research overview
- Dr. Tir's specialty is international relations, with a focus on causes, consequences and management of armed conflicts. His research spans the topics of territorial disputes, environmental conflict, domestic and ethnic conflict, and rally around the flag/diversionary theory of war. Dr. Tir has been awarded grants to study how climate change impacts violence patterns in rural Kenya (NSF IBSS grant with John O’Loughlin and Terrance McCabe, $1 million) and how institutionalized international river cooperation can prevent the so-called water wars of the future (NSF/DOD Minerva grant with Douglas Stinnett, $236,000).