Carlos leads Stats4SD and advises partners and clients on complex research design and robust methodologies in the context of sustainable development. With over 30 years’ experience, Carlos specialises in quantitative methods, participatory action research and mixed methods. He is passionate about transdisciplinary research that combines scientific rigour with local knowledge. He works on empowering communities to produce and use evidence to guide change, with a focus on knowledge co-creation to support agroecology, farmer research and food systems transformation. He is part of the leadership team of the McKnight Foundation’s Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems (CRFS). Before founding Stats4SD in 2016, he worked for 21 years at the Statistical Services Centre, University of Reading.

Andrew is a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and impact assessment specialist with over 35 years of experience in international development. His expertise includes statistical methods, household surveys and resilience measurement. A founding co-director of Stats4SD, he has now stepped down from that role but remains an active member of our advisory panel and continues to contribute to our work. His focus is on evaluating the effectiveness of international aid, particularly in crisis-affected and post-conflict contexts such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan. He recently led the award-winning IMPACT Study evaluating a joint programme of the European Union and the International Organization for Migration supporting migrant reintegration in the Horn of Africa.

Ric advises our project teams, partners and clients on designing and planning research, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. He has many years of experience in supporting research relating to food, agriculture and the natural environment, with a focus on agroforestry and agroecology. He is an expert in experimental design, farmer-centred research, systems approaches and assessment. Ric has been part of the research methods support programme for the McKnight Foundation’s Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems (CRFS) since 2009, and is a member of the CRFS leadership team. Before working with Stats4SD, Ric was a lecturer in applied statistics at the University of Reading. He also works with CIFOR-ICRAF (World Agroforestry Centre), supporting research teams with methods.

Dave leads Stats4SD’s data systems and platforms team, providing robust technical solutions to support complex data management challenges. He specialises in database management, web design, and building data collection tools with ODK to support large-scale data collection efforts. He has over a decade of experience working with large and small projects. In his work, Dave is keen on promoting the careful and considered use of technology to support the work of our partners and provides both technical expertise and an understanding of when and how technology can be brought in to improve efficiency and quality.

Sam has over 15 years’ experience in supporting the design, implementation and analysis of quantitative research including surveys and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) programmes. His role is to ensure that designs address the research questions, methodological choices are robust and results are communicated clearly – for example using indicators, data visualisations and dashboards. He is also involved in developing courses and other e-learning materials for those trying to improve their skills with statistics and data handling, and is particularly interested in the use of R to ensure reproducible and robust analysis of data. Sam has an MSc in Statistics with Applications in Medicine from the University of Southampton. Before joining Stats4SD, he worked in the medical industry and at the University of Reading.

Jane heads Stats4SD’s research methods team in East Africa, which aims to embed high-quality methods into research and development programmes in the region. She specializes in integrating into projects robust research methods - from study design and sampling to development of data collection tools, analysis and presentation - to enhance their rigour and results. She has over 25 years of experience supporting multi-disciplinary research and development initiatives in areas such as forestry and agroforestry, plant health, livestock (breeding, nutrition, and health), and livelihoods. Her expertise also covers key thematic areas including gender equity, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and impact assessment. She has significant experience and interest in all aspects of research ethics including prior informed consent and data protection.

Alex leads our work on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), impact assessment and the development of indices. He is also an expert in surveys and statistical analysis. He has over 25 years of experience in research, research methods and teaching statistics. At Stats4SD, Alex has worked with projects in areas such as food and agriculture, international development, health and nutrition, education, and climate change. For quantitative studies, his expertise guides the process from the design stage to the reporting of results, as he supports areas such as survey design, sampling, digital data collection, creation of analysis plans and complex statistical analysis. Alex has a PhD in Statistics and an MSc in Humanities. Before joining Stats4SD, he worked for the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Tech, and for the University of Reading.

