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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T140000
DTSTAMP:20240111T165344Z
CREATED:20231027T164951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240111T165344Z
UID:10000845-1698411600-1698415200@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:What Conventional Wisdom Gets Wrong About Political Polarization
DESCRIPTION:About the Lecture\nWe hear often that Americans are more polarized than ever. In this lecture\, Professor David Broockman will explore how Americans are politically polarized\, why–and why not–this matters\, and potential solutions. Professor Broockman will discuss how his research has challenged conventional wisdom on: (1) to what extent Americans’ frustrations with government result from politicians being too extreme\, (2) to what extent voters’ dislike of each other–so-called affective polarization–contributes to the nation’s political challenges\, and (3) how we all can have more productive and persuasive conversations with our political rivals. \n\nEvent Recording\n \nAbout David Broockman\nDavid Broockman is an Associate Professor at the Travers Department of Political Science at the University of California\, Berkeley. Professor Broockman is the author of over three dozen peer-reviewed scholarly essays focusing on American politics. His research has overturned conventional wisdom regarding the nature\, extent\, and consequences of political polarization in the American public; how political campaigns can persuade voters; and how to have productive conversations to bridge divides and reduce prejudice.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/what-conventional-wisdom-gets-wrong-about-political-polarization-centennial-lecture-series/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231114T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231114T170000
DTSTAMP:20231116T213759Z
CREATED:20231116T213442Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231116T213759Z
UID:10000848-1699948800-1699981200@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:Research AMP Webinar
DESCRIPTION:The Social Science Research Council’s Research AMP program hosted a webinar on November 14\, 2023 to introduce prospective users to the platform. In it\, SSRC program staff gave some background on the development of Research AMP\, outlined its central features and how they can be used\, and went over some tips on how to begin planning a Research AMP site.  \nResearch AMP is a free\, open-source technology for building scholarly communities\, collecting research\, and sharing insights with new audiences. \nWebinar Recording
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/research-amp-webinar/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231116T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231116T153000
DTSTAMP:20240111T165040Z
CREATED:20231116T173357Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240111T165040Z
UID:10000846-1700145000-1700148600@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:What Have Megastudies Taught Us about Successfully Encouraging Increased Vaccination?
DESCRIPTION:About the Lecture\nIn this lecture\, Professor Milkman will discuss three massive field experiments testing dozens of different ways of encouraging increased vaccination. First\, she will discuss a “megastudy” encouraging flu vaccination at doctor’s appointments among 47\,306 patients of two large U.S. health systems in which 42 scientists worked in teams to design a total of 19 different text reminders using a variety of different behavioral science principles. Next\, she will describe a megastudy encouraging in-pharmacy flu vaccinations among 689\,693 Walmart pharmacy patients in which 44 scientists worked in teams to design a total of 22 different text reminders using a variety of different behavioral science principles. Finally\, we’ll look at a megastudy encouraging COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccination among 3.5 million patients of a national pharmacy chain in which 13 scientists worked together to design a total of 8 different interventions including text reminders and free round-trip rides to the pharmacy. \n\nWebinar Recording\n\nAbout Katy Milkman\nKaty Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania\, host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology\, and the former president of the international Society for Judgment and Decision Making. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative\, a research center with the mission of advancing the science of lasting behavior change. Over the course of her career\, Katy has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change\, including Google\, the White House\, Walmart and the U.S. Department of Defens
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/what-have-megastudies-taught-us-about-successfully-encouraging-increased-vaccination-centennial-lecture-series/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T170000
DTSTAMP:20231121T201136Z
CREATED:20231121T200538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231121T201136Z
UID:10000849-1700208000-1700240400@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:2023 Just Tech Fellowship Application Info Webinar Recording
