I am interested in the following research topics:
Creative methodologies of knowledge co-production
Fringe stakeholder engagement
American Pragmatism and Organization Studies
Food poverty and civil society
Health Inequalities
Business ethics
Ethical leadership
Current Projects:
Nottingham City Council, (100K) Health Inequalities in Nottingham: historical trajectories of the wider determinants (September 2022-2023), Co-PI (with Professor Jonathan Tallant, School of Philosophy). The project researches the barriers to reducing inequalities within different communities from the perspective of people living within Nottingham’s diverse communities.
Past Research Grants
1. UoN IAA grant (15K), CI, Women's Rights and Transformative Engagement Processes in Conflict-Affected Societies? (PI: Lara Bianchi; partners: New Vic Theatre; and Da Hawwa Lur NGO, Pakistan) October 2021-June 2022
2. UoN GCRF grant (120K), CI, 'I Am My Dignity': Women Voices In Developing A Moral Capability Assessment Tool (MCAT) For Fragile Contexts, (PI: Lara Bianchi, ICCSR; partners: Ateneo de Manila University and APHP, Philippines, New Vic Theatre and the Mackman Group UK), November 2020-July 2021
3. UoN GCRF grant (220K), CI, Co-production for Sustainable Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Kenya: A Cultural Animation Approach (PI: Judy Muthuri, ICCSR; partners: Taita Taveta University, Kenya and New Vic Theatre), August 2019-January 2021
4. Institute of Orthopaedics (£25K), CI, Understanding the factors affecting compliance in children with cerebral palsy supplied with Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) using quantitative measurement of function and qualitative evaluation of experience and wellbeing? in collaboration with Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt NHS Trust, Oswestry (PI: Dr. Caroline Stewart), September 2019-December 2020
5. EPSRC grant, RCUK Public Engagement with Research Catalysts (£71K) CI, Co-production and creativity: ethos, typology and innovation in public engagement practice?, (PI: Professor David Amigoni, Keele University) October 2017- March 2018
6. GCRF/AHRC grant, Stories of Public Health through local arts-based community engagement - SOLACE (£195K), CI, (PI: Lisa Dikomitis, Keele University, partners: Ateneo University, Philippines and New Vic Theatre), November 2017-October 2019
7. Audencia Research Project Award (£10K) CI, Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities of Practice through Co-creative Innovation: the Case of CASIC?, (PI: Dr. Latchezar Hristov, Audencia Business School) March 2017-March, 2018
8. Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2016-2019): Research Supervisor for Dr. Karian Schuitema
9. AHRC Connected Communities Festival (£15K) PI Animating Local Appetites: a Celebration of community Food and Health in Stoke in Trent?, March 2015-December 2015.
10. SEE Change, Scale and Growth Award, UnLtd (£7K) PI, April, 2015-March 2016.
11. Connected Communities Award (£2K) PI, to showcase the AHRC ?Bridging the gap? project at The Community Academia Engagement Conference, CUVIC, University of Victoria, Canada.
12. EPSRC Community and Culture Network (£22K) CI, Beyond the Foodbank: Using Digital technologies to escape food poverty (Emma Surman -PI, Keele University) September 2014-March 2015
13. AHRC Connected Communities development grant (£100K) PI, Evaluating the Legacy of Animative and Iterative Connected Communities Projects: A Three Dimensional Model of Change, in collaboration with the New Vic Theatre, Jericho Road Solutions, National Council for Voluntary Organizations, and Leicester University, February 2014-June 2015.
14. AHRC collaborative grant, (£55K) CI, ?Co-designing asset mapping: comparative approaches? (led by Open University), February 2014-December 2014
15. AHRC Connected Community Cardiff Festival and Further Dissemination grant (£16K) PI, ?Animating Communities: A Three Dimensional Installation?, in collaboration with the New Vic Theatre, Brunel University and Leicester University, July 2014-March 2015
16. AHRC Connected Communities Cardiff Festival and Further Dissemination grant (£13K) CI (PI: Prof. Martin Phillips, Leicester University), July 2014-March 2015
17. ESRC seminar series on ?Marketplace exclusion: representations, resistances and responses? (£23K) CI (PI: Prof. Liz Parsons, Liverpool University, partners: Cambridge University, Nottingham University, Coventry University, Birmingham University and Leicester University), September 2013-September 2015
18. AHRC Connected Communities Showcase and Knowledge Dissemination Award (£19K) PI ?Bridging the Gap: an Interactive Audio-visual Installation?, Edinburgh, in collaboration with New Vic Theatre, June 2014
19. AHRC Development Research Grant (£122K) PI: Untold Stories of Volunteering: A Cultural Animation Project? (in collaboration with Leicester University, The New Vic Theatre and the National Council for Voluntary Organizations), February 2013-July 2014
20. AHRC Follow-on Research Grant (£53K) PI: 'Bridging the Gap between Academic Theory and Community Relevance: Fresh Insights from American Pragmatism? (in collaboration with The Open University, Brunel University, Edinburgh University, New Vic Theatre, the Mondo Foundation, Glass House Community Led Design and Seinan Gakuin University, Japan) February 2013 to February 2014
21. AHRC Connected Communities Showcase Award (£15K) PI: A Little Act of Kindness?, in collaboration with New Vic Theatre, London, 2013.
22. AHRC Scoping Study (£37K) PI: Exploring Personal Communities: A Review of Volunteering Processes?, in collaboration with New Vic Theatre, February 2012-February 2013
Mihaela is currently supervising the following Research Students:
Runlong Liu