Developing a Research Program –
An Ex Post Exploration
Robert N. Stavins
API-901: Doctoral Research Seminar
Professor Hannah Riley Bowles
Harvard Kennedy School
An Ex Post Exploration
of How to Research Programs Develop
 Examine eleven sources of research ideas & projects
1. Dissertation
2. Involvement with Policy World (Outreach)
3. Picking Up on Someone Else’s Work
4. Conferences
5. Funders
6. Student Interest
7. Responding to Others’ Work
8. Teaching
9. Consulting
10. Class Assignment
11. Invitation
Environmental & Natural Resource Economics: Research Topics & Selected Publications
Dissertation: Depletion of Forested Wetlands, Harvard 1988
Stavins & Jaffe AER 1990
Policy Outreach:
Project 88 – Harnessing Market Forces to Protect the Environment
1988
Technology Diffusion: Jaffe & Stavins JEEM 1995;
Miller, Snyder, & Stavins AER 2003
Optimal Land Use: Stavins JEEM 1990
Technology Innovation: Newell, Jaffe, & Stavins QJE 1999
Carbon Sequestration: Stavins AER 1999;
Newell & Stavins JEEM 2000; Lubowski,
Plantinga, & Stavins JEEM 2006
Factors Affecting Land Use
Plantinga, Lubowski, & Stavins J Urban
Econ 2002; Lubowski, Plantinga, &
Stavins Land Economics 2008
Student Interest:
Innovation (Newell, Innovation)
Water
Olmstead, Hanemann, & Stavins JEEM
2007; Olmstead & Stavins Water
Resources Research 2009
Transaction Costs: Stavins JEEM 1995
VDR: Stavins Stanford Envtl Law J 2006
Second-Best: Bennear & Stavins ERE 2007
Other’s Work:
Correlated Uncertainty: Stavins JEEM 1996
Energy-Efficiency
& Environmental
Technology
Change
Jaffe & Stavins EJ 1994,
Res & Energy Econ 1994,
Energy Policy 1994;
Jaffe, Newell, & Stavins
Elsevier 2003, Ecological
Econ 2005, Energy Econ
2006
Positive Political Economy: Hahn
& Stavins ELQ 1991; Keohane,
Revesz, & Stavins HELR 1998;
Hahn, Olmstead, & Stavins HELR
2003
Market-Based Instruments:
Hahn & Stavins AER 1992;
Newell & Stavins J Reg Econ 2003;
Stavins Elsevier 2003
Cap-and-Trade: Stavins JEP 1998; Hahn &
Stavins Journal of Law & Economics 2011
Conference & Funders:
Global Climate Change Policy
National and Sub-National
Climate Policy Instruments
Responding: Corporate Social Responsibility
Hay, Stavins, & Vietor RFF Press 2005
Reinhardt, Stavins, & Vietor REEP 2008
Stavins Brookings 2007; Stavins HELR
2008; Stavins, Oxford Review of Econ
Policy 2008; IPCC 1993-1998
Teaching: Sustainability:
Stavins, Wagner, & Wagner Econ Letters 2003
Class Assignment: Economic History
Stavins Explorations in Economic History 1988
Consulting: NPV Analytical Methods
Portney & Stavins J Risk & Uncertainty 1994; Arrow
et al Science 1996; Goulder & Stavins Nature 2002;
Bennear, Stavins, & Wagner J Reg Econ 2005
Jaffe & Stavins Reg & Governance 2007
Normative
Analysis of
Policy
Instruments
Ph.D. 1988
Ass’t Prof. 1988-1992
Assoc. Prof. 1992-1997
Prof. 1997 – 1998
Albert Pratt Prof. 1998 - Present
International
Climate Policy Cooperation
Aldy, Barrett, & Stavins Climate Policy 2003;
Barrett & Stavins, Int’l Env’tl Agreements 2003;
Olmstead & Stavins AER 2006; Aldy & Stavins
Cambridge University Press 2007, 2009, 2010;
Jaffe, Ranson, & Stavins Ecology Law Quarterly
2010; IPCC 2010-2014
Costs: Jaffe, et al. JEL 1995
General: Portney & Stavins RFF Press 2000;
Stavins Edward Elgar 2001, 2004;Stavins Norton
