Cross-Thematic Activity Team Leader: Dr. Henrike Rau

The critical investigation of political processes and socio-economic and cultural levers for sustainability is now a key research and policy focus both in Ireland and internationally. This cross-thematic area brings together researchers from the social sciences who share an interest in sustainability questions. Key areas of expertise among its members include the theorisation and measurement of environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, theoretical and empirical work on the socio-cultural, political and economic causes of (over)consumption and its impacts on society and the environment, research on the sustainability of rural systems, studies of marine and coastal environments and conceptual and empirical work on resource conflicts and contested concepts and indicators of development and sustainability. Current empirical research draws on a wide range of tools for data collection and analysis, including publicly available large-scale data sets for modelling and scenario-building, surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups, ethnographic fieldwork, participatory and action research and visioning and backcasting workshops.

Current projects involving social scientists from NUI, Galway include a four-year EPA Ireland-funded collaborative project between Trinity College Dublin and NUI, Galway on consumption, environment and sustainability (www.consensus.ie), contributions by geographers from NUIG to the Atlantic Network for Coastal Risk Management (ANCORIM), The Fishers’ Knowledge Project and many other small- and medium-scale projects on topics such as food, transport, energy, biodiversity, local environmental knowledge and expertise and environmental education. The Socio Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) within the Ryan Institute was formed to contribute to the Irish marine socio-economic research agenda and to strengthen marine research in general by complementing natural science projects with socio-economic contributions.

Sustainability, Knowledge & Everyday Practices

Dr. Ricca Edmondson Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 3077; Email: ricca.edmondson@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Frances Fahy Geography Tel: (091) 49 2315; Email: frances.fahy@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Jessica Pape Geography Tel: (091) 49 4117; Email: jconsensus@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Henrike Rau Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 5104; Email: henrike.rau@nuigalway.ie

Sustainable Rural Systems

Prof. Chris Curtain Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 2355; Email: chris.curtain@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Maura Farrell Geography Tel: (091) 49 4118; Email: maura.farrell@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Valerie Ledwith Geography Tel: (091) 49 2372; Email: valerie.ledwith@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Marie Mahon Geography Tel: (091) 49 2376; Email: marie.mahon@nuigalway.ie

Dr. John McDonagh Geography Tel: (091) 49 2569; Email: john.mcdonagh@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Brian McGrath Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 3405; Email: brian.mcgrath@nuigalway.ie

Prof. Micheál Ó Cinnéide Geography Tel: (091) 49 2314; Email: micheal.ocinneide@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Tony Varley Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 2580; Email: tony.varley@nuigalway.ie

Marine & Coastal Environments

Dr. Brendan Flynn Political Science & Sociology Tel: (091) 49 3160; Email: brendan.flynn@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Kieran Hickey Geography Tel: (091) 49 2128; Email: kieran.hickey@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Stephen Hynes Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) Tel: (091) 49 3105; Email: stephen.hynes@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Kevin Lynch Geography Tel: (091) 49 5779; Email: kevin.lynch@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Aaron Potito Geography Tel: (091) 49 3936; Email: aaron.potito@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Thomas van Rensburg Economics Tel: (091) 49 3858; Email: thomas.vanrensburg@nuigalway.ie

Governance, Development & Contestation

Dr. Rónán Kennedy Law Tel: (091) 49 5625; Email: ronan.m.kennedy@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Su-Ming Khoo Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 3643; Email: s.khoo@nuigalway.ie

Prof. Kevin Leyden Business & Economics Tel: (091) 49 2848; Email: kevin.leyden@nuigalway.ie

Dr. John Morrissey Geography Tel: (091) 49 2267; Email: john.morrissey@nuigalway.ie

Maureen O’Sullivan Law Tel: (091) 49 5627; Email: maureen.osullivan@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Kathy Reilly Geography Tel: (091) 49 4105; Email: kathy.reilly@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Anna Stanley Geography Tel: (091) 49 3897; Email: anna.stanley@nuigalway.ie

Prof. Ulf Strohmayer Geography Tel: (091) 49 2373; Email: ulf.strohmayer@nuigalway.ie

Dr. Amaya Vega Economics Tel: (091) 49 2897; Email: amaya.vega@nuigalway.ie

Dr. John Walsh Roinn na Gaeilge Tel: (091) 49 2563; Email: john.walsh@oegaillimh.ie