Nuru is a research methods specialist focusing on agricultural and rural development in East and Southern Africa. She has expertise in designing research, managing and analysing quantitative and qualitative data, and training researchers in data collection and analysis. Nuru has extensive experience working with research organisations, universities and development projects, supporting sustainable agriculture and agroecology. She is passionate about capacity building and evidence-based research to advance sustainable development goals. Nuru holds a PhD in International and Rural Development from the University of Reading, where her research focused on managing risks for smallholder farmers. In addition to her work for Stats4SD, she is a Lecturer at Sokoine University of Agriculture and serves as Co-Principal Investigator of the Agroecology Hub in Tanzania.

Shiphar provides research methods support for the McKnight Foundation’s Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems (CRFS) in East Africa, working with CRFS grantees, students, scientists and other stakeholders. She is an expert in quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods, with over 12 years of experience supporting project teams. Shiphar is keen to make research for development more effective through inclusive and context-relevant research methods. She also contributes to capacity building by facilitating short courses and workshops on research methods, including research design, data management and analysis. Shiphar has a degree in Agriculture from Makerere University in Uganda and an MSc in Research Methodology from Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya. She has previous work experience with the Uganda National Agricultural Research Organisation and the International Potato Centre.

Emily’s role focuses on creating effective communication and learning products, as well as providing graphic design and multimedia support for projects. With experience in both education and design, Emily is interested in combining these skills to create products that are attractive, engaging and easy to understand. This involves developing interactive e-learning courses, contributing to the planning of seminars, workshops and other capacity-building events, creating and editing videos, designing websites, graphics and documents and helping maintain and organise the Stats4SD Resources Library.

Ciara is experienced in developing data systems to support research, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and decision making. She is passionate about usability and intuitive design. She enjoys creating clear, accessible tools that make data easier to collect, manage and understand for a wide range of users, from farmers and field teams to researchers and decision makers. Ciara works in both English and Spanish, supporting collaboration across diverse teams and regions. Before joining Stats4SD, she studied Actuarial Mathematics at Dublin City University and volunteered with a health and development NGO in Honduras.

Alex provides support for statistical analysis across a wide range of topics. He is interested in creating informative and effective data visualisations, with particular pride in seeing them published in reports and other publications. He is proficient in using R for a range of applications including analysis and data manipulation, and is gaining experience in building Shiny applications and spatial analysis. He is also skilled in creating survey forms with ODK and managing their use for data collection. Alex has a BSc in Population and Geography and an MSc in Social Research Methods from the University of Southampton.

Dan builds platforms and online tools for Stats4SD’s clients and partners. He specialises in designing and implementing scalable web applications which allow platforms to grow and handle many users. He is skilled in technologies for both the front end (the part that users see and interact with) and the back end (the part behind the scenes that makes things work). Dan is keen to create user friendly, intuitive and robust web-based applications. His aim is to make data collection more effective and to facilitate the process for transforming data into information. Dan has a degree in Computing and Information Systems from Oxford Brookes University. Before joining Stats4SD, he worked as a systems analyst helping regional support teams fix technical problems.

Romina leads Stats4SD’s social and qualitative research work. She provides research methods support to projects of the McKnight Foundation’s Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems, works with Farmer Research Networks, and contributes to impact assessments. Her expertise includes qualitative data collection and analysis and using AI for text analysis. She is keen on supporting grassroots organisations to build and communicate evidence on agroecology to their target audiences, and on empowering communities through co-creation and co-learning processes. Romina has a PhD in Education for Sustainable Development, a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational and Social Research from the Institute of Education, University College London, and an MA in Development Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India. Before joining Stats4SD, she worked on sustainable development initiatives in India and Jamaica.

Grace manages Stats4SD’s YouTube channel and provides support with video and media projects. She is keen to develop the accessibility and cohesiveness of our YouTube channel and enable Stats4SD’s resources and research to reach a wide audience. She also assists with the creation of learning resources through video editing and translating and supports the team with proof reading of reports. In addition to her work at Stats4SD, Grace works as an editorial assistant at a publishing company.