
Professor Melissa Nursey-Bray
Professor, Deputy Director ISER
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Current roles
- Professor and ARC Future Fellow, Human Geography
- Deputy Director, Institute of Sustainability, Energy and Resources
- Coordinator, FAME Sustainability Strategy
Research Overview
My research investigates the connection between people and the environment. I focus on how to engage communities to be part of environmental decision making, particularly in the context of climate change and biodiversity protection. I have worked with Indigenous, ports, local government and fishing communities on a range of projects. These projects have examined how conflict, social and cultural values, knowledge, social learning and perceptions affect how people become involved in or help drive environmental sustainability.
My most recent work explore how different communities can adapt to climate change. This has included developing adaptation strategies for Indigenous peoples, looking at how urban areas can be ‘greened’ and the ways in which fisheries can be made more resilient and responsive to climate threats.
I am currently working on an ARC Future Fellowship that investigates how different knowledges can work together to address biodiversity and climate change impacts.
I welcome inquiries from Masters and PhD candidates interested in: urban ecology, Indigenous resource management, climate change adaptation, co-management, and fisheries/marine management.
My current projects include:
- ARC Future Fellowship: : Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into biodiversity and adaptation policy
The goal of this project is to discover Indigenous knowledge innovations at the science-policy interface that will create transformative benefits for biodiversity and climate change adaptation and socially just conservation outcomes for the people living within regions of outstanding cultural and ecological value such as the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin, Australia.
- Indigenous Climate Adaptation
This research program considers the barriers and opportunities facing Indigenous peoples in relation to climate change. It explores how climate change impacts on and the community driven responses to climate change across the world. In particular the program examines the role of traditional knowledge in informing Indigenous adaptation, and the ways in which Indigenous ways of doing can be incorporated within wider policy frameworks both on Indigenous country and in cities.
- Community engagement and environmental change
This is a research program that undertakes a range of projects that explore the ways in which communities engage with the issue of climate change and biodiversity, in order to strengthen policy and management. The project examines the role of conflict, social learning, knowledge, risk, values and perception in influencing community behaviour about and towards environmental issues. Examples of studies undertaken include a perception study about climate change for the rock lobster fishery, understanding how marine stakeholders feel about the relationship between sharks and aquaculture, and projects on community gardens and trees in cities.
- Adaptation, Community Environment (ACE)
I am the Director of a research group called Adaptation, Community Environment (ACE) that aims to undertake applied research and work with stakeholders and community groups on project they want undertaken on adaptation or environmental management. Examples include consultancy work (a recent one on the social impact of alcohol restrictions on the NT is an example), conduct of research training workshops for local community groups, implementation of citizen science projects (i.e. on marine pollution or climate change, see REDMAP), an annual adaptation seminar series that includes industry and community presentations and the establishment of an artist in residence program on art and public space.
This project considers the ways in which different groups can work together for a common goal. It also aims to develop a strong partnership between academia and the community, so that project results can be useful to and used by communities to guide their own day to day business. The establishment of ACE creates opportunities for applied research that involves and has positive impacts on community. ACE aims to work with and for not on communities.
