Brian Belcher

Background

About Brian Belcher

My work has focused on understanding and improving the role and potential of natural resources to sustainably contribute to rural development and on research effectiveness. In 2013 I was appointed as RRU’s first Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and subsequently as the RRU Ashoka Chair. In this role I am leading a program of research on sustainability research effectiveness that aims to develop theory and methodology for evaluating research in complex transdisciplinary contexts. Previously I served as Director of the Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology at RRU from 2007 until 2013. I teach in the Doctor of Social Sciences Program, and supervise a number of Masters and Doctoral students. I also contribute as Senior Associate Scientist with the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the international Consortium Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA), as a member of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment team. Prior to joining RRU in 2007, I worked at CIFOR based in Bogor, Indonesia (1997-2007), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in New Delhi, India (1994-1997) and Ottawa, Canada(1989-1992) and at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. My academic training has a strong interdisciplinary basis, with a BSc in Biology (Ecology) from University of Winnipeg, Masters of Natural Resources of Management from University of Manitoba, and PhD in Forestry (Economics and Policy) from University of Minnesota, and research experience in a variety of natural resource management systems.