why social science

Why Social Science? Highlights the National Academies’ SBE Report

This week’s Why Social Science? post highlights the recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Value of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences to National Priorities. Produced at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the report assesses the contributions of the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences to issues of national importance. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents. 

The Crime and Justice Research Alliance Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s “Why Social Science?” guest post comes from Nancy La Vigne, Chair of the Crime and Justice Research Alliance and Director of the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, who writes about how findings from criminology help us answer crucial questions about crime and our justice system. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The National Communication Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Paaige Turner, Executive Director of the National Communication Association, who writes about the role Communication research plays in helping shape our understanding of the world around us. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from John Tessitore, Senior Program Advisor at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, who writes about how findings from the social sciences helped inform the Academy’s recent report, “America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education in the 21st Century.” Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Why Social Science? Highlights Paul Milgrom’s Auction Research

The most recent Why Social Science? post highlights a recent opinion piece published in The Hill by Paul Milgrom, a Stanford economist whose groundbreaking research in auction design is used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to auction electromagnetic spectrum to companies, generating billions in revenue for the federal government. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Answers “Why Social Science?”

The latest Why Social Science? guest post comes from Dr. Courtney Ferrell Aklin and Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who write about how the social and behavioral sciences help us understand the social determinants of health and address health disparities. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Video from COSSA Briefing with Nobel Laureate Al Roth Now Available

On April 18, COSSA launched a new series of Congressional briefings as part of its Why Social Science? campaign. The event, Why Social Science? Because Understanding Markets Can Save Lives, featured a discussion with renown economist and Nobel Laureate Alvin Roth of Stanford University. The briefing series aims to highlight the many ways social and behavioral science research positively impacts our everyday lives. Dr. Roth’s talk, Markets and Marketplaces: Making Markets Work, showcased the various ways markets—commodity markets, matching markets, and those that fall in between—impact our daily lives, from the New York Stock Exchange to dating apps like Tinder…

Why Social Science Is Marching for Science

   This week’s Why Social Science? takes a break from our regular guest posts to talk about the upcoming March for Science, and how and why social and behavioral scientists can get involved. Read it here and subscribe. COSSA is an official partner of the March for Science. We are collecting information for social and behavioral scientists participating in the March for Science, both on the COSSA March for Science website and through a weekly newsletter that compiles the latest information and updates on March for Science activity (anyone can sign up to receive it here). Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Representative Dan Lipinski Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Representative Dan Lipinski, Ranking Member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who writes how the social and behavioral sciences are advancing knowledge within individual disciplines and through their contributions to interdisciplinary research. Read it here and subscribe. And on March 29, Representative Lipinski spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize the participants in COSSA’s Annual Social Science Advocacy Day and celebrate the many benefits of social science research. Lipinski highlighted the applications of social science research to strengthening…

COSSA to Host Why Social Science? Briefing Featuring Nobel Laureate Alvin Roth

On April 18, COSSA will host a congressional briefing featuring a conversation with Dr. Alvin Roth, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics. The briefing, Why Social Science? Because Understanding Markets Can Save Lives, will focus on Dr. Roth’s fundamental research in market design, which revolutionized kidney exchanges, allowing incompatible patient-donor pairs to find compatible kidneys for transplantation, and demonstrates how social science can have real, significant impacts on our everyday lives, often in unexpected ways. A reception will follow the briefing. The event is made possible with support from Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and SAGE Publishing. More information…

NAS President Marcia McNutt Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science guest post comes from Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences, who writes about how social science has helped us learn how to respond to natural disasters. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Lisa Sage, contributing writer for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, with a profile of David Neal, a behavioral psychologist who has been working to improve health outcomes in the developing world. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

The American Anthropological Association Answers “Why Social Science?”

This week’s Why Social Science? guest post comes from Anne Kelsey, marketing and communications manager for the American Anthropological Association, who, in honor of Anthropology Day, writes about anthropology’s contributions to helping solve some of this century’s most pressing challenges. Read it here and subscribe. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

NIH’s Bill Riley Answers “Why Social Science?”

The latest Why Social Science? guest post comes from Bill Riley, Director of NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, who writes about the importance of research into the social determinants of health and illness. Read it here and subscribe! Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Introducing Why Social Science

We are excited to launch a new blog series we are calling Why Social Science? Through it, we will tell stories showcasing the impact the social sciences have on our lives. We will feature diverse voices, all with important perspectives on why social science is important. You will hear from researchers, government officials, industry, and a variety of stakeholders who depend on reliable social science research findings. Check out our first issue, and subscribe here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

Congress is Home for Summer Break. Tell them #WhySocialScience

The House left for August recess over a week ago and the Senate followed suit last week, leaving crickets in DC for the next few weeks. As previously reported, progress on the fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations bill all but stalled out as Congress prepared to leave for its month-long summer break. The big question heading into the fall will be whether the GOP leadership in Congress and the Obama White House will be able to come to terms on an endgame for the annual funding bills before the government is forced to shut down for the second time in…

Why Social Science? Share Your Stories!

COSSA has launched a new campaign that seeks to collect stories of social science success from social and behavioral scientists across all disciplines. Is your research pushing the frontiers of science or advancing your field? Has your research contributed to an important finding or breakthrough? Are there interesting applications or potential applications to your work? If so, we want to hear it! You may submit your stories using COSSA’s Why Social Science? webpage. Stories will be shared through social media (#WhySocialScience) and other COSSA outreach efforts over the next several months. Back to this issue’s table of contents.

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