DESCRIPTION:The SSRC’s Just Tech program is seeking applications for the third cohort of its Just Tech Fellowship for the 2024–26 period. This informational webinar was recorded on November 17 to provide those interested with relevant information regarding the application process and fellowship. \nLearn more and apply to the Just Tech Fellowship here. \nApplications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The last day to submit Full Application Materials is January 31\, 2024\, at 11:59 p.m. EST. \nEvent Recording\n \n—– \nThe SSRC’s Just Tech program foregrounds questions of power\, equity\, and the public impact of new technologies\, investigating evidence of bias and harm while centering the perspectives of historically marginalized communities. The Just Tech Fellowship provides two-year awards of $100\,000 annually\, as well as supplementary funding\, for researchers and practitioners imagining radically different tech futures that embrace joy\, hope\, self-determination\, and equity. \nLearn more about Just Tech at https://www.ssrc.org/programs/just-tech/ \nContact us at just-tech@ssrc.org
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2023-just-tech-fellowship-application-info-webinar-recording/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T130000
DTSTAMP:20231019T202911Z
CREATED:20231018T195943Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T202911Z
UID:10000844-1700222400-1700226000@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:Just Tech Fellowship Public Information Session 2024
DESCRIPTION:The SSRC’s Just Tech program is proud to host a public information session answering your questions about the new Just Tech Fellowship\, a two-year\, full-time\, $100\,000 per year (plus supplementary funding) remote fellowship supporting a diverse community of researchers and practitioners investigating the intersection of technology and social justice. \nThe public information session is scheduled for Friday\, November 17\, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET. The session will cover details on application guidelines and eligibility requirements and answer any questions that participants may have. Register here.\n\nJust Tech is supported by the Ford Foundation\, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur\nFoundation\, the Surdna Foundation\, and the Democracy Fund.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/just-tech-fellowship-public-info-session-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231128T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231128T170000
DTSTAMP:20241213T152654Z
CREATED:20231211T182338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241213T152654Z
UID:10000850-1701158400-1701190800@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:2023 Next Gen Post-Doctoral Virtual Writing Fellowship Workshop\, November 28\, 2023.
DESCRIPTION:On November 28th\, the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) Program hosted the Next Gen Post-Doctoral Virtual Writing Workshop. The workshop brought together Next Gen Post-Doctoral Writing Fellows and program mentors to discuss their draft manuscripts\, strategies\, and plans for publication. The event was convened to facilitate the finalization of fellows’ manuscripts based on their Next Gen-supported research projects for publication in peer-reviewed journals\, book chapters\, or the completion of book proposals/manuscripts. \nThe workshop began with welcome remarks by the APN and Next Gen program director\, and the introduction of workshop participants. The presentations by each fellow in sessions one and two were followed by feedback from their peers and mentors. This aimed to refine the scope and quality of the draft manuscripts presented by the fellows. Their presentations encompassed diverse discussions of the Next Gen-supported PhD research findings that drew on cases focusing on South Africa and Nigeria from interdisciplinary perspectives\, including History\, Development\, Anthropology\, Peace\, and Cultural Studies. \nIn the first of the three presentations of session one\, Dr. Rosette Sifa Vuninga\, of the University of Cape Town\, spoke to her draft manuscript on “Congolese Refugees in South Africa: Contests around Identity Politics and State Documentation\,” which highlighted the main arguments of the paper on the agency of Congolese migrants living in South Africa. She explored divisions and contestations that marked relations within Congolese migrants over place and identity in their destination country of South Africa. Participants raised questions about the evolution and single\, transient\, changing\, or multiple identities of Congolese migrants in South Africa. \nIn the second presentation\, Dr. Simbarashe Nyuke\, of the University of the Witwatersrand\, presented his draft manuscript on “The Price of Hope: Sacrificing and ‘Seeding’ for Churchizenship in Johannesburg” drew on ethnographic research to explore the impact of Pentecostal churches on migrant communities. He examined how these Pentecostal churches provide a space of survival for migrants in a city. He analyzed how recent migrants adopt and use “Churchizenship as they seek out identity and belonging. The paper establishes the vibrant Pentecostal presence in Johannesburg and how this offers migrants a sense of belonging\, protection\, and