Dr Judy Lawry

Research interests

Judy's research focuses on the role of communication in addressing political, social and/or environmental challenges. Specifically her research is situated within the following contexts:

• Community Engagement
• Communcation for Democratic Development
• Communication and Media Studies
• Communication for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

Current research projects 2017

2017: Examining the quality of public participation during implementation of democratic development reforms in Cambodia: A pilot study

The aim of this study is to develop new knowledge of communication's role in building local-level engagement and community capacity to strengthen implementation of Cambodia's National Program for Sub-National Democratic Development (NP-SNDD).

In partnership with the Coalition for Partnership in Democratic Development (CPDD), the goal is to identify, analyse, and document, good practice participatory communication strategies used at the local level, to strengthen public participation in, and build capacity within, Sub-National Authorities/Communes throughout Cambodia, thus enabling community-level management and delivery of services. 

The pilot study is undertaken in in Battambang Province, Cambodia, and focuses on the implementation strategies undertaken by the non-government organisation Village Support Group, a member of CPDD.

Communication for Climate Change Adaptation in the South Pacific. Funded by RMIT University 2015–2017.

The aim of this project is to work with small island developing states (SIDS) in the South Pacific, and community-based organisations working in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (CCA & DRM) to build communication capacity. In partnership with the Foundation of South Pacific Islands (FSPI), a needs analysis of current media and communication skills and future communication needs will be undertaken. From this evidence , capacity-building workshops will be designed, implemented and evaluated.

As part of this project, RMIT Master of Media and Communication students have undertaken internships with community-based organisations and the University of the South Pacific to assist in communication and media strategies to increase community involvement in climate change adaptation. This project continues until 2017.

Leadership and communication training for future climate change adaptation leaders in the South Pacific. Funded by PACE-NET Plus, European Union. 2015.

The project is funded by RMIT between 2015 and 2017 and has received seed funding from PACE-NET Plus to undertake a pilot study. The study has received seed funding for a pilot study to design, implement and evaluate an innovative adaptive leadership and communication training program for local-level climate change practitioners in the South Pacific. A collaboration between RMIT University, Australia, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain, the pilot program is undertaken in November 2015 with student delegates accompanying their South Pacific national delegations to COP21 in Paris, Nov–Dec 2015. The study builds on the three universities’ combined expertise in climate change science, communication and international development to achieve the following objectives:

Short term: To provide leadership, communication, media advocacy, and leading change training to the 12- team USP student delegation representing the Pacific nations at COP 21 in Paris, France in November 2015. As future leaders in the South Pacific these students will raise community awareness about CCA issues in the Pacific region, and the outcomes of COP21. These postgraduate students will also provide support to their respective country delegations at COP21.

Long term: To design, implement and evaluate an innovative training program for local-level climate change practitioners across the wider South Pacific region from 2016. The program will increase capacity in leadership, dialogue and cooperation, strategic thinking and media advocacy.

Chief Investigators:
Professor Elizabeth Holland, USP
Dr Judy Burnside-Lawry, RMIT
Professor Rosa Franquet, UAB

Previous funded research

2015–2016: Communication for Climate Change Adaptation in the South Pacific.  

Funded by PACE-NET Plus (European Union)

The aim of this project is to work with small island developing states (SIDS) in the South Pacific, and community-based organisations working in climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (CDRM) to build communication capacity. In partnership with the Foundation of South Pacific Islands (FSPI), a needs analysis of current media and communication skills and future communication needs will be undertaken. From this evidence, capacity-building workshops will be designed, implemented and evaluated.

As part of this project:

(1)  RMIT Master of Media and Communication students have undertaken internships with community-based organisations and the University of the South Pacific to assist in communication and media strategies to increase community involvement in climate change adaptation. This project continues until 2017.

(2) Leadership and communication training for future climate change adaptation leaders in the South Pacific

A pilot study to design, implement and evaluate an innovative adaptive leadership and communication training program for local-level climate change practitioners in the South Pacific. A collaboration between RMIT University, Australia, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain, the pilot program is undertaken in November 2015 with student delegates accompanying their South Pacific national delegations to COP21 in Paris, Nov–Dec 2015. The study builds on the three universities’ combined expertise in climate change science, communication and international development to achieve the following objectives:

Short term: To provide leadership, communication, media advocacy, and leading change training to the 12- team USP student delegation representing the Pacific nations at COP21 in Paris, France in November 2015. As future leaders in the South Pacific these students will raise community awareness about CCA issues in the Pacific region, and the outcomes of COP21. These postgraduate students will also provide support to their respective country delegations at COP21.

