The SSRC College and University Fund for the Social Sciences (CUF) is proud to welcome six new institutions to its consortium of higher education partners: Boston University; Carnegie Mellon University; Purdue University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Riverside; and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“CUF is a critical mechanism through which the SSRC is bringing together researchers and research funders, including public and private funders, to set a broad research agenda, build the kinds of networks that can work toward finding solutions to global challenges, and ensure that research funding can be directed toward the most impactful research projects,” said Anna Harvey, SSRC president. “We welcome these new partners with enthusiasm. The problems we face today exist at scale, and they demand a research response that is likewise at scale. By bringing as many academic leaders to the table as possible, we believe this group can help to leverage the kind of funding that will be required to solve these massive challenges, including climate change, vaccine skepticism, and preparation for the next pandemic.”

Deborah Carr, inaugural director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science and professor of sociology at Boston University (BU), emphasized that BU’s membership in the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences will provide opportunities and inspiration to forge pathbreaking research initiatives that benefit from diverse disciplinary vantage points and cutting-edge methodological approaches.

“This is an opportune moment for Boston University to partner with the Social Science Research Council. BU has a deep tradition of outstanding social science scholarship and teaching both within liberal arts departments and professional schools whose faculty and students apply innovative research methods to understand and resolve urgent social problems. With the establishment of BU’s new Center for Innovation in Social Science in 2021, the university has a new incubator for cross-disciplinary research, training, and action.”

The three University of California institutions join their colleagues at Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego, and Santa Barbara as members of the College and University Fund consortium. Katharyne Mitchell, dean of the Division of Social Sciences and professor of sociology at UC Santa Cruz, noted that the Social Science Research Council is a critical incubator of social science research and an important hub for national and international networking and cooperation.

“This partnership cements the University of California’s commitment to strengthening the funding infrastructure for social science research and ensures that the University of California has a strong voice in conversations that are setting an interdisciplinary research agenda. We are thrilled beyond measure to be part of this historic consortium and look forward to a productive and long-lasting collaboration!”

Annual contributions from CUF member institutions support work to enhance the infrastructure of social science research, catalyze interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations, and help to launch the careers of junior scholars through fellowships, workshops, and mentorship.