Nicolas did his research at the Computational Science Lab in Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Vítor V. Vasconcelos, who secured and managed the UvA-US Forest Service agreement. The initial online collaboration with Research Economist Dr. Andrew R. Tilman, a member of the Forest Service, resulted in quick developments of scientific potential. As the grant included travel costs to attend a research meeting, the team aligned the research meeting with the presentation of Nicola’s preliminary research at the Ecological Society of America’s annual conference, the largest ecology conference.

Nicolas’s research centers on using behavioral models in decision-making for natural resource management. He aims to develop strategies encouraging diverse groups to manage resources sustainably for future generations. His work probes into the dynamics that arise when policy implementation triggers new incentives, leading to environmental and economic feedback loops.

A critical aspect of Nicolas’s study is the uncertainty introduced by human behavior in environmental policy impacts. His research highlights how economic and evolutionary theories, typically aligned in static environments, diverge in dynamic natural resource settings. Nicolas advocates for integrating human behavioral models in policy development, which he showed can significantly alter expected outcomes.

Nicolas is dedicated to creating tools informed by behavioral economics, aiding natural resource managers in better predicting the consequences of policy changes. This approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of resource management and ensure long-term ecological sustainability.

Nicolas Schrama’s research, bridging computational science, behavioral economics, and ecology, represents a significant step forward in understanding and managing natural resources. His work at the intersection of behavioral models and ecological policy stands to impact sustainable resource management practices.