Nordland Research Institute - NRI

Maiken is the project coordinator of EmpowerUs. She has an interdisciplinary background with a PhD from the Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NCFS), a Master of Science in Social Anthropology and a Master of Science in International Fisheries Management. Her research interests cover a variety of issues including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and blue growth in the context of fisheries and coastal zone management – typically using co-production of knowledge approaches and STS theory to enlighten the increasing number of dilemmas at the science-policy interface.

Cecilie has an international academic background with an interest in social injustices, gender equality, and Norway in a European and global context. She also has ten years of experience from working in different governmental organizations, primarily within the fields of digitalization, transport, communication, and process management. Cecilie is project manager of EmpowerUs, leading WP1.

Vida is interested in interdisciplinary research related to freshwater ecology and management, natural resource management, climate change and adaptation, nature mapping, and processes in planning and decision-making. She has a Master's degree in Natural Resource Management with a specialisation in Limnology. In EmpowerUs, she is involved in WP2 as the Academic lead for the Norwegian Transition Coastal Lab. She is also involved in developing the methodology in WP3.

Salina is a political geographer with interdisciplinary training and research experience in geography, political science, and biology. Her research focuses on biodiversity governance, agri-food system transformation, quality criteria for transformative science, feminist approaches, and conflict transformation. As a trained mediator, she applies a process-oriented approach to projects to find strategic solutions. She is currently leading WP3 on participatory methods to support social transition and innovation in EmpowerUs. She obtained an MSc in Geography from the University of Leipzig in 2009 and a PhD in Political Geography from the University of Münster in 2023.

Liz is an interdisciplinary marine scientist with a BSc in marine biology, MSc in Marine Environmental Protection and a PhD in the Human Dimensions of the Marine Environment from Bangor University, Wales. She has over 20 years working experience as a scientific diver and marine consultant before re-focusing her career on the marine social sciences. Her research focuses on human-nature connection, ocean literacy and behavioural change, drawing on tools and frameworks from several disciplines to find solutions to complex marine challenges. In EmpowerUs, Liz provides academic support to WP6 and Transition Coastal Labs, ensuring that activities and resources delivered through the project strategically align with an evolved concept of ocean literacy whilst Leaving No One Behind.