Research
The Department of Geography & Sustainable Development at St Andrews conducts international, agenda-setting research within three broadly focused research groupings: Environmental Change; Environment and Society; and Population, Health and Welfare.
In the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise, the School emerged as the top performer in Scotland, outranking all other Scottish Geography departments. As much as 20% of our submitted research outputs were judged to be 'world leading', 40% 'internationally excellent' and a further 35% 'internationally recognised' - the highest three categories of assessment. We were also one of a very select group to submit all our academic staff in post for assessment.
Our achievements reflect the success of a carefully-articulated strategy of appointing outstanding researchers at both junior and senior levels; high levels of external research funding; the development of, and participation in, major research centres and institutes in Human Geography; and the establishment of the Facility for Earth and Environmental Analysis to provide support for research in Physical Geography.
The vibrant research culture within the school is also reflected in our extensive programme of external events including colloquia, seminars, and conferences, in addition to the regular informal meetings organised by the research groups, centres and institutes.
Further Information
If you would like to learn more about the department's research activities, please contact Professor Stewart Fotheringham (Director of Research).
Environmental Change Research Group
ECRG was established in 1990 to foster research collaboration amongst physical geographers, but now includes all staff in the department with related research interests. Research within ECRG focuses on the mechanisms, rates and trajectories of past, present and future environmental change at regional to global scales, and on the implications for the biosphere and society. [more]
Environment and Society Research Group
The core focus of the ESRG is to push the boundaries of the concepts, meanings and practices of sustainable development (SD), thereby exploring new avenues of enquiry into the relationships between society and environment. [more]
Population, Health and Welfare Research Group
The core focus of the PHWRG is on population characteristics, movement and change, and their health and welfare implications. Much of our research is notable for its applied policy-relevance, and our record of attracting funding from research councils, charities, the EU and central and local government is particularly strong. [more]
