D. (2000) 'Current and emerging technologies for extending the lifetime of electroless nickel plating baths'. Clean Technologies And Environmental Policy, 2 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2002) | 'An electrochemical system for removing and recovering elemental mercury from a gas stream' Bolger PT;Szlag DC; (2002) 'An electrochemical system for removing and recovering elemental mercury from a gas stream'. Environmental Science & Technology, 36 (20) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2002) | 'Investigation into the rejuvenation of spend electroless nickel baths by electrodialysis' Bolger, PT;Szlag, DC (2002) 'Investigation into the rejuvenation of spend electroless nickel baths by electrodialysis'. Environmental Science & Technology, 36 :2273-2278 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2002) | 'Electrochemical treatment and reuse of nickel plating rinse waters' Bolger P.;Szlag D. (2002) 'Electrochemical treatment and reuse of nickel plating rinse waters'. Environmental Progress, 21 (3):203-208 [DOI] [Details] |
Other Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2003) | 'Membrane Bioreactors: a new option for wastewater managers' Bolger P. (2003) 'Membrane Bioreactors: a new option for wastewater managers' The Engineers Journal, . [Details] | |
| (2002) | 'Analysis of electroless nickel solutions by anion chromatography' Bolger P.;Szlag D. (2002) 'Analysis of electroless nickel solutions by anion chromatography' Plating and Surface Finishing, 89 (3) :52-55. [Details] | |
| (2002) | 'Regenerating mercury-loaded sorbents' Britt E Erickson (2002) 'Regenerating mercury-loaded sorbents' Environmental Science and Technology, :408A-409A. [Details] |
Published Reports
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | A roadmap for local deliberative engagements on transitions to net zero carbon and climate resilience. Mullally, Gerard; Revez, Alexandra; Harris, Clodagh; Dunphy, Niall; Rogan, Fionn; Byrne, Edmond; McGookin, Connor; Ó Gallachóir, Brian P.; Bolger, Paul; O'Dwyer, Barry; Flood, Stephen; Boyle, Evan; Glynn, James; Barry, John; Ellis, Geraint (2022) A roadmap for local deliberative engagements on transitions to net zero carbon and climate resilience. Environmental Protection Agency, Dublin. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Innovative Valorisation of Dairy Processing Wastewater Using a Circular Economy Approach. Eamonn Walsh, Lekha Margassery, Neil Coughlan, Roisin Broughton, Holger Kühnhold, Arno Fricke, Gavin Burnell, Maria O’Mahoney, David Wall, Paul Bolger, Niall O’Leary and Marcel A.K. Jansen (2022) Innovative Valorisation of Dairy Processing Wastewater Using a Circular Economy Approach. Environmental Protection Agency, Dublin. [Details] | |
| (2021) | Better together: knowledge co-production for a sustainable society. Paul Bolger (Lead Author); Pat Brereton; Olga Grant; and Diarmuid Torney (2021) Better together: knowledge co-production for a sustainable society. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2021) | Futures-thinking deliberations toolkit: Toward a future-oriented process of deliberative dialogue to address climate change. Alexandra Revez, Gerard M. Mullally, Brian Ó Gallachóir, Clodagh Harris, John Barry, Niall P. Dunphy, Geriant Ellis, Paul Bolger, Evan Boyle, Connor McGookin, Becky Hatchett, Naomi Fein, Fionn Rogan, Barry O’Dwyer, Amy Dozier, Stephen Flood, James Glynn, Edmond P. Byrne (2021) Futures-thinking deliberations toolkit: Toward a future-oriented process of deliberative dialogue to address climate change. MaREI, University College Cork, Cork. [Details] | |
| (2021) | Innovative Methods of Community Engagement: Towards a Low Carbon Climate Resilient Future Workshop Proceedings. Alexandra Revez, Gerard Mullally, Harriet Emerson, Niall Dunphy, Clare Watson, Breffni Lennon, James Glynn, Fionn Rogan, Edmond Byrne, Evan Boyle, Connor McGookin, Sonja Smith, Frances Fahy, Barry O’Dwyer, Diarmuid Torney, Pat Brereton, John Morrissey, Mary Greene, Stephan Hugel, James Carroll, Ruth Doyle, Eugene Farrell, Liam Carr, Geertje Schuitema (2021) Innovative Methods of Community Engagement: Towards a Low Carbon Climate Resilient Future Workshop Proceedings. Environmental Protection Agency, Wexford. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Climate Technology - Realising the Potential. Rogan F., Bolger P. and O'Gallachoir B. (2016) Climate Technology - Realising the Potential. Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland. [Details] |
