I am Senior Lecturer in Youth and Community Work and my research interests are in state-civil society relationships; participatory governance; environmental education; and children and young people's participation and voice. I have published widely in each of these areas. Below are selected research projects in which I have been PI or Co-I:

2024-2027: EC Horizon Europe Stand Up for Democracy Project INSPIRE (Intersectional Spaces of Participation: Inclusive, Resilient, Embedded).

2026: IRC New Foundations Project Doing Feminist Climate Justice Work for Transformative Climate Action: Documenting Experience and Building a Knowledge Base in Ireland.

2023-2024: National Women's Council/Community Work Ireland Feminist Communities for Climate Justice Project.

2020-2022: IRC New Foundations Knowledge Exchange Project to undertake a visiting scholarship to the University of Ghent, Belgium.

2020: Manchester Metropolitan University-funded project to establish an international Participatory Governance research network.

2019-2020: CACSSS-funded interdisciplinary research project on introducing global education into professional qualifying programmes in the social professions.  

2018-2019: HEA/Government of Ireland mobility project to the University of Queensland to develop a global awareness module for pre-qualifying social work students (PI). 

2017-2019: IRC-funded Policy and Society research project that explored civil society experienes of participating in state-funded participatory governance structures (PI). 

2014-2015: CACSSS-funded research project that explored the effects on community development initiatives of the Local Government Act (2014) (Co-I).

2012-2014: Irish Research Council-funded research project (2012-2014) entitled 'Seen and Not Heard?  The Lived Realities of Children and Young People's Participation in Ireland in their Homes, Schools and Communities' (Co-I).  

2010-2013: IRCHSS-funded project entitled 'Young People as Social Actors: An Examination of Young People's Perspectives on the Impact of Participation in OMYCA Initiatives' (Co-I).  

I am convener of the Research for Civil Society, Environment and Social Action (REACT) research cluster and co-chair of the UCC Placements Working Group.

I am currently supervising a number of PhD theses in social policy, law and community development.  

My teaching interests are in the theory and practice of community development; sociology (state-civil society relations; deliberative and participatory democracy; children and young people's participation); and environmental education.

I am currently supervising four PhD theses.

Cawley Enda Terence, Doctoral Degree - Co-Supervised