Symposium highlights the work of community-engaged research and public impact
The Social Science Research Institute’s Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) unit and the College of the Liberal Arts' Child Study Center (CSC) hosted the 2026 Innovation Hub Symposium, “Community-Engaged Research for Public Impact: Process to Policy,” in early February.
The…
SSRI awards AI seed grants
The Penn State Center for Social Data Analytics and the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making, in collaboration with the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), has announced the recipients of its most recent seed grant awards. Six projects representing seven colleges and three universities…
New book by SSRI cofunded faculty member examines care and survival amid the overdose crisis
SSRI cofunded faculty member Sarah Brothers is the author of the forthcoming book “Hit Doctors: Care, Harm, and the Art of Survival”, an ethnographic study examining informal caregiving networks among people who inject drugs in San Francisco.
Drawing on more than seven years of fieldwork, the book…
Moral Measures Workshop to be held on March 23
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making workgroup will host a hybrid workshop on Monday, March 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the 124 Sparks Building at the University Park campus and on Zoom. The workshop will bring together scholars on…
Penn State network helps communities turn opioid funds into lifesaving action
In 2023, more than 83% of Pennsylvania’s 4,719 overdose deaths were opioid-related, as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. To address these and other effects of the opioid epidemic, Pennsylvania will invest more than $1.7 billion, received from the opioid settlement agreement, over…
Clearinghouse director awarded Penn State Opportunity Grant
Keith Aronson, director of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse), has received a 2026-27 Penn State Opportunity Grant from the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement in Penn State’s Office of Faculty Affairs. The grants support the professional…
NSF MFTRP Annual Certification
You may have received an "NSF – OVERDUE: Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program Annual Certification.” email recently. This email is related to an NSF policy change that requires all PIs and co-PIs named on an NSF award made on or after May 20, 2024, to certify in Research.gov that…
A new Pennsylvania network aims to help communities build climate resiliency
By Kara Holsopple for The Allegheny Front
Pennsylvanians are already feeling the effects of climate change, like more extreme weather, and the trends are only going to continue. A new statewide effort is looking to create a network to help communities face the challenges ahead. It’s called Prepare…
New program helps faculty and students manage and share research data
Federal sponsors like the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have long encouraged researchers to manage and share the data from their work with the public and other researchers to support reproducibility and accelerate discoveries. In recent years, such management has…
Routine helps children adjust to school, but harsh parenting may undo benefits
Starting elementary school is a major milestone, but it can be a difficult transition as children can experience separation anxiety or have trouble adapting to school rules and structure. However, a team led by Penn State researchers found that consistent routines in the home can reduce the…
Consortium on Moral Decision-Making grant funding deadline extended
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making at Penn State is seeking proposals for Ember Grants to support up-start interdisciplinary research related to the conceptual and empirical study of human morality and ethical decision-making. The deadline for submissions is March 6 at 5 p.m.…
Community-Engaged Research Partnership Development Seed Grant Program Now Open
The Community-Engaged Research, Action, and Partnerships (CERAP) unit has launched their Community-Engaged Research Partnership Development Seed Grant Program! Level 1 awards to provide a maximum of $5,000, while Level 2 awards will provide a maximum of $20,000.
Request for proposals can be…
Dual-language programs may reduce school segregation, study finds
Two-way dual language immersion programs — which bring native English speakers and students who speak another language at home together in the same classroom — may modestly reduce school segregation, according to a new study led by a Penn State College of Education researcher.
In a large-scale…
PAMT (Prevention and Methodology Training) NIDA T32 Training fellowships are open
Applications are now open for two-year pre-doctoral fellowships through the Prevention and Methodology Training (PAMT) Program (NIDA T32 Training fellowships). The program will begin on July 1, 2026. Please note that the T32 renewal is pending an NIH Council decision in late March, so…
Registration open for American Statistical Association DataFest 2026
Registration is now open for the American Statistical Association DataFest 2026 at Penn State, to be held March 20-22 at University Park. DataFest, sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and Celonis, is a weekend-long data analysis competition. Over the course of two intense days,…
Daniel F. Perkins in College of Ag Sciences named distinguished professor
Daniel F. Perkins, professor of family and youth resiliency and policy in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named a distinguished professor by Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.
The title of distinguished professor at Penn State recognizes the…
Promoting adult wellness through community music
Recreational music’s impact on adult wellness is the focus of a new research workgroup funded by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State.
The group, led by Bryan Nichols, head of graduate studies in Music Education in the College of Arts & Architecture, and Jennifer…
SSRI part of Interactive map showcasing statewide community impact
At Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, elementary school students participate in Outdoor School programs that immerse them in hands-on environmental learning. In South Williamsport, Penn College paramedic students steady gurneys and radios during the crush of the Little League Baseball World…
Penn State names new distinguished professors for 2026
Penn State's Office of Faculty Affairs has named 14 new distinguished professors for 2026, including:
SSRI Cofunded Faculty Member Daniel Perkins, distinguished professor of youth and family resiliency and policy and founding principal scientist of the Clearinghouse for Military Family…
Consortium on Moral Decision-Making announces grant funding
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making at Penn State is seeking proposals for Ember Grants to support up-start interdisciplinary research related to the conceptual and empirical study of human morality and ethical decision-making.
The grant program is open to faculty-led teams…
Consortium on Moral Decision-Making Spring Reception
SSRI's Consortium on Moral Decision-Making is hosting a spring kick-off reception Feb. 10, 4 - 5:30 p.m., in the Atrium of Moore Building.
All are welcome to attend, whether they are returning affiliates or new researchers who want to learn more about ethical and moral decision-making through an…
Sustain Penn State to screen ‘Devil Put the Coal in the Ground’ on Feb. 11
Sustain Penn State will host a virtual screening of “Devil Put the Coal in the Ground” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, as part of its Intersections Film Series. The screening will be followed by a moderated panel discussion exploring the connections between coal, economic development, public…
Why Social Science? - Because Psychology Can Help Reduce Police Violence
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. Kimberly Kahn from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) about how psychology can help us build safer, fairer communities by finding solutions rooted in evidence, empathy, and mutual responsibility.
By…
Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research seeks proposals
Penn State emeritus professor Tom Lloyd and the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invite proposals for the annual Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research at Penn State.
The Lloyd Prize is funded by an endowment of more than $500,000 for an annual prize that will…
Burkhouse and Veturi receive early career professorship awards
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Katie Burkhouse, associate professor of psychology, and Yogasudha Veturi, assistant professor of biobehavioral health and statistics, were recently named as recipients of the Dr. Frances Keesler Graham Early Career Professorship by the Social Science Research Institute at…