hope based on a sense of planting to receive. The presentation elicited positive feedback\, with some fellows and mentors suggesting the need to reflect some more on the relationship between the church and the state and seeking further clarification on what hope and belonging meant to migrants in this and other contexts. \nNext\, Dr. Thatshisiwe Ndlovu from the University of the Witwatersrand spoke on her draft manuscript titled “Standing their Ground while Seated: The Birth of Widowhood Activism.” She interrogated readings of widowhood practices in patriarchal societies that often represented widows as hapless victims who suffered from gruesome mourning and funeral practices after the loss of their spouses. Thatshisiwe uses the concept of “ sitting\,” a widowhood rite where widows are traditionally expected to mourn the loss of their spouse by sitting in seclusion\,  while also expressing a sense of loss\, obedience\, subservience\, and humility in silence. This practice of making widows sit in seclusion  was usually followed by the loss of rights to property and\, sometimes\, children. The author argued for a more intimate understanding of the sitting and standing (resistance) and for more importance to be paid to the widows’ agency. She then explained how some widows reassert their agency by “standing their ground\,” thereby subverting the practice of “ sitting” by resisting oppressive widowhood rites and holding on to the legal deeds of their property. The discussion that followed focused on the relevance of the paper to the theorization of African feminism past and present\, the role of other women in some of these practices\, and the importance of contextualizing traditional cultural rites and the significance of post-colonial dynamics in the analysis. \nIn the second session\, Dr. Gloria Naantoe Alli\, of the University of Jos\, presented her draft manuscript on “Beyond hybrid conflict management: Impact of landgrabs on conflict resolution in Central-Nigeria.” The paper applied a political economy-centered analysis in explaining prolonged land-grabbing in Central Nigeria and its impact on ‘hybrid conflict management’ systems\, including the role of state and non-state actors. She examined the drivers of conflict\, including cattle rustling\, religion\, settler-indigene conflict\, land grabs\, and internal displacement and its implications for conflict management. The feedback received after her presentation included the need for a deeper theoretical framing and historicizing the conflict dynamics. \nThis was followed by Dr. Tsitsi Jane Mpofu-Mketwa\, of the Future Water Institute at the University of Cape Town\, who presented her draft manuscript titled “’Vuku’zenzele!’: The pivotal role of agency in alleviating urban poverty\, lessons from Cape Town’s Langa Township women informal traders.” The paper explored the agency of women traders in the Langa Township and disrupted common notions of women’s roles in informal economies\, including the kinds of networking taking place and how women informal traders were organizing themselves and considering the varied forms of cooperation\, collaboration\, and competition. By doing so\, Dr. Mpofu-Mketwa highlighted the critical role of women’s agency in urban poverty alleviation. \nIn the last presentation\, Dr. Kgomotso Samuel Moshugi\, of the University of the Witwatersrand\, presented his draft manuscript titled “Mobility and Dispersed Collaborations through Localisation.” His paper explored performative ways of being and the role of culture and arts in framing peace. It focuses on music in the mobilities and dispersals of people and how these were connected to local peacebuilding. The feedback received pointed to the importance of an artistic approach to peacebuilding and the need to provide a stronger empirical basis for localization for the study. \nDuring the plenary sessions\, several mentors offered broad feedback to all the presenters. The following issues were highlighted: the importance of contributing to existing knowledge in the field\, connecting data to theory\, infusing greater clarity into the framing of research questions and the place of originality in research\, considering the relevance of decolonial frameworks\, and making data speak to specific audiences. Other issues raised included writing on complex subjects or phenomena that change and working on using clear and accessible language. Mentors also shared their publication experiences\, urging young scholars to be intentional with the themes of the journals they submit to. Additionally\, these senior scholars encouraged fellows to aim to publish their papers in highly-ranked publications. \nThe workshop ended on a positive note\, underlined by the presentations by the fellows\, productive peer-to-peer and mentor exchanges\, and feedback aimed at strengthening the manuscripts of the Next Gen post-doctoral writing fellows ahead of submission for publication. \nThe APN-Next Gen program thanks the Next Gen Post-Doctoral Writing Fellows and their mentors for their hard work and dedication to the program.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2023-next-gen-post-doctoral-virtual-writing-fellowship-workshop-november-28-2023/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231130T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231202T170000