Blog
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | Eight ways research institutes enable interdisciplinary research. Bolger P. (2021) Eight ways research institutes enable interdisciplinary research. Blog [Details] | |
| (2020) | Are research institutes fulfilling their interdisciplinary roles in universities?. Bolger P. (2020) Are research institutes fulfilling their interdisciplinary roles in universities?. Blog [Details] |
Newspaper Articles
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | 6 reasons why the UN's Sustainable Development Goals matter. Bolger P. and Kirrane M. (2023) 6 reasons why the UN's Sustainable Development Goals matter. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2022) | The story of Ellen Hutchins, Ireland's forgotten first female botanist. Bolger P. and Hutchins M. (2022) The story of Ellen Hutchins, Ireland's forgotten first female botanist. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2021) | Human dominance of Earth has come at a steep cost to our planet. Bolger P. (2021) Human dominance of Earth has come at a steep cost to our planet. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2021) | How partnerships are key to solving climate change issues. Bolger P. (2021) How partnerships are key to solving climate change issues. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2020) | UCC’s interdisciplinary mode of problem solving. Bolger P. (2020) UCC’s interdisciplinary mode of problem solving. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2020) | Climate action is not a New Year's resolution which we can put off. Bolger P. and Flood S. (2020) Climate action is not a New Year's resolution which we can put off. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2019) | How to talk to your mates about climate change?. Bolger P. (2019) How to talk to your mates about climate change?. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2018) | How do we respond to the wicked problem of climate change?. Bolger P. (2018) How do we respond to the wicked problem of climate change?. Newspaper Articles [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | UCC Staff Citizenship Award | University College Cork | |
| 2022 | President's Award for Research Impacting the Sustainable Development Goals | University College Cork | |
| 2022 | President's Teaching and Learning Award | University College Cork | |
| 2019 | Fulbright Irish Scholar Award | Fulbright Ireland-Environmental Protection Agency | |
| 1999 | ORISE Fellowship at the US Environmental Protection Agency | US Environmental Protection Agency |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland | Chair | 01-JAN-11 / 31-DEC-15 |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Ireland SDSN Leadership Council | Member | 2022 / 2025 | |
| Royal Irish Academy Climate Change and Environmental Sciences Committee | Member | 2019 / 2022 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bord na Mona | Research and Innovation Manager | 01-JAN-01 / 01-JAN-06 | |
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, United States | Postdoctoral Fellow | 01-JAN-99 / 01-JAN-01 | |
| University College Cork | Manager, Environmental Research Institute | 01-JAN-06 / 31-DEC-20 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Queen's University of Belfast | PhD | PhD in Chemistry | |
| 2006 | Open University, United Kingdom | Masters in Business Administration (MBA) | Business Administration | |
| 1994 | Sligo IT | BSc | Environmental Science and Technology |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Climate Hackathon: Led the organisation of 24 hour climate change global hackathon in Cork City in 2016 and 2017 | |
Climate in a Bottle: Developed a set of climate change demonstrations for science outreach exhibitions (Climate in a Bottle) | |
Climate Lab Public Lecture series: Organise regular public lectures on climate change and environment | |
An Taisce Climate Ambassador | |
Saturday Science Club founder: Established a Saturday Science Club for local primary school |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Technologies And Environmental Policy | Editor | - |