Welcome to the SHINE research project, proudly hosted by Dublin City University’s School of Law and Government and the School of Electronic Engineering, with Clúid Housing as its Societal Impact Champion.
🌟Our funding is evolving to support SHINE’s mission. SHINE’s new funder will be announced soon.🌟
SHINE’s previous funding (2023 to 2025) was coordinated and administered by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland. Our project was a proud recipient of the National Challenge Fund, established under the government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. #NationalChallengeFund #NextGenerationEU
The SHINE project’s approach to sustainable housing includes an interdisciplinary approach to developing solutions for the housing sector to meet future needs. In this way, the SHINE team comprises academic researchers with robust backgrounds in public policy, political science, communication, and electronic and computer engineering, aiming to establish a new, multi- and interdisciplinary research focus on critical aspects of resilient cities and communities.
Our Team
Dr Valesca Lima
Dr Valesca Lima is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University and is the SHINE Project’s Principal Investigator. She specialises in policymaking and governance with a particular focus on housing policy, citizen participation, and political participation of vulnerable groups. Her research has been funded by the European Commission (Erasmus+), Irish Research Council (IRC), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and The Housing Agency, among others, addressing issues of housing, human rights, inclusion and political participation. Dr Lima’s work in housing and urban studies examines the financialisation of housing, social mobilisation for housing rights, and policy innovations for a more democratic and inclusive housing system, resulting in publications in journals such as Housing Studies, International Journal of Housing Policy, and Comparative European Politics. She is currently a co-editor of the International Review of Public Policy (IRPP) and serves as the director of the charity Women in Research Ireland.
Prof. Stephen Daniels
Professor Stephen Daniels is the Head of the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University and is the SHINE Project’s Co-Principal Investigator. His academic interests are in the areas of plasma science, renewable energy efficiency, and energy management. Beyond academia, Prof. Daniels serves as Chief Technology Officer at NuWave Sensors and has held senior positions in related industries.
Dr Tracy Mae Ildefonso
Dr Tracy Mae Ildefonso is SHINE’s postdoctoral researcher. She is a social scientist whose research interests lie within gender, media, and social and cultural studies. Her research ethos is centred on people’s lived experiences to profoundly understand diverse cultures, societies, and social phenomena with integrity and authenticity. Dr Ildefonso is a PhD Scholar Alumna of the School of Communications, Dublin City University; an MA Scholar Alumna of the Turkish Government’s Scholarship Program; and a former media practitioner at one of the largest TV networks in the Philippines. Find all her works on the topics of gender, media, and advertising scholarships here.
Joe Mullally
Joe Mullally is a Research Assistant at the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University. He has a B.A. (Mod) in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin and a professional background in Development/Operations/IoT at FINEOS, Amazon, and NuWave Sensors. Interests include Electronics, Networking (CCNA), System Administration, Software Engineering, Computer Security, Data Protection, and Open Source. Critical of the over-computerisation of society to the detriment of its citizens, he is a firm believer in independent, ethical, and transparent systems that protect users’ rights and freedoms. Equally as important to him are systems that can get the job done reliably while keeping it simple and cost-effective.