DTSTAMP:20241213T152649Z
CREATED:20231219T201314Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241213T152649Z
UID:10000851-1701331200-1701536400@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:66th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association (ASA)
DESCRIPTION:The Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC’s) African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) program hosted a panel at the 66th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association (ASA)\, held in San Francisco\, USA from November 30 to December 2\, 2023\, on the theme: “Envisioning Africa in Text and Deed”. The panel was organized under the “Peace\, Law & Security” subtheme of the conference on the topic: “Contestations and Solidarities for Peace and Development in Africa: Towards Conflict Transformation and Security?.” The panel was an opportunity for former fellows of the program to showcase their research findings\, connect with peers from across the world\, and receive feedback from conference participants. It was a well-attended event\, featuring a set of excellent presentations\, followed by a highly engaged Q & A session with members of the audience.   \nIn the first presentation on “Justice as Utu: The Theory and Practice of Alternative Systems in Kenya\,” Dr. Steve Akoth (2012 Next Gen Doctoral dissertation completion fellow) explored Kenya’s homegrown procedures and institutional practices for administering and achieving justice by adopting a moral and human-centered approach known locally as Utu. He discussed the efficacy of Utu by drawing on the case of widows seeking justice\, including how Utu enabled some to gain dignity and acceptance within their families and communities.   \nDr. Simbarashe Gukurume (2015 Next Gen doctoral dissertation research fellow; 2021 APN IRF fellow) spoke on “The market is mine too:’ Youth Contestations\, Violence\, Conviviality at an Urban Market in Harare\, Zimbabwe.” His presentation explored ongoing contestations over ownership of spaces in an urban market in Zimbabwe’s capital city. He explores how violent conflict within urban markets also reflects political cleavages\, including within various levels of municipal boards. The paper also examines the role of local peacemaking and peacebuilding initiatives that seek to mediate and resolve such conflicts\, including the holding of sports events featuring teams formed by youth to foster peaceful co-existence\, harmony\, and reconciliation within urban markets in Harare.  \nThe third presentation by Dr. Muema Wambua (2019 Next Gen doctoral dissertation research fellow and 2020 Next Gen doctoral dissertation completion fellow) spoke on “African Union (AU) Infrastructure for Peace in Regional Interventions: Gaps\, Challenges and Opportunities.” The presentation examined the AU’s peace intervention initiatives in different states and subregions of the continent\, and the extent to which such initiatives have effectively responded to emerging threats to peace and security. His presentation also unpacked how the competing interests of AU member-states have delayed\, worked against\, or undermined such peace interventions. He also made recommendations directed towards implementing a set of reforms aimed at strengthening the capacity of the AU to intervene in conflict situations\, arrest the slide towards democratic regression\, and reinvigorate the participation of non-state actors in implementing the goals of peace infrastructure established within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).   \nDr. Ophelia Soliku (2022 APN IRF fellow) gave a presentation on “Navigating Conservation Conflicts: Historical Roots and Power Structures Shaping Conflicts and Peacebuilding in Ghana’s Premier Conservation Areas.” Her presentation addressed the conflicts in communities surrounding one of Ghana’s premier nature conservation parks\, the Mole National Park. Based on her analysis of the conflicts between local communities and the authorities of the national park over access to and the management of natural resources\, she emphasizes the need to go beyond ad-hoc investigations of the sources of conflict and the efficacy of mitigation strategies\,  by making a strong case for more holistic and comprehensive studies of the history\, antecedent factors and power structures that drive conflict as important steps towards building sustainable peace in Ghana’s Mole national park and similar conservation areas.     \nThe panel concluded with a lively panel-audience interaction\, which made clear that the presentations and the questions raised around conflict\, peacebuilding\, natural resource governance\, peace\, security\, and development in Africa elicited insightful responses from the panelists. The discussions also allowed panelists to refine their concepts\, analyses\, and conclusions\, respond to questions posed by members of the audience\, and clarify their research findings\, including their implications for scholarship and policy.  \nOver the three days of the conference\, APN and Next Gen fellows also participated in other panel discussions at the ASA conference\, formed new networks and collaborative relationships among peers and colleagues from across the global scholarly community. 
