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Dr Ray Maher
Dr

Ray Maher

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 33141

Overview

Background

Dr Ray Maher is Lecturer in Design (Built Environment) at the School of Architecture, and Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Futures at the University of Queensland. Ray collaborates broadly across institutions while leading research and capacity-building projects with government and industry. His work focuses on sustainable development strategy, urban development and design, Sustainable Development Goals, decision-support tools, circular economy, and addressing ‘wicked’ problems using systems, design, and futures thinking. Ray’s research is engagement-focused, interdisciplinary, and applied, which builds the capacity of stakeholders.

Ray is Lead Chief Investigator on research funding totalling over $1m, and a Chief Investigator on research funding totalling over $5m. He has 31 traditional and non-traditional research outputs with state, national, and regional impact.

Availability

Dr Ray Maher is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Design Studies, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework) of Architecture, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research impacts

Ray’s interdisciplinary research applies systems and design approaches to support high-impact outcomes through partnerships with Government, Industry, and Non-government Organisations. Research impacts and partnerships include leadership, authorship, or substantial contributions to:

• Leading a 15-person interdisciplinary team to develop the Sustainability Framework for a ~$3 Billion, 360HA development in Manila, Philippines for 350,000 people.

• Research informing The University of Queensland’s Pacific Engagement Strategy.

• Facilitating the Queensland Health Prevention Thinktank to inform the organisation’s 10-year reform strategy.

• Research lead on Making Prevention a Health System Priority project to embed preventative health throughout Queensland Health and its 100,000 workforce.

• Leading the Systems and Design thinking module for the Internet Society’s mid-career fellowship.

• Lead CI of Circular Economy for Disaster Reconstruction, Development Minerals Program, in collaboration with the Pacific Community, The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and two Fiji Government Ministries.

• Working with the Pacific Community (SPC) to co-develop their Transition Plan 2021, a COVID response strategic Plan.

• Contributing to the Pacific Community's (SPC)10-year Strategic Plan 2021+.

• Foresight research which informed the 2050 Regional Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, a long-term regional strategy by the Pacific Island Forum’s 18 Member nations.

• Lead authoring An Adaptation Plan for the Energy, Mining, and Manufacturing Sectors – part of the Queensland Government’s Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy (Q‐CAS).

• Co-leading the foundational project on climate change to inform the strategy and research priorities of the $130M CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies (TiME).

• Designing the Circular Economy 4 Business pilot program for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland’s ecoBiz program.

• The Integrated Bioeconomy Project and the Controlled Biosphere ARC Linkage project to inform policy and regulatory settings for sustainable food production.

• Contributing to the policy and regulation component of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Programme (RRAP).

• Authoring the Australian National Rail Station Design Guidelines, endorsed by all State Rail operators.

Works

Search Professor Ray Maher’s works on UQ eSpace

34 works between 2009 and 2023

21 - 34 of 34 works

2018

Journal Article

Integrating design thinking with sustainability science: a research through design approach

Maher, Ray, Maher, Melanie, Mann, Samuel and McAlpine, Clive A. (2018). Integrating design thinking with sustainability science: a research through design approach. Sustainability Science, 13 (6), 1565-1587. doi: 10.1007/s11625-018-0618-6

Integrating design thinking with sustainability science: a research through design approach

2018

Other Outputs

MetaMAP: Designing a graphical tool for transforming social-ecological systems

Maher, Raymond (2018). MetaMAP: Designing a graphical tool for transforming social-ecological systems. PhD Thesis, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland.

MetaMAP: Designing a graphical tool for transforming social-ecological systems

2018

Journal Article

Overcoming barriers to sustainability by combining conceptual, visual, and networking systems

Maher, Ray, Maher, Melanie, McAlpine, Clive A., Mann, Samuel and Seabrook, Leonie (2018). Overcoming barriers to sustainability by combining conceptual, visual, and networking systems. Sustainability Science, 13 (5), 1-17. doi: 10.1007/s11625-018-0576-z

Overcoming barriers to sustainability by combining conceptual, visual, and networking systems

2018

Other Outputs

Inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities

Washington, Simon, Summerfield, Alex, Maher, Ray and Sipe, Neil (2018). Inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.

Inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities

2018

Conference Publication

Shifting the maturity needle of ICT for sustainability

Mann, Samuel, Bates, Oliver and Maher, Raymond (2018). Shifting the maturity needle of ICT for sustainability. 5th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for Sustainability (ICT4S2018), Toronto, Canada, 14-18 May 2018. Manchester, United Kingdom: EasyChair. doi: 10.29007/d6g3

Shifting the maturity needle of ICT for sustainability

2017

Conference Publication

Expanding social-ecological systems: towards an interdisciplinary meta-framework for sustainability

Maher, Raymond (2017). Expanding social-ecological systems: towards an interdisciplinary meta-framework for sustainability. Resilience 2017: Resilience Frontiers for Global Sustainability, Stockholm, Sweden, 20-23 August 2017. Stockholm, Sweden: Resilience 2017.

Expanding social-ecological systems: towards an interdisciplinary meta-framework for sustainability

2017

Conference Publication

MetaMAP - a visual collaboration platform for sustainability

Maher, Ray (2017). MetaMAP - a visual collaboration platform for sustainability. 7th International Conference on Sustainability Science (ICSS 2017), Stockholm, Sweden, 24-26 August 2017.

MetaMAP - a visual collaboration platform for sustainability

2017

Conference Publication

Early career panellist – conference synthesis

Maher, Ray (2017). Early career panellist – conference synthesis. International Conference on Sustainability Science, Stockholm, Sweden, 24-26 August 2017.

Early career panellist – conference synthesis

2016

Conference Publication

Harnessing interdisciplinary expertise to communicate and collaborate on global challenges

Maher, Ray (2016). Harnessing interdisciplinary expertise to communicate and collaborate on global challenges. McDonnell International Scholars Academy 6th International Symposium: Addressing Global Challenges Through International Collaboration in Education and Research, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 22-25 September 2016.

Harnessing interdisciplinary expertise to communicate and collaborate on global challenges

2015

Other Outputs

An architectural perspective of sustainability

Maher, Ray (2015, 06 11). An architectural perspective of sustainability The natural artisan 18-19.

An architectural perspective of sustainability

2013

Other Outputs

The public face of rail: Australian station design guidelines

Skinner, Peter and Maher, Raymond (2013). The public face of rail: Australian station design guidelines. Brisbane, Australia: CRC for Rail Innovation.

The public face of rail: Australian station design guidelines

2011

Conference Publication

An architect's view of the station user experience

Maher, Raymond and Skinner, Peter R. (2011). An architect's view of the station user experience. 34th Australasian Transport Research Forum 2011, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 28-30 September 2011. Adelaide, SA, Australia: Planning and Transport Research Centre.

An architect's view of the station user experience

2010

Conference Publication

South East Queensland's projected population and its environmental footprint

Maher, Ray and Skinner, Peter (2010). South East Queensland's projected population and its environmental footprint. Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA) Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 24-26 November 2010. Auckland, New Zealand: Architectural Science Association.

South East Queensland's projected population and its environmental footprint

2009

Other Outputs

SEQ2030: an exploration of ecological footprint methodology and its potential as a decision making tool for building a sustainable South East Queensland

Maher, Ray (2009). SEQ2030: an exploration of ecological footprint methodology and its potential as a decision making tool for building a sustainable South East Queensland. Master's Thesis, School of Architecture, The University of Queensland.

SEQ2030: an exploration of ecological footprint methodology and its potential as a decision making tool for building a sustainable South East Queensland

Funding

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2026
    Pre-conditions for the development of offshore wind energy in Australia (Blue Economy CRC project led by Uni Tasmania)
    Blue Economy CRC-Co Ltd
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2023
    Pasay 360 Sustainability Framework
    SM Smart City Infrastructure and Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Making prevention a health system priority - systems analysis project
    Sax Institute
    Open grant
  • 2021
    Transitions and Climate Change
    CRC TIME Limited
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    RRAP-REG-01-V1 Regulatory and Policy Environment (Great Barrier Reef Foundation funding administered by AIMS)
    Australian Institute of Marine Science
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    CCIQ EcoBiz Circular Economy Pilot Study
    Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    Supporting the development of the Pacific Community's Strategic Plan 2021+ through capacity building in Futures Thinking and Visioning
    Secretariat of the Pacific Community
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    CCIQ EcoBiz Circular Economy Program
    Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Services to support the development Queensland's Post 2020 Climate Strategy
    Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Supply of Services to develop and deliver the Industry and Resource Sector Adaptation Plan
    Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Ray Maher is:
Available for supervision

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Media

Enquiries

For media enquiries about Dr Ray Maher's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au