Date | Project Name/ Number | Investigators | Funding Body | Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 - 2025 | Toys for Turtles, Dhimurru, NT. | Wootton, N, Nursey-Bray, M. and Gillanders, B. | DCCEEW | $279,755 |
2023 - 2025 | Project-level blue carbon ecosystem restoration benefits measurement, verification and accounts | Jones, A. Tanner, J (SARDI), Wheeler, S., Nursey-Bray, M., Carnell, P (Deakin) | DCCEEW | $1,146,729.10 |
2022 - 2032 | One Basin CRC Governance Theme Leader/program | Nursey-Bray, M and Aldridge K | One Basin CRC | TBD/Ongoing |
2022 - 2023 | Blue Carbon Framework Accounting | Nursey-Bray, M and Mandingalbay Yidinji Corporation | Department of Climate Change Energy, Environment and Water | $275,000 |
2021 - 2023 | Caring for Country: Sea Country Planning | Nursey-Bray, M | Country Needs People | $150,000 |
2022 | SEQ Water Climate Risk Assessment | Westra, S and Nursey-Bray, M | SEQ Water | $26,000 |
2022 | National Park City Adelaide consultation | Nursey-Bray, M. | Green Adelaide | $8000 |
2022 - 2026 | Pathways for Indigenous and Western knowledge into environmental policy | Nursey-Bray, M | Australian Research Council | $1,038,892 |
2021 | Climate communications to marine and coastal communities, Victoria | Nursey-Bray, M | Victorian Coastal and Marine Coastal Council | $7500 |
2021 | Wellbeing in regions | Nursey-Bray, M | Legatus Group | $15,000 |
2021 | Normalising climate change communications for coastal communities, Victoria | Nursey-Bray, M | Coast ans Marine Planning Group, State Government, Victoria | $7500 |
2021 | Southern Remarkable Tourism Project | Nursey-Bray, M | Legatus group | $15,000 |
2020 - 2022 | Finding the Fab Five! Enhancing community values and marine protected areas | Nursey-Bray, M, Gillanders, B., Lange, J | Commonwealth government, MPA Program | $278,000 |
2020 | Reconciliation in Regions | Nursey-Bray, M | Legatus Group | $15,000 |
2019 | Youth Volunteering in regions | Nursey-Bray, M | Legatus Group | $16,000 |
2018 | Social Impact Assessment, Indigenous Supermarkets Alice Springs | Nursey-Bray, M | BDO Consulting | $15,000 |
2018 | More than providing a microphone: Establishing a research cluster for public engagement with STEM research and policy | Ankeny R; Braunack-Mayer A; Bray H; Brown H; Burton R; Conduit J; Falkner K; Grutzner F; Michell D; Musgrave I, Nursey-Bray, M, Plewa, C and Street, J | FND000166: University of Adelaide - Interdisciplinary Research Funding Scheme | $65,000 |
2018 | Humanitarian Emergencies in a Digital World: big data, human networks and the role of situational awareness | Skuse A; Nursey-Bray M; Kakare C; Birzer C; Brown H; Szabo C | FND000166: University of Adelaide - Interdisciplinary Research Funding Scheme | $30,000 |
2017- 2019 | Placemaking and Tactical Urbanism Program | Kellett J; Palazzo E; Worrall J; Nursey-Bray M | Myers Foundation | $132,000 |
2017- 2019 | Goyder Project HE 17 01: Socio ecological assessment of the ecosystems, industries and communities of Spencer Gulf | B. Gillanders, P. Cassey & M. Nursey-Bray | Goyder Institute | $300,000 |
2017- 2018 | Social Impact Assessment, Sea Port, Kangaroo Island | Nursey-Bray, M | Environmental Projects | $27,000 |
2017- 2018 | Academic Plane Travel | M Nursey-Bray, R Palmer, T Wanner, C Birzer | Ecoversity (UoA) | $13,000 |
2016- 2018 | Developing social indicators to improve social license to operate for the Marine Scale fishery | Nursey-Bray, M. & Bicknell, N | FRDC | $52,000 |
2015- current | William and Mary College, Teaching Sustainability | Nursey-Bray, M | Environmental Projects | $27,000 annually |
2015- 2017 | Climate Change Adaption Research Network (Vulnerable communities including human health) | Bi,P., Hanson-Easy, S., Nitscke, M. Nursey-Bray, M., Pisaniello, D., Tan, Y., Weinstein, P., Zhanh, Y., Hansen, A & Williams, S | ORG119308: NCCARF Research Network | $300,000 |
2015- 2017 | NCCARF SEI Project | Nursey-Bray, M | NCCARF SEI | $365,000 |
2015 | Application of tracking technologies to understand space-time explicit patterns of movement, residency and habitat use of pelagic sharks in Spencer Gulf | Nursey-Bray, M | FRDC | $23,000 |