2000, 2005; Revesz & Stavins Elsevier 2007
Invitation:
Common Property Resources: Stavins AER 2011
EPA SAB: 1992-2003
Economic View: Fullerton & Stavins Nature 1998
Column: An Economic Perspective 2006-present
Blog: An Economic View of the Environment 2009-
Environmental & Natural Resource Economics: Research Topics & Selected Publications
Dissertation: Depletion of Forested Wetlands, Harvard 1988
Stavins & Jaffe AER 1990
Policy Outreach:
Project 88 – Harnessing Market Forces to Protect the Environment
1988
Technology Diffusion: Jaffe & Stavins JEEM 1995;
Miller, Snyder, & Stavins AER 2003
Optimal Land Use: Stavins JEEM 1990
Technology Innovation: Newell, Jaffe, & Stavins QJE 1999
Carbon Sequestration: Stavins AER 1999;
Newell & Stavins JEEM 2000; Lubowski,
Plantinga, & Stavins JEEM 2006
Factors Affecting Land Use
Plantinga, Lubowski, & Stavins J Urban
Econ 2002; Lubowski, Plantinga, &
Stavins Land Economics 2008
Student Interest:
Innovation (Newell, Innovation)
Water
Olmstead, Hanemann, & Stavins JEEM
2007; Olmstead & Stavins Water
Resources Research 2009
Transaction Costs: Stavins JEEM 1995
VDR: Stavins Stanford Envtl Law J 2006
Second-Best: Bennear & Stavins ERE 2007
Other’s Work:
Correlated Uncertainty: Stavins JEEM 1996
Energy-Efficiency
& Environmental
Technology
Change
Jaffe & Stavins EJ 1994,
Res & Energy Econ 1994,
Energy Policy 1994;
Jaffe, Newell, & Stavins
Elsevier 2003, Ecological
Econ 2005, Energy Econ
2006
Positive Political Economy: Hahn
& Stavins ELQ 1991; Keohane,
Revesz, & Stavins HELR 1998;
Hahn, Olmstead, & Stavins HELR
2003
Market-Based Instruments:
Hahn & Stavins AER 1992;
Newell & Stavins J Reg Econ 2003;
Stavins Elsevier 2003
Cap-and-Trade: Stavins JEP 1998; Hahn &
Stavins Journal of Law & Economics 2011
Conference & Funders:
Global Climate Change Policy
National and Sub-National
Climate Policy Instruments
Responding: Corporate Social Responsibility
Hay, Stavins, & Vietor RFF Press 2005
Reinhardt, Stavins, & Vietor REEP 2008
Stavins Brookings 2007; Stavins HELR
2008; Stavins, Oxford Review of Econ
Policy 2008; IPCC 1993-1998
Teaching: Sustainability:
Stavins, Wagner, & Wagner Econ Letters 2003
Class Assignment: Economic History
Stavins Explorations in Economic History 1988
Consulting: NPV Analytical Methods
Portney & Stavins J Risk & Uncertainty 1994; Arrow
et al Science 1996; Goulder & Stavins Nature 2002;
Bennear, Stavins, & Wagner J Reg Econ 2005
Jaffe & Stavins Reg & Governance 2007
Normative
Analysis of
Policy
Instruments
Ph.D. 1988
Ass’t Prof. 1988-1992
Assoc. Prof. 1992-1997
Prof. 1997 – 1998
Albert Pratt Prof. 1998 - Present
International
Climate Policy Cooperation
Aldy, Barrett, & Stavins Climate Policy 2003;
Barrett & Stavins, Int’l Env’tl Agreements 2003;
Olmstead & Stavins AER 2006; Aldy & Stavins
Cambridge University Press 2007, 2009, 2010;
Jaffe, Ranson, & Stavins Ecology Law Quarterly
2010; IPCC 2010-2014
Costs: Jaffe, et al. JEL 1995
General: Portney & Stavins RFF Press 2000;
Stavins Edward Elgar 2001, 2004;Stavins Norton
2000, 2005; Revesz & Stavins Elsevier 2007
Invitation:
Common Property Resources: Stavins AER 2011
EPA SAB: 1992-2003
Economic View: Fullerton & Stavins Nature 1998
Column: An Economic Perspective 2006-present
Blog: An Economic View of the Environment 2009-