Engagement with people and organisations who are making a difference in the community is the key for social science, according to departing research leader Stewart Lockie.

Professor Lockie, who will take up a post as Professor of Sociology at Australian National University in June, said this engagement was vital in terms of maintaining relevance and translating social critique into positive change.

Professor Stewart Lockie

"Even in the context of the global financial crisis, governments, businesses and communities are looking for insights into how their activities impact on social sustainability," he said.

Over a decade at CQUniversity, Professor Lockie has performed a range of leadership roles, including forging the Healthy Communities Research Flagship and culminating as Director of the Institute for Health and Social Science Research (IHSSR).

His track record includes an 8-fold increase in external funding for social science research (to more than $1 million a year) and nurturing of international links through visiting fellowship projects in Scotland, the Philippines and in California (USA).

Professor Lockie has led Australian Research Council (ARC) grants in the areas of food quality, agricultural biodiversity and environmentally responsible foods.

He has also published or co-published books relating to agricultural biodiversity, organic food networks, natural resource management, the transformation of rural Australia, and food consumption in relation to environmental sustainability.

He cites a personal success as meeting his wife during an academic conference (Coastal Zone Asia Pacific) in 2002.

"To the best of my knowledge, meeting a future spouse does not incur Fringe Benefits Tax provided you still participate in all conference sessions," Stewart quipped.