Biography
I am also getting very interested in scientometrics and its application to policy analysis, open science and the science-policy interface.
Upcoming events where you can hear more about my work
RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2023: Participatory systems modelling to explore the systemic drivers of the deterioration of food system resilience at different spatial scales: A study of rapid transition from rural to peri-urban livelihoods and food insecurity, September 2nd 2023, London (Co-author: Ana Pena del Valle)
ESSA’s Social Simulation Conference 2023 where I shall be presenting the paper: Barriers and Model Curation Issues Associated with Rapid Adaptation of Empirical Legacy ABM in Response to Urgent Policy Maker Queries (Authors: Hare, M.P., Roxburgh, N., Salt, D., Polhill G.) September 4-8, 2023
Systems@Hutton Seminar Series – The Impacts of large-scale “black-hole” systems modelling and successful media impact campaigns on the accumulation of scientific knowledge on the 11th October, 2023, 1-2pm, Macaulay B Suite, The James Hutton Institute. (Co-author: Ana Pena del Valle)
Current projects
- EPSRC – Exascale Agent-based Modelling for PoLicy Evaluation in Real-time (ExAMPLER)
- I am responsible for the participatory systems modelling being undertaken with social simulation scientists to better understand potential benefits of and barriers to exascale computing for next-generation ABM social simulation.
- Our first participatory systems modelling workshop will be held at ESSA’s Social Simulation Conference 2023 in Glasgow.
- RESAS JHI D4-4 Habitat Management and Restoration (2022 – 2027)
- I lead Work Package 1 – Mapping the flows of multiple benefits and risks associated with woodland restoration
- RESAS JHI C5 Integrated socio-environmental modelling of policy scenarios for Scotland (2022 – 2027)
- I lead Work Package 5 – Mediated modelling for rapid-response policy requests
- You can find out more at ESSA’s Social Simulation Conference 2023 where I shall be presenting the paper: Barriers and Model Curation Issues Associated with Rapid Adaptation of Empirical Legacy ABM in Response to Urgent Policy Maker Queries (Authors: Hare, M.P., Roxburgh, N., Salt, D., Polhill G.)
- RESAS JHI B4-1 Increasing fruit and vegetable production for sustainable, healthy, affordable diets and secure jobs (22 – 27)
- I am currently analysing corporate/NGO interlocking within trustee and non-executive boards in Scottish NGOs that focus on food sustainability.
- European Social Simulation Association Summer School 2023 (28th August – 1st September)
- The theme this year is Agent-Based Modelling for Wicked Problems – applications are now closed!
Recent projects
- Land-based carbon sequestration options for residual emissions off-setting. (2021-22) Commercial Contract.
- Peatland restoration for improved water supply in the drinks sector. (2020-22) Commercial contract.
- Moderating extremes in water availability in Scotland: a review of the role of functioning wetlands. (2020-2022). Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, CREW.
- Peatland restoration and potential emssions savings on agricultural land: an evidence assessment (2021). ClimateXChange.
- Opportunities and Challenges of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) in future food system sustainability. (2019-2020). Hutton Seedcorn Fund
- Socio-ecological modelling as a support for community- and ecosystems-based adaptation towards sustainability and wellbeing. (2017-2020) MDT Research Fellowship in Socio-Ecological Systems Modelling. Including research in:
- Upscaling participatory systems modelling processes for the development of the PACMUBIS Climate Action Programme for Wellbeing and Sustainability (2017-2018). Co funded by the Municipality of Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, Mexico.
- Agent-based modelling of the impacts of different policy levers on the efficacy of UK Biodiversity Offsetting approaches.
- Exploring the potential impact of model artefacts in Verra’s Verfied Carbon Standards (VCS) on the estimation of carbon emissions savings from REDD+ forestry projects.
- Foraging as an adaptive capacity in times of extreme crisis – surveying the availability of wild, edible plants in interstitial green spaces in central Mexico City.
Career path
I have worked here before. From 1994 – 1998, at what was then called the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, I did my PhD on the use of symbolic artificial intelligence, machine learning and agent-based simulation approaches for the automated compositional modelling and comparison of different theoretical models of Red Grouse population dynamics and management. I not only got my first bit of field work out in the the glens of Invercauld, I also got to visit the Santa Fe Institute back in its arguably wilder, pioneering days of artificial life and complex systems research.
Before that, I had gained my bachelor degree in Artifcial Intelligence and Computing at Sussex University which saw me building my first Agent-Based Model as part of my undergrad thesis around about 1990. For those with long memories it was a re-implementation of the Asgard ABM of nomadic and settler behaviour across a heterogeneous landscape using genetic algorithms that had been developed by Sannier and Goodman (1987) for J. J. Grefenstette’s book on Genetic Algorithms and their Applications. Following that, I worked at City University on human-computer interface design for intelligent information retrieval. Back in the 90’s we thought that getting a machine to automatically complete your search queries was unnecessary meddling in the autonomy of the user! How times change…
My post-doc was took place at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG-ETH), using participatory (agent-based) modelling techniques to support decision-makers to develop strategies for sustainably managing urban water supplies.
Following this, I moved to Germany to co-found a start-up enterprise, Seeconsult GmbH, which provided consultancy, research and training support to organizations interested in implementing participatory water resources management in different river basins across Europe, as part of Article 14 obligations of the EU Water Framework Directive. During this time, I worked with stakeholders in river basins across Europe from Scotland in the west to Bulgaria in the East.
In 2008, I took up a job as Senior Programme Officer at the capacity development wing (UNW-DPC) of the UN-Water Decade Programme based at the United Nations in Bonn, Germany. This was to support the implementation of UN capacity development activities seeking to promote, among other things, climate-related adaptive water resources management in developing countries.
After this, from 2010 to 2017, I lived and worked in Mexico, providing technical support aimed at the implementation and evaluation of community- and ecosystems-based climate change adaptation projects. I have worked on contract for the Mexican Government and with communities across Mexico.
Between 2011 and 2013, I also coordinated the EU FP7 CATALYST project (grant no. 283177) entitled “Capacity Development for Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation”. I have worked in EU research programmes since Framework 3 in the early 90s!
I returned to the James Hutton Institute in 2017 where, until 2020, I held the post of Macaulay Development Trust Research Fellow in Socio-Ecological Systems Modelling. One of the highlights was working on the upscaling of participatory systems modelling processes to support the development of a municipality-wide bottom-up plan for climate action for the municipality of Tla
