News

Social Science Lens on Trump Administration FY2018 Budget Proposal

Consortium of Social Science Associations

The Consortium of Social Science Associations in Washington (COSSA) has been reporting their analysis of debates in Washington over the federal government budget. In a letter to ISSR and other members this week, COSSA builds on analysis of the Trump Administration's "skinny budget" with the following highlights of  the President's full FY18 budget request:

Announcing Sustainability and Social Science Seed Grants Program Awards

Sustainability Seed Grant Waterspout

ISSR is pleased to announce three research grant awards totaling $25,000 in its inaugural round of funding through the Sustainability and Social Science Seed Grant Program.

Co-funded by ISSR and the School of Earth and Sustainability, the winning research teams leverage a broad range of disciplinary perspectives and expertise at UMass and beyond, including the Departments of Anthropology, Environmental Conservation, Geosciences, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, Legal Studies and Political Science, Resource Economics, Sociology, and the School of Public Policy, as well as a host of governmental, nongovernmental and community organizations working at the human-environment interface. This degree of inter-disciplinary collaboration exemplifies ISSR's commitment to spanning disciplinary boundaries to open new ways of conceptualizing and studying the defining issues of our times. 

May 1 PEP Event | Faculty as Engaged Scholars in an Era of Uncertainty

What are the roles and responsibilities of researchers in these uncertain political times? How can scholars best use their resources to respond to attacks on vulnerable populations and institutions? Panelists will address how recent developments in our government affect our roles as researchers and teachers, and how scholars can contribute to positive change through public engagement? Join the conversation on Monday, May 1 at noon, in the UMass Campus Center's Hadley Room.

April 22 (Earth Day) | Social Scientists and the March for Science

March for Science image

Why Social Science? is a space to talk about the unique contributions the social and behavioral sciences have made to making our society better and improving the lives of people around the world. The upcoming March for Science brings the opportunity to join with fellow scientists, researchers, and supporters from across fields, disciplines, professions, and industries to focus on Why Science—all science—is such a fundamental driver of human progress around the world.

Full House at Life Sciences Laboratories Considers Pathways and Potholes for Women in Science

Volume Editor Anna Branch with co-authors Laurel Smith-Doerr and Laura Hirshfield

Some sixty members of the University community turned out for the launch of a new volume of research that offers new insights on the realities of women's careers in science. The volume, entitled Pathways, Potholes, and the Persistence of Women in Science: Reconsidering the Pipeline (Lexington Books), is edited by UMass Professor of Sociology and Chancellor's Faculty Advisor for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence  Dr. Enobong (Anna) Branch. With an introduction by Dr. Craig Martin, Professor of Chemistry at UMass Amherst, the panel of three of the volume's authors drew from research across academic and industry science settings to illustrate the supports and constraints that shape women's journeys through careers in science.

Deadline 2/17 | Undergraduate Sustainability Research Award

The UMass Amherst Libraries invite submissions for the Undergraduate Sustainability Research Award. All currently enrolled undergraduate UMass Amherst students, part or full-time, are eligible. The first prize recipient receives a $1,000 scholarship and two second place winners receive $500 scholarships. Papers, theses, design projects, multimedia, and artwork that present research on a sustainability topic (environmental, social or economic) will be considered. Applicants must be nominated by a UMass Amherst faculty member. Projects created from spring 2016 through fall 2016 may be submitted for review.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS | ISSR Sustainability Seed Grant Program, 2017-18

The Institute for Social Science Research is pleased to announce a seed grant competition for interdisciplinary social science research in sustainability. This competition is designed to stimulate new scholarly collaborations for innovative research centered on sustainability themes in the social sciences. These seed grants are intended to support proposals that are not likely to be funded by traditional granting organizations because they are early in development and interdisciplinary in nature. It is anticipated that projects will clearly link to the future research, scholarly, or creative and artistic growth of the Institute for Social Science Research.

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