IRIS: Staff List

• • My research background is in Rural Geography, with a primary focus on the nature of agricultural change and rural development.  Additional areas of interest include rural return migration, rural gender studies, land use, with a particular focus on forestry and family farming.  Maura's research agenda includes both a national and international focus.   

PhD Research: 
My Ph.D. research critiqued the role of contemporary extension policies in the Republic of Ireland.  In doing so, it questions the reliance on traditional practices in delivering advice and services that facilitate farm families to adapt, adjust and remain economically viable in a sector that continues to be highly vulnerable locally and globally.  Using an action evaluation methodology, my research delivered both research and action outcomes.

EU Horizon Europe: (2023) FLIARA (Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas).
Lead Coordinator of this ¿3 million project which has fifteen partners and spans across ten EU countries. Project will explore the innovative practices of women in agriculture and rural areas. 

EU Horizon Europe: (2023) PREMIERE: Principal Investigator of the PREMIERE Project (Preparing Multi-Actor Projects In A Co-Creative Way), which explores the multi-actor approach currently used in EU Horizon projects.  

EU Horizon 2020: (2019) RURALIZATION. Principal Investigator for University of Galway for the four-year, ¿5.9 million RURALIZATION project, which aims to develop knowledge and support policy making to help answer some of the challenges facing rural areas and support rural regeneration.  As PI, I currently manage the project in NUIG with a budget of ¿500,195.00. 

EU Horizon 2020: (2017) IMAJINE (Integrated Mechanisms for Addressing Spatial Justice and Territorial Inequalities in Europe).  ¿5 million and is one of the largest social science grants to have been awarded in Horizon 2020 or its predecessor Framework Programmes.  With fifteen other EU partners, NUI Galway was awarded a working budget of ¿290,128.00.  Although involved in two key Work Packages, I played a lead role work related to 'Migration and Territorial Inequalities.' 

Enterprise Ireland Proposal Preparation Fund (2022). Principal Investigator for an Enterprise Ireland Fund in preparation for a Horizon Europe Project.

UK Research and Innovation Fund (2021). Associate member in `The UK and Ireland Rural Futures Network: Preparing for social and economic transitions Post Brexit and Covid-19¿. Five workshops were carried out in Dublin and Newcastle and I attended all, and was Workshop Lead for the Spatial Workshop, held in Newcastle University.  

UK Research and Innovation Fund (2021). Associate Member in the `Civil Society in Turbulent Times: Exploring Connections, Comparison and Capacity-Building in Ireland and Wales¿ Project. I assisting in writing the proposal but also was co-lead in the Workshop on Rural Youth and Civil Society. 

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Thematic Research Call (2021). Team Member on the BIOECON Project (Towards a Co-designed Regional Strategy for the Bioeconomy). Assisted in the writing of the proposal and co-supervising a PhD student engaged in this project. 

Action Plan for Rural Development: (2019) Commissioned by Minister Heather Humphreys and in turn Minister Micheal Ring to development a methodology for exploring the Impact Factors for the Action Plan for Rural Development. 

National Rural Network: (2016 - 2023) I successfully led the NUI Galway element of a four part consortium that was awarded the contract to run the National Rural Network in Ireland.  The National Rural Network is a support body for the successful implementation of the Rural Development Programme 20014-2020 and was awarded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.  The full project budget of under ¿2.5 million provides a sum of ¿298,441.00 to NUI Galway as the lead research partner.

Northern Peripheries and Artic Programme: (2016) In conjunction with two NUI Galway, Geography colleagues, I successfully obtained an EU Northern Peripheries and Artic Programme grant to commence the BUSK Project (Building Shared Knowledge capital).  This seven partner project explores peripheral livelihoods and land uses that depend heavily on natural resources but their management is often contested by various stakeholder interests.  The total project budget is over €1.5 million with NUI Galway receiving ¿218,973.78.     

eTownz Project: (2017 and 2016) I was successful in collaborating with Pat Kennedy from eConcepts Web Solutions to receive a ¿5000.00 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher to build an online tool, which contributes to community auditing and development. In 2016, I was successful in receiving a second Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher valued at €5000.00 to collaborate further with Pat Kennedy from eConcepts Web Solutions.