2014- 2015 | Assessing perception of the economic impact of seal-fisher interactions | Nursey-Bray, M | FRDC | $20,000 |
2014- 2015 | Women in Leadership Project | Martin, J., Jorgensen, B & Nursey-Bray, M | Local Government Association, SA | $35,000 |
2014- 2015 | Task 3: Cultural Indicators Project Goyder | Lewis, M., White, D. & Nursey-Bray, M | SARDI/Goyder Institute | $366,581 |
2014 | AW NRM Grant | Nursey-Bray, M | AW NRM Grant | $20,000 |
2014 | FRAGS Community Gardens | Nursey-Bray, M, Ankeny, R, Rudd & Bray, H | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $4,500 |
2014 | FRAGS Adaptive Capacity | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $4,500 |
2014 | Teaching and Learning Grant: Developing Online Excel Training for Globalisation | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $2,500 |
2013- 2015 | USC/APN Project on co-management and adaptive capacity (fisheries) | Fidelman, P, & Nursey-Bray, M | Asia/Pacific Network for Global Research | $50,000 |
2013 | SANTS evaluation contract | Nursey-Bray, M | SANTS | $5,000 |
2013 | Subcontract-Eyes-on-the-water:Inspiring Australians through participation in science-A123926 | Nursey-Bray, M | Inspiring Australia | $25,000 |
2013 | Coastal Fisheries Workshop, Vietnamese Officials | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Sunshine Coast | $2,000 |
2012- 2013 |
India-Australia Strategic Research Grant |
Frusher, S., Hobday, A., Van Putten, I., Pecl, G., Haward, M. & Nursey-Bray, M | India-Australia Strategic Grant Scheme | $120,000 |
2012 | Local Government Workshops on climate change adaptation /vulnerability for the Mount Lofty NRM Board (internal) | Clarke, B. and Nursey-Bray, M | ML NRM | $10,000 |
2012 | External masters supervision (requested engineering) | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences | $3,000 |
2012 | Hosting/coordination of social inclusion and climate change workshop, for Professor Carol Johnson (Politics) | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $5,000 |
2012 | Fay Gale monies for leading theme activities | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $1,000 |
2012 | White paper prize | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $500 |
2012 | Bottom Drawer Fellowship Fay Gale | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $1,000 |
2011- 2013 | NCCARF Climate Change Arabana project | Nursey-Bray, M, Fergie, D., Arbon, V., Rigney, L., Tibby, J., Palmer, R., & Harvey. N. |
NCCARF IC11 08 |
$248,900 |
2011- 2012 | Winter schools transfers (Internal) | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $11,000 |
2011 | UTAS consultancy (delivering block course for UTAS) (external) | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Tasmania, AMC | $7,100 |
2010- 2014 | CSIRO Coastal Cluster project: I was listed PI in the knowledge (UTAS) and adaptive learning (USC) themes (Cat 1) | Nursey-Bray, M & 40 researchers across five universities | CSIRO |
$4,000,000 across Australia |
2010 | Final payment for the DCCE Climate Change Project (External) | Nursey-Bray, M | UTAS/DCC | $30,000 |
2010 | UTAS consultancy (delivering block course for UTAS) (external) | Nursey-Bray, M | UTAS | $7,100 |
2010 | FRAGS Grant on community vulnerability | Nursey-Bray, M | University of Adelaide, Faculty of Arts | $5,000 |
Date | Course Title | Course Level / Code |
---|---|---|
Introduction to Geography, Environment and Population | Level 1, GEOG 1104 | |
Geographies of Globalisation | Level 1, GEOG 1101 | |
Environmental Ethics | Level 2, GEOG 2156 | |
Space and Society | Level 2, GEOG 269 | |
Indigenous Peoples and The Environment | Level 2, GEOG 2150 | |
Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment | Level 3, GEOG 3921 | |
Coasts, Conflict and Community Development | Level 3, GEOG 2159 | |
Introduction to Urbanisation | Masters, GEOG 5093 | |
Engaging Communities/Community Engagement | Masters, GEOG 5095/ GEOG 5005 | |
Sustainable Futures | Winter school |
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