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/66th-annual-meeting-of-the-african-studies-association-asa/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231202
DTSTAMP:20240102T211444Z
CREATED:20231201T174336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240102T211444Z
UID:10000843-1701388800-1701475199@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:2023 College and University Fund Conference: Social and Behavioral Science as R&D
DESCRIPTION:Social and Behavioral Science as R&D\nDecember 1\, 2023\nAs a capstone to the Council’s Centennial year\, this convening of the member institutions in the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences brought together leaders of universities\, philanthropic foundations\, and public funders of science to celebrate the achievements of 100 years of socially valuable social and behavioral science\, and to explore new opportunities for social and behavioral science R&D to find cost-effective and scalable solutions to our most pressing societal challenges. A full summary of the event is below. \nFor more information about the conference or about the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, please contact Lisa Marshall\, Director of Strategic Partnerships\, at marshall@ssrc.org.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2023-college-and-university-fund-conference-social-and-behavioral-science-as-rd/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231202
DTSTAMP:20231023T160139Z
CREATED:20230908T202438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231023T160139Z
UID:10000841-1701388800-1701475199@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:2023 College and University Fund Conference: Social and Behavioral Science as R&D
DESCRIPTION:Social and Behavioral Science as R&D\nDecember 1\, 2023\nAs the Council’s Centennial year draws to a close\, this convening of the member institutions in the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences will bring together leaders of universities\, philanthropic foundations\, and public funders of science to celebrate the achievements of 100 years of socially impactful social and behavioral science\, and explore new opportunities for social and behavioral science R&D to find cost-effective and scalable solutions to our most pressing societal challenges. \nThis one-day convening will feature a conversation about opportunities for member institutions in the College and University Fund to collaborate with the National Science Foundation on mapping and accelerating the economic impacts of research-led innovation; new university/researcher partnerships to find interventions that widen the innovation pipeline; and\, as a capstone to the Council’s Centennial year\, a conversation among the Council’s seven founding disciplines about 100 years of socially impactful work in the social and behavioral sciences\, as well as opportunities for further advances. \nThis convening will be held on Friday\, December 1\, 2023 at the Harold Pratt House in New York City. The program will run from 11:00am-5:00pm\, with a reception immediately following from 5:00-7:00pm. \nFor more information about the conference or about the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, please contact Lisa Marshall\, Director of Strategic Partnerships\, at marshall@ssrc.org.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2023-cuf-college-and-university-fund-conference/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231202
DTSTAMP:20231012T152819Z
CREATED:20230404T012857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231012T152819Z
UID:10000825-1701388800-1701475199@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:2023 College and University Fund Conference: Social and Behavioral Science as R&D
DESCRIPTION:Social and Behavioral Science as R&D\nDecember 1\, 2023\nDecades of investments in science and technology R&D have led to remarkable innovations\, including safe and effective vaccines and efficient clean energy solutions. These innovations hold the promise of healthier\, more sustainable\, and more prosperous societies. But in order to fully realize that promise\, we also need social and behavioral science R&D aimed at identifying interventions\, programs\, and policies that motivate decision makers to act in socially beneficial ways. \nAs the Council’s Centennial year draws to a close\, this convening of the member institutions in the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences will bring together leaders of universities\, philanthropic foundations\, and public funders of science to celebrate the achievements of 100 years of socially impactful social and behavioral science\, and explore new opportunities for social and behavioral science R&D to find cost-effective and scalable solutions to our most pressing societal challenges\, including those currently facing universities. \nThis one-day convening will feature a conversation about opportunities for member institutions in the College and University Fund to collaborate with the National Science Foundation on mapping and accelerating the economic impacts of research-led innovation; new university/researcher partnerships to find interventions that widen the innovation pipeline; and\, as a capstone to the Council’s Centennial year\, a conversation among the Council’s seven founding disciplines about 100 years of socially impactful work in the social and behavioral sciences\, as well as opportunities for further advances. \nThis convening will be held on Friday\, December 1\, 2023 at the Harold Pratt House in New York City. The program will run from 11:00am-5:00pm\, with a reception immediately following from 5:00-7:00pm. \nFor more information about the conference or about the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, please contact Lisa Marshall\, Director of Strategic Partnerships\, at marshall@ssrc.org.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2023-college-and-university-fund-conference/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240202
