The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) hosted the 2024 College and University Fund Conference on December 6, 2024, in which more than 100 institutional leaders from the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences, along with leaders of philanthropic organizations and federal agencies convened to share insights about how to foster social and behavioral science that helps policymakers solve pressing social problems. The Social Science Research Council collaborates with their partners to administer fellowships and research grants that support new policy solutions; convenes researchers and stakeholders to share evidence-based policy solutions and incubate new research agendas; and produces and disseminates reports and findings to broaden problem-solving research and collaboration.
SSRC President Anna Harvey opened the 2024 annual conference with remarks highlighting the current opportunity for social and behavioral science to improve the delivery of public goods and services. Three panels at the conference presented how universities can better support, partner and communicate with federal, state, and local agencies to connect the social and behavioral science research community with public sector partners.
The first panel, “Supporting Federal Government Innovation” included representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health. The second panel centered on how state and local government innovation can be supported by university-based research. That panel featured several university-based policy labs and the National Science Foundation’s GRANTED program in a conversation about “Supporting State and Local Government Innovation.” Panelists discussed the importance of building and sustaining long-term relationships between universities and state and local government agencies to support durable and persistent research collaborations.
The third panel featured leaders of university-based research centers that were working in collaboration with government partners to leverage research to solve problems. They discussed the importance of communicating to university leadership the potential for social and behavioral sciences research to be translated into improved community outcomes, and of encouraging universities to invest in the infrastructure to connect the social and behavioral science research community with public sector partners.
In addition to its annual conference, SSRC provides a virtual lecture series in which faculty from College and University Fund member institutions share their work to understand how to pursue research that solves problems.
January 16, 2025