Congressional Use of Evidence Can Be Improved: Reflections from a Trial of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration Model
Apr 21, 2021
By Max Crowley, Taylor Scott for the William T. Grant Foundation As we consider the state of domestic policymaking in the United States, it is easy to feel disillusioned about the role research evidence has played over the last few years. From denialism to misuse, science seems to be frustratingly…News Topics: RPCPolicymaking
Helping Congress get the most from research
Feb 17, 2021
In a new study, Penn State researchers demonstrated that facilitating researcher-policymaker interactions in rapid response processes can influence both how legislators think about policy issues and how they draft legislation. Penn State professors Max Crowley, associate professor of human…
Faculty research examined attitudes of rural Pennsylvanians on key policy issues
Jun 9, 2020
With support from the Center for Survey Research at Penn State Harrisburg, researchers, led by Daniel Mallinson, collaborated to survey the attitudes of rural Pennsylvanianson a variety of topics, and how these attitudes affect their perspectives on issues relevant to state and local government,…
Evidence lights the way
Sep 5, 2019
By Adam Gamoran, Science Magazine These are dark times for science and public policy in the United States. In June, it was revealed that the White House suppressed the congressional testimony of a State Department scientist on the implications of climate change for national security—just the latest…
Presidential debates launch faculty member into national spotlight
Aug 6, 2019
When Erica Frankenberg co-founded the Center of Education and Civil Rights with colleague Liliana Garces, her goal was to address the racial, ethnic, economic and linguistic segregation that continues to permeate schools across our nation. Although more than six decades have passed since school…
Why Social Science? - Because It Guides Us Toward Practical and Attainable Solutions
Aug 6, 2019
By Tom Kecskemethy, Executive Director, The American Academy of Political and Social Science The wisest quote about science that I’ve read in recent years was penned by Vanderbilt University’s Larry Bartels, in an article he wrote during the run-up to 2016 general election. He reminded us simply…
Marijuana policies are changing, but they are not always based on scientific knowledge
Jul 8, 2019
By Diana H. Fishbein, Elizabeth Long and Sharon Kingston, opinion contributor for The Hill Misconceptions regarding marijuana distort perceptions about its hazards and benefits. While marijuana remains on schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Substances Act, a number of state-level laws are changing…
Penn State-led national coalition bringing prevention science to life
Jun 21, 2019
Over the past four decades, prevention science has grown steadily, producing evidence-based practices and policies that prevent negative medical, social and emotional impacts before they occur. Increasingly, the Penn State-led National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives(NPSC) is being…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Improve the Lives of Those Who Serve Our Country
Jun 20, 2019
By Leanne K. Knobloch, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Communication, University of Illinois & Steven R. Wilson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Communication, University of South Florida Throughout our nation’s history, members of the U.S. military have served our country with honor, courage,…
Society for Prevention Research honors Diana Fishbein with Presidential Award
Jun 10, 2019
Diana Fishbein, professor of human development and family studies and director of the Program for Translational Research on Adversity and Neuroscience at Penn State, received the Presidential Award from the Society for Prevention Research(SPR) at its annual meeting May 30 in San Francisco. The…
Researchers awarded for translating research into evidence-based policymaking
Jun 5, 2019
The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) recently recognized two Penn State researchers for their significant impacts in the field of prevention science, at its annual meeting in San Francisco. Max Crowley, assistant professor of human development and family studies and director of the Social…
Studying implications of policy and law for treatment of substance use disorders
Jun 3, 2019
People who suffer from substance use disorder need effective treatments, however, 90 percent of those who need treatment do not receive it. One Penn State professor and his team are looking into the legal and financial barriers to treatment and how the law can be used to break down or build…
Penn State participates in Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
May 22, 2019
Penn State researchers recently attended the Consortium of Social Science Association’s (COSSA) 2019 Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., taking part in a full schedule of events to bring awareness to social and behavioral sciences. During the advocacy day, COSSA members met with…
Sharing your research expertise with policymakers
Feb 18, 2019
Please consider joining the Rapid Response Network for the Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC), which involves preparing and engaging researchers around policy efforts related to their expertise because doing so is thought to support policymakers' use of research evidence. We are identifying…
February's Headlines Webchat to Feature a Deep Dive on Evidence-Based Policymaking
Feb 5, 2019
COSSA members are encouraged to sign up for the monthly Headlines webchat on February 14 at 2:00 pm Eastern, in which COSSA staff will recap the most important social and behavioral science news from the past month and answer participants' questions. The February chat will feature a deep dive …
Scott and Crowley author latest “Why Social Science?”
Jan 30, 2019
Explaining how social science can improve government efficiency via government policy, Penn State’s Taylor Scott, research assistant professor with the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, and Max Crowley, assistant professor in human development and family studies, co-authored this…
How faculty can engage in policy as experts will be topic of Jan. 28 meeting
Jan 2, 2019
How Penn State faculty members and researchers can engage in policy as experts will be the focus of a meeting hosted by the Institutes of Energy and the Environment with the Office of Government and Community Relations at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in 233 HUB-Robeson Center. This meeting is a…
SSRI Spotlight: Michael Donovan
Oct 18, 2018
As the Director of Policy & Outreach at Penn State’s Administrative Data Accelerator, Michael Donovan leads policy operations and facilitates collaborative projects between government partners and researchers to support the utilization of scholarly research in evidence-based policymaking. At…
Improving the Use of Research Evidence in Policy: A Workshop for Faculty
Aug 5, 2018
Date: August 15th from 1:30-3:30pm Location: 116 Biobehavioral Health Building (Zoom option is also available, see registration for details) Please Register here *Registration is required; Kindly register no later than Friday, August 10th Scientists rarely receive formal training on ways to engage…
CFP Consortium Webinar on Bridging Research and Policy
Apr 10, 2018
A recording of the CFP Consortium webinar on Bridging Research and Policy is now available, please click here to view it on SRCD's YouTube channel. The next Consortium webinar will be on Thursday, May 3 and will focus on computational thinking and robotics in early childhood. Please click here to…News Topics: PolicymakingResearch
Former U.S. Census director Robert Groves to present Clogg Lectures
Mar 19, 2018
Robert M. Groves, executive vice president and provost and Gerard J. Campbell S.J. Professor in the Department of Math and Statistics and the Department of Sociology at Georgetown University, will present the 2018 Clifford C. Clogg Memorial Lectures on March 26 and 27 at the Penn State University…
Why Social Science? - Because It Adds Value, Even When You Don’t See It
Jan 30, 2018
By Wendy Naus, Executive Director, Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) Why Social Science? was launched in 2017 as a project of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) aimed at getting social science findings and impacts out to the general public. Our goal has been to…