Garrett Ward Richards

Garrett Richards

Title or Function

  • Researcher

Expertise

  • Evidence-Based Policy, Knowledge Mobilization, Science–Policy Interfaces, Deliberative Democracy, Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity, Energy, Climate Change

Institution/Organization

  • Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Regional Center

  • Atlantic

Email Address

Biography

I am a member of the new Atlantic Hub of PhiLab, based at Grenfell Campus (Memorial University of Newfoundland) in Corner Brook, NL. One of the Atlantic Hub’s priorities is to investigate rural capacity to participate in the grantmaking ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. Within this thematic area, I am interested in examining the role of charitable organizations in transdisciplinary relationships as well as making comparisons between the conceptual areas of evidence-based policy and effective altruism. Outside of PhiLab, I am broadly interested in knowledge mobilization for sustainability. I want to understand how to take existing knowledge in universities and “move” it to where it can do the most good for society and the environment. In practice, this research examines cases of public deliberation as well as partnerships between academia, government, and community, usually around issues of energy or climate change. Also, I am a board member for the Environmental Studies Association of Canada, am passionate about public speaking and debating, and am a certified facilitator for the internationally-recognized Instructional Skills Workshop.

Publications

Richards, G. (2018). “The Science–Policy Relationship Hierarchy (SPRHi) Model of Co-Production: How Climate Science Organizations Have Influenced the Policy Process in Canadian Case Studies.” Policy Sciences (in press – available online).

Richards, G. and Carruthers Den Hoed, R. (2018). “Seven Strategies of Climate Change Science Communication for Policy Change: Combining Academic Theory with Practical Evidence from Science–Policy Partnerships in Canada.” Handbook of Climate Change Communication: Vol. 2 – Climate Change Management (eds. W. Leal Filho, E. Manolas, A. Azul, U. Azeiteiro, and H. McGhie). Cham: Springer.

Richards, G. (2017). “How Research–Policy Partnerships Can Benefit Government: A Win–Win for Evidence-Based Policy-Making.” Canadian Public Policy, vol. 43(2), pp. 165-170.

Lacroix, K. and Richards, G. (2015). “An Alternative Policy Evaluation of the British Columbia Carbon Tax: Broadening the Application of Elinor Ostrom’s Design Principles for Managing Common-Pool Resources.” Ecology and Society, vol. 20(2), art. 38.

Richards, G., Belcher, K., and Noble, B. (2013). “Informational Barriers to Effective Policy-Public Communication: A Case Study of Wind Energy Planning in Saskatchewan, Canada.” Canadian Public Policy, vol. 39(3), pp. 431-450.

Richards, G., Noble, B., and Belcher, K. (2012). “Barriers to Renewable Energy Development: A Case Study of Large-Scale Wind Energy in Saskatchewan, Canada.” Energy Policy, vol. 42(1), pp. 691-698.

Awards and Distinctions

SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015)

SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2011)

Willis S. McLeese Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Art of Debate in SK (2010)

SSHRC Master’s Fellowship (2009)