PhD

Contact Details

Postdoctoral Researcher
Rural Studies Unit, Discipline of Geography,
Distillery Road, NUI Galway,
Galway,
Ireland
E: shane.conway@nuigalway.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaneConwayNUIG ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shane-Conway
 
researcher
 

Biography

Dr Shane Conway is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Discipline of GeographyÂ’s Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway. ShaneÂ’s research interests are in Rural and Agricultural Geography, with a particular focus on generational renewal in agriculture, the human side of farming and rural sustainability. Dr Conway has published widely in peer reviewed academic journals, such as the Journal of Rural Studies and Sociologia Ruralis, and is currently leading IrelandÂ’s participation in the International FARMTRANSFERS Project.

Dr Conway is also a member of the National Rural Network (NRN) research team at NUI Galway, where he has initiated and led the design, development and implementation of a number of multi-method communication strategies being employed by the NRN to highlight and promote projects funded under Ireland's Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), such as EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and the LEADER Programme. Shane is a member of the European Network for Rural DevelopmentÂ’s (ENRD) Thematic Group on Â‘Smart VillagesÂ’, and is IrelandÂ’s national expert on the new ‘Smart Rural 21Â’ European project. Dr Conway is also on the judging panel of IrelandÂ’s National Farming for Nature Awards. 

Research Interests

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2021) 'Going against the grain: Unravelling the habitus of older farmers to help facilitate generational renewal in agriculture'
Conway, S.F., McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Kinsella, A. (2021) 'Going against the grain: Unravelling the habitus of older farmers to help facilitate generational renewal in agriculture'. Sociologia Ruralis, [DOI] [Details]
(2020) 'Mobilising Land Mobility in the European Union: An Under-Researched Phenomenon'
Conway, S.F., Farrell, M., McDonagh, J. and Kinsella, A. (2020) 'Mobilising Land Mobility in the European Union: An Under-Researched Phenomenon'. International Journal of Agricultural Management, 9 (1):7-11 [DOI] [Details]
(2019) 'Human dynamics and the intergenerational farm transfer process in later life: A roadmap for future generational renewal in agriculture policy'
Conway, S.F., McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Kinsella, A. (2019) 'Human dynamics and the intergenerational farm transfer process in later life: A roadmap for future generational renewal in agriculture policy'. International Journal of Agricultural Management, 8 (1):22-30 [DOI] [Details]
(2018) 'Till death do us part: Exploring the Irish farmer-farm relationship in later life through the lens of ‘Insideness’'
Conway, S.F., McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Kinsella, A. (2018) 'Till death do us part: Exploring the Irish farmer-farm relationship in later life through the lens of ‘Insideness’'. International Journal of Agricultural Management, 7 (1):1-13 [DOI] [Details]
(2017) 'Uncovering obstacles: The exercise of symbolic power in the complex arena of intergenerational family farm transfer'
Conway, S.F., McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Kinsella, A. (2017) 'Uncovering obstacles: The exercise of symbolic power in the complex arena of intergenerational family farm transfer'. Journal Of Rural Studies, 54 :60-75 [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'Cease agricultural activity forever? Underestimating the importance of symbolic capital'
Conway, S.F., McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Kinsella, A. (2016) 'Cease agricultural activity forever? Underestimating the importance of symbolic capital'. Journal Of Rural Studies, 44 :164-176 [DOI] [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2017) 'The Role of Small-scale Farms and Food Security'
McDonagh, J., Farrell, M. and Conway, S.F. (2017) 'The Role of Small-scale Farms and Food Security' In: Sustainability Challenges in the Agrofood Sector. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [Details]

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
(2019) The Family Farm: ‘An Icon of the Western Countryside’ or an Institution in Crisis,
Farrell, M. Mahon, M., Conway, S. McDonagh, J. and Murtagh, A. (2019) European Society for Rural Sociology. [Conference Organising Committee Member], The Family Farm: ‘An Icon of the Western Countryside’ or an Institution in Crisis, Trondheim, Norway , 24-JUN-19 - 26-JUN-19. [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2020 Research Support Scheme NUI Galway
2020 Geographical Society of Ireland Doctoral Research Award Geographical Society of Ireland
2019 PresidentÂ’s Award for Societal impact NUI Galway
2018 Geographical Society of Ireland Postgraduate/Early Career Network Poster Award Geographical Society of Ireland
2017 NUI Galway, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Postgraduate Research Travel Bursary NUI Galway
2017 Rural Sociology Society, 80th Annual Meeting, Graduate Student Travel Award Rural Sociology Society
2017 Rural Sociology Society, 80th Annual Meeting, Diversity Travel Bursary Award Rural Sociology Society
2017 Best Student Paper at the NUI Galway, Geography Postgraduate Research Symposium NUI Galway
2016 International Rural Sociology Association, XIV World Congress of Rural Sociology, Congress Registration Bursary International Rural Sociology Association
2016 NUI Galway, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Postgraduate Research Travel Bursary NUI Galway
2015 Awarded an exchange place at University of California, DavisÂ’ Agricultural Issues Centre, as a visiting scholar during the academic period September 2015 to December 2015 NUI Galway
2015 NUI Galway, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Postgraduate Research Travel Bursary NUI Galway
2015 International Farm Transition Network (IFTN) Farm Succession Coordinator Certification International Farm Transition Network (IFTN)
2015 Geographical Society of Ireland Postgraduate Fieldwork/travel Bursary Award Geographical Society of Ireland
2015 NUI Galway, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Teaching and Learning Certificate NUI Galway
2014 Awarded a position on an Erasmus Intensive Programme Project on the topic of sustainability research and policy on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Island of Samothraki, Greece. Erasmus Intensive Programme Project
2013 NUI Galway, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship 2013-2017 NUI Galway

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2012 University College Dublin MSc(Agr) Environmental Resource Management
2011 University College Dublin BSc BSc

Teaching Interests

TI 369: Geographical Perspectives on Rural Change (3rd year BA module); TI 258: Rural Environments; Sustainability and Management (2nd year BA module); TI 254: Space, Place and the Irish Countryside (2nd year BA module); TI 252: Theory and Practice in Geography (2nd year BA module); TI 506: The Multifunctional Countryside.