National Science Foundation

Scientific models often make poor predictions of their outcomes due to underfit or overfit. Just like the radio of an old car has only two adjustable dials for frequency and volume, probability distributions, like the bell-shaped normal distribution, that are used in scientific models typically only have one or two adjustable dials.

This research project investigates land-based communities and a network of ecological theorists to analyze the range of strategies that are utilized in building communities committed to ecological restoration and sustainability. It specifically asks what knowledge sources these communities draw upon, and how those knowledge sources are integrated, in ecological restoration efforts. The project aims to expand understandings of the range of ecological restoration strategies and knowledge resources that communities marshal in adapting to environmental change.

Ability to raise sufficient tax revenues efficiently and equitably to fund public services is one of the central challenges in economic development. This problem arises partly because of inability to create the capacity to enforce taxes effectively, thus leading to increased tax evasion. Reducing tax evasion requires a detailed understanding of the drivers of tax evasion and the optimal allocation of scarce tax enforcement resources.