Long term: To design, implement and evaluate an innovative training program for local-level climate change practitioners across the wider South Pacific region from 2016. The program will increase capacity in leadership, dialogue and cooperation, strategic thinking and media advocacy.

Chief Investigators: 

• Professor Elizabeth Holland, USP
• Dr Judy Burnside-Lawry, RMIT
• Professor Rosa Franquet, UAB

2014: Malcolm Moore Industry Research Award

In 2014 Judy won the Malcolm Moore Industry Research Award to conduct a study of local level engagement to build community resilience to disasters. Her project, ‘Increasing local level engagement to build resilient communities: Stakeholder perspectives of conditions that enable local action to reduce disaster risk’, was in partnership with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and PLAN International Australia.

2013: Post-doctoral Fellowship at European University Institute, Italy

In 2013, Judy was based at the European University Institute, Fiesole, Italy, as a Visiting Fellow, where she conducted the following EU research projects within the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies:

1. The quality of citizen participation in building disaster resilience – a study of French and Italian cities participating in UNISDR’s ’My City is Getting Ready’ campaign. The study analysed two EU cities’ engagement with citizens and the participatory strategic planning processes for building societal resilience to disasters.
2. The quality of democratic participation in development of sustainable projects: a comparative study of citizen consultation by French and Italian railways. The study compared the social, political and communicative policies and practice for public debate and citizen engagement in France and Italy during development of new high-speed rail links.

Senior Lecturer in RMIT's School of Media and Communication.

Reviewer for

• Communication, Culture and Critique (Journal of International Communication Association) 
• Australian Journal of Emergency Management 
• Communication, Politics and Culture
  
• Disasters

Publications in press

• Burnside-Lawry, J., Franquet, R., Wairiu, M., Holland, E. and Chand, S. (in press) “ Communication, Collaboration and Advocacy: A study of participatory action research to address climate change in the Pacific”. International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, Autumn (accepted August 2017).

Policy reports

• Carvalho, L. & Burnside-Lawry, J., (2015) ‘Leadership at the local level’, GAR 2015 Inputs Paper in Report for UNISDR Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 Proceedings for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, 14–18 March, Sendai, Japan (GAR2015 Input Papers).

• Carvalho, L. & Burnside-Lawry, J., (2013) ‘Leadership at the local level: Community participation in the municipality of Amadora Portugal’. Report for UNISDR Global Assessment Report GAR 13 Indicator PFA/C13.

Organisation of scientific meetings

• 2015: As part of a transdisciplinary research collaboration in environmental research, Judy co- led an international research group symposium ‘Reframing Environmental Research in the Social Sciences’ at RMIT Europe, Barcelona, Spain. With co-leader Professor Francis Chateauraynard (GSPR, EHESS, Paris France), the symposium included 16 European and Australasian social science scholars. An outcome was the formation of the Barcelona Group to advocate for increased social science roles in environmental research and agendas.
• 2014: As part of an international research group symposium in disaster risk reduction and climate change held at Macquarie University, Sydney, Lawry co-led a research seminar discussing the importance of further communication research in CCA and DRR. An outcome is a journal article (in press) ‘Collaboration and communication: Building a research agenda and way of working towards community resilience’ Disaster Prevention and Management, 25 (accepted 21 September 2015).

• 2010: Doctor of Philosophy (Communication Studies), RMIT University, AUS
• 2004: Master Business Administration, Griffith University, AUS
• 2001: Bachelor of Education, QUT, AUS
• 1996: Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion, QUT, AUS
• 1995: Dip Arts, Griffith University, AUS

Awards

• 2014: Recipient of the 2014 Malcolm Moore Industry Research Grant, RMIT University, $30,000
• 2013: Postdoctoral Fellowship at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
• Australian European University Institute Fellowships Association Incorporated (AEUIFAI), $12,000
• 2012: DSC International Research Seed Funding Scheme: 'Community engagement in developing societal resilience to disasters', $5000
• 2011: Highly Commended Award, Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (Management and Governance)
• 2011: Dissertation of the Year Award, International Listening Association
• 2010: Award for Research Excellence, RMIT University School of Media and Communication, $1000

International visiting scholar appointments

• 2014: École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) Paris, France 
• 2012: Université de Bordeaux, Centre Emile-Durkheim Science, Politique et Sociolgie Comparatives, Bordeaux, France