Research

Research focus

The Natural Resource Policy and Management Lab supports research on the human dimensions of natural resource and environmental policy and management. We use a mix of social science tools (e.g., surveys, interviews, and focus groups) and modeling to answer questions about the role of institutions and human behavior in natural resource and environmental management. Lab members' research focuses on the social and psychological mechanisms driving decisions about land management, the roles of governance and markets in influencing patterns of landscape change, and the tools needed by stakeholders for exploring the impacts of potential policy and management strategies. Our research is typically designed to answer management- and policy-relevant questions, the results of which are designed to help agencies and organizations employ solutions to management and policy challenges that are informed by research and tested by practice.

Example projects

Click on the links below to learn about some examples of the research conducted by the Natural Resource Policy and Management Lab

• Wildfire Risk Management

• The Clackamas River Watershed

• Conservation Easements

• Community Solar

Please contact Dr. Nielsen-Pincus at maxnp@pdx.edu for questions about joining the lab as a graduate student, or for questions about sponsored or contracted research.