DTSTAMP:20241213T152639Z
CREATED:20240326T155829Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241213T152639Z
UID:10000859-1706486400-1706831999@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:APN and Next Generation Writing and Dissemination Workshop\, January 29 – February 1\, 2024
DESCRIPTION:Addis Ababa \nFrom January 29th to February 1st\, 2024\, the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) program of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC)\, in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University (AAU)\, hosted a Writing and Dissemination Workshop for the 2023 cohorts of APN Individual Research Fellows (IRF) and Next Gen Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and Research Fellows at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa\, Ethiopia. APN and Next Gen Writing and Dissemination workshops provide fellows with the opportunity to meet with mentors and peers to refine their writing skills and explore avenues for publishing their work. \nOn Monday\, January 29th\, the workshop began with opening remarks from Dr. Samuel Kifle\, President of Addis Ababa University. Dr. Kifle welcomed the participants to Addis Ababa and expressed optimism at the opportunities for mutual learning\, while also emphasizing the need for scholars to decolonize their research and apply its relevance to impactful policymaking. Dr. Kifle’s full speech is available to read here. Dr. Fred Palm\, Vice President of Administration and Operations at the SSRC\, then explained the origins of the SSRC and the public policy challenges that it was founded to address. He highlighted how the APN and Next Gen fellows’ work\, from analyzing data to influencing policy\, is the embodiment of the SSRC’s mission. Dr. Palm’s full speech is available to read here. \nFollowing Dr. Palm\, Dr. Cyril Obi\, Program Director of the APN and Next Gen\, welcomed all participants and spoke to the opportunities for personal and academic growth that the coming days held. The final opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Fana Gebresenbet\, Director of IPSS and chair of the workshop’s Local Organizing Committee. Dr. Gebresenbet\, a two-time APN fellow\, expressed excitement for the workshop’s deliberations and discussed the importance that APN and Next Gen workshops held in his development as an early-career scholar. \nProf. Kenneth Omeje then delivered the workshop’s first keynote lecture\, titled “African Perspectives to Peacebuilding? Reflections on Normative Principles and Paradigmatic Imperatives in Research and Publication.” The lecture traced the history of the peacebuilding conceptualization and practice debate and its theoretical groundings\, noting the emergence of an African perspective on peacebuilding. Prof. Omeje concluded with several recommendations for improving peacebuilding research through triangulation and the development of strong\, well-funded peacebuilding journals based at African institutions.  \nIn the afternoon\, APN IRF fellows meet with peers and mentors in their working groups\, while Next Gen Doctoral Dissertation fellows met in thematic groups\, which are organized around commonalities between the mentor’s area of expertise and the subject of the fellow’s dissertation.  \nOn Tuesday\, Dr. Linda Darkwa delivered a keynote lecture titled “Decolonizing knowledge production praxis: critical pathways for governance\, Peace and Security Research in Africa.” The lecture reflected on the legacy of Eurocentric research and knowledge production methods in Africa\, offering a set of recommendations for decolonizing knowledge production including promoting Indigenous languages and critical reflection\, reforming educational curricula\, shifting the dynamics of research and academic engagement\, and additional investment from African governments. Dr. Darkwa then concluded by discussing steps towards decolonization of governance\, peace\, and security research in Africa. For the rest of the day\, fellows and mentors met in workshop groups and discussed their work\, research\, and plans for disseminating research findings. \nWednesday began with the continuation of workshop group discussions\, followed by the commencement of one-on-one sessions\, which give each fellow the opportunity to have the dedicated bilateral attention and guidance of their group’s mentors. In the afternoon\, workshop participants had the opportunity to visit the African Union (AU)\, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (SSRC) offices at the campus of Addis Ababa University (AAU)\, and the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum. In the evening\, participants had dinner at the Addis Ababa Mayor’s Office complex and enjoyed traditional Ethiopian food\, coffee\, and cultural dances. \nOn Thursday\, workshop participants engaged in their final one-on-one meetings\, followed by a fellows and mentors panel titled “Strategies for Overcoming Hurdles to Coherent Scholarly Writing and High-Quality Publications.” The panelists were as follows: Rita Abrahamsen\, Steve Akoth\, Stanley Elias