Katrin Prager

Katrin Prager is a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Aberdeen’s School of Geosciences. She serves as Programme Director for the MSc Restorative Land Management and Rural Surveying and has held senior research positions at the James Hutton Institute and Humboldt University. Her academic work bridges landscape governance, rural development, and sustainable agriculture.

Research Interests: Her research focuses on participatory processes in agri-environmental policy, community engagement in natural resource management, social-ecological resilience, and land manager behaviour. She investigates how co-creation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative governance structures can support transitions toward sustainable land use.

Recent Publications Trends: Her recent scholarly output emphasizes innovative contract models for environmental outcomes, results-based payments, institutional analysis of agri-environmental schemes, and the role of knowledge exchange in policy design. Her work is published in leading journals such as Land Use Policy, Global Environmental Change, and Soil Use and Management, reflecting a strong focus on policy-relevant, transdisciplinary environmental research.

• Editorial Roles:
• Guest Editor, Journal of Agricultural Extension and Education (2024/25)
• Editorial Board Member, Scottish Geographical Journal (2018–)
• Associate Editor, Land Degradation & Development (2018–2019); Editorial Board (2013–)

Advising and Grants: Prager actively supervises PhD and Master’s students in human geography and environmental management. She has led and contributed to major funded projects including VISIONARY (EU Horizon Europe), CONTRACTS2.0 (Horizon2020), and FARM TREE (UKRI), demonstrating sustained success in securing competitive research funding and mentoring emerging scholars.

Labs and Research Groups: While not formally affiliated with a single lab, her work is closely linked to interdisciplinary research initiatives at the University of Aberdeen, particularly those focused on sustainable land management, rural policy, and environmental governance. She collaborates with the Green Economy Research Centre and contributes to the Just Transition Lab’s efforts in sustainable geosciences.