DERREG Project: (2009) The project was funded by the European Union and aimed to produce an interpretative model that enables researchers and regional development actors to better anticipate and respond to the key challenges posed by globalisation for rural regions.  My research focused on three different work packages: International Mobility and Migration of the Rural Population, Environmental Capital and Sustainable Rural Development and Capacity Building, Governance and Knowledge Systems. 

Gender Innovation: (2012) Under the umbrella of Gender ARC, NUI Galway, I hosted a Rural Gender Education Symposium in 2012, with the intention of exploring a personal research project relating to an exploration of the innovative practices of women in Irish agriculture.  The project advanced in 2013 with a literature review, funded by NUI Galway SoGA Research Incentivisation Scheme (Awarded, ¿800.00).  To advance this project further, research networks have been formed with the National Rural Network and University College Cork.          

CEDRA Plus Project: Under the CEDRA Plus project, I am collaborating with staff at the Rural Economy Research Centre, Teagasc to explore and evaluate the potential for collaboration among economic and human capital development bodies.  These agencies include, amongst others, Teagasc, SOLAS, Local Development Companies, County Enterprise Boards and the Education and Training Boards.  As part of this project, I have been successful in leading NUI Galway’s application for a four-year PhD Teagasc Walsh Fellowship, commencing September 2014. 

Economic of Succession and Inheritance: I collaborated successfully with Professor Cathal O Donoghue, Teagasc to obtain a stipend of ¿10,000 per annum from the Royal Dublin Society and ¿12,000 per annum from Teagasc for a four year PhD award, which commenced in September 2014.  I am currently lead NUI Galway supervisor on this PhD project.      

County Clare Wood Energy Project: Using my NUI Galway University Fellow grant, awarded in 2012, I initiated a partnership with Clare Local Development Company and Teagasc to explore the County Clare Wood Energy Project as a best practice model for farm forestry development in Ireland.   
Northern Periphery and Artic Programme: I was successful in recently receiving a ¿5000.00 grant in conjunction with my colleague Dr. John McDonagh to prepare a project for the Northern Periphery and Artic Programme.  We are currently working with partners from Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Lapland, in preparation of a land use project. 

With regard to teaching and pedagogy, I have experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  Since 2012, I have co-directed and coordinated the MA in Rural Sustainability.  During this time, my teaching portfolio has expanded to encompass the design, coordination and delivery of four MA modules (TI502, TI503, TI505 and TI506) and my collaboration on two further modules (TI504 and TI507).  These modules were designed to ensure a programme ethos of theory, research and practice for graduates who are interested in furthering their knowledge and ability to influence rural process, policy and practices.  The delivery of these modules resulted in community engagement experience and collaboration with national organisations such as, Teagasc, Solas, Local Action Groups, Pobal and local community groups, and internationally with Charles University, Prague. 
 
I have extensive experience at undergraduate teaching, commencing in 2006 with contributions to 1st, 2nd and 3rd year courses.  This experience includes devising and teaching my own modules in addition to contributing to team-teaching within the Discipline of Geography.  In 2012, I also had the opportunity to teach as an invited rural specialist Lecturer at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.  To support my teaching agenda and develop my ability as an effective lecturer, I completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2011, and I am in the process of completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice with the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, NUI Galway.  Both courses, in addition to several other teaching development courses, have encouraged me to foster a culture of excellence in teaching and learning and invigorated me to apply innovative teaching methods; appropriate assessment techniques and valuable student feedback practices.  Innovative teaching methods have become the norm for me, with the use of Facebook and Twitter, in addition to making extensive use of Blackboard, particularly using the Grade Centre to track student progress and provide prompt and pertinent feedback.