Kiswaga\, Medina Moosa\, Hakeem Onapajo\, and Alice Wabule. This panel gave fellows and mentors the opportunity to discuss and debate the successes and challenges that they have encountered in the writing and dissemination of their research from the perspectives of early-career and senior academics. Following the panel\, Dr. Obi and Dr. Gebresenbet closed the workshop by reflecting on the value of the discussions and progress made over the course of the week. Thursday afternoon ended with two optional visits to some local markets and the Addis Ababa Unity Park. \nThe APN and Next Gen program would like to thank all of the fellows\, mentors\, keynote lecturers\, guests of honor\, and the members of the local organizing committee from the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) for their participation\, enthusiasm\, support\, and commitment to the program.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/apn-and-next-generation-writing-and-dissemination-workshop-january-29-february-1-2024/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240229T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240229T160000
DTSTAMP:20240304T213000Z
CREATED:20240129T194508Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240304T213000Z
UID:10000854-1709218800-1709222400@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:Bottlenecks for Evidence Adoption
DESCRIPTION:Event Recording\n \nAbout the Lecture\nRandomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) have become an increasingly used tool for governments to evaluate whether a particular program or improvement to a program could work. But once a government has that evidence\, what determines if they will use it? For my paper on Bottlenecks for Evidence Adoption (with Woojin Kim and Elizabeth Linos)\, we identified 30 cities that had collectively run 73 RCTs with a national nudge unit\, all testing communications interventions to improve specific programs (such as timely bill payment or recruiting a diverse police force). We went back to these cities to find out how many of the results had been adopted and why or why not. We also surveyed experts ahead of time for their predictions and compared thhem to our findings. \nOverwhelmingly\, we found the biggest barriers to adoption were not related to cost or the strength of evidence\, but simply whether the city would have to create a new communication or change an existing one—in other words\, organizational inertia. We also found that experts were overly optimistic about the role of evidence\, and that prioritization by city leadership after the RCT plays an important role. \nIn this talk\, I’ll cover these results\, challenges to pursuing this kind of research\, and talk about how researchers can potentially address bottlenecks to evidence adoption in their research design. \n\nStefano DellaVigna\nStefano DellaVigna is the Daniel Koshland\, Sr. Distinguished Professor of Economics and Professor of Business Administration at the Haas School of Business\, UC Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Econometric Society\, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (2008-10)\, and a Distinguished Teaching Award winner (2008). He specializes in Behavioral Economics and has published in international journals such as the American Economic Review\, the Journal of Political Economy\, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics. He was a co-editor of the American Economic Review from 2017 to 2023.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/bottlenecks-for-evidence-adoption/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240314T140000
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UID:10000855-1710424800-1710428400@www.ssrc.org
SUMMARY:Political Science as Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:Event Recording\n \nIn this talk\, I will describe how political science researchers can take a problem-solving approach to orienting their work toward social issues. Drawing on a recent book chapter\, I’ll discuss how empirical political scientists can look for and define problems\, and the step-by-step process we go through (often in a series of studies)\, picking the right methodological tools to go from descriptive to causal analysis and intervention testing to find solutions. Along the way\, the kinds of questions we ask are shaped by ethical concerns\, the social value and practical considerations of potential interventions\, and analytical precision. I’ll use examples from contemporary research and my own experience in field experiments to show how we think about going from problems to solutions. \n\nCyrus Samii\nCyrus Samii is Associate Professor in the Wilf Family Department of Politics of New York University. He writes and teaches on quantitative social science methodology\, with an emphasis on causal inference. He is a prominent expert on the design of quantitative field research and social science randomized controlled trials. His applied research has focused on testing strategies to address governance challenges in contexts affected by war. He has carried out field studies in sites across Africa\, Asia\, and Latin America in collaboration with partners including the World Bank\, UN\, USAID\, UK Department for International Development\, and Danish International Aid Agency. From 2019-2023 he was Executive Director of the Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) network.
URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/political-science-as-problem-solving/
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