John P. Hayes, Ph.D, is an expert in natural resource governance and state-industry-community relationships in resource dependent jurisdictions. He is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Calgary.

Broadly, his research examines several policy intersections relating to land tenure, environmental protection, and fiscal management, with a focus on the critical minerals rush in the Western Hemisphere, which is led by the U.S. and Canada, but relies on the mineral endowments throughout the Americas. He applies theories of the policy process to better understand the policy subsystems and stakeholders involved in the scramble to link upstream supply chains to renewable energy production across borders.

John is particularly interested in the policy implications of his research. He has published policy reports on the status of North American continental integration of primary resource sectors, along with other international-facing projects. He has received numerous accolades, including the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (2025) and winner of Global Affairs Canada’s International Policy Ideas Challenge (2022).