Adaptation science as innovative epistemic practice

Adaptation science as innovative epistemic practice

Advisor/s

Prof Stewart Lockie

College or Research Centre

College of Arts, Society & Education; The Cairns Institute

Summary of Project

The development of options to accelerate ecosystem adaptation raises numerous questions concerning the management of uncertainty, attribution of expertise, integration of multiple disciplinary perspectives and ethics of intervention. This project will explore how researchers involved in the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program ‘do science’ with a particular focus on epistemic practices and infrastructures for making future reef states knowable.

The PhD scholar will join a multi-institutional team of social scientists from CSIRO, James Cook University, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland contributing to the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), Stakeholder and Traditional Owner Engagement Subprogram. RRAP is believed to be the world’s largest research and development program dedicated to helping a major ecosystem survive climate change. The Stakeholder and Traditional Owner Engagement Subprogram aims to facilitate the design and implementation of best-practice, place-based, engagement opportunities for Reef Traditional Owners, communities and stakeholders while, at the same time, building understanding of public perceptions of reef restoration and adaptation, the distribution of risks and benefits arising from intervention R&D and implementation, and opportunities to deliver positive community and stakeholder impacts.

Key Words

environmental sociology; science and technology studies; climate adaption; Great Barrier Reef

Would suit an applicant who

has a Masters, Honours degree or equivalent in the social sciences and motivation to make a meaningful differences to communities and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef.

Updated: 06 Oct 2023