Karyn’s research focuses on the social and cultural dimensions of governance and public policy in climate change adaptation, with a particular interest in transformative adaptation that supports social-ecological sustainability and justice. As an interdisciplinary social researcher with an extensive background in public administration, Karyn’s work is policy-orientated, multi-disciplinary, and collaborative. She currently leads a number of major climate change adaptation collaborations with State and local governments, and several authorities.
Karyn is also currently the lead team member for a major RMIT project called Policy@RMIT (P@R). Led by Professor Jago Dodson, this project aims to understand and enable researchers and policy practitioners to work collectively to support evidence-informed decision-making relating to major policy and societal issues. In a partnership with the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (DELWP), P@R provides an opportunity for policy practitioners and researchers to step out the busyness of their day-to-day work to examine such issues, and identify what it is DELWP and RMIT want to do, learn, know, and try – together – as we tackle these challenges.
P@R has three main elements:
- An overarching study identifying ‘best practice’ institutional structures and processes to support research contributions to public policy;
- Co-producing a suite of policy-relevant research with DELWP; and
- Capacity building activities for both RMIT researchers and DELWP staff.