New website shares data on the immigrant population
In the United States, immigrants without permanent residence comprise nearly one-third of the adult and child population born abroad. It is important to assess their health and service needs, yet little is known about the demographics of this group. A new website developed by Penn State researchers…
Ending birthright citizenship would impact Asians and Latinos most, study finds
Established in 1868 with the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, birthright citizenship grants citizenship to all persons born on U.S. soil regardless of the parents’ citizenship status. If birthright citizenship is ended, the number of children born without a defined legal…
Faculty, alumni gifts establish flexible fund for sociology and criminology
When Michelle Frisco, who earned a degree in administration of justice from the College of the Liberal Arts in 1994, became head of Penn State's Department of Sociology and Criminology in 2022, she saw a need and opportunity to build something the department didn't have — a flexible fund that could…
AI and Social Research event poster call
Organizers of the “AI and Social Research: Empathic AI, Metascience, and Methodology” event, taking place June 3 – 4 at Penn State’s Innovation Hub and on Zoom, are inviting early career researchers to submit a poster.
The poster submissions are an opportunity to build a robust network of…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
New Penn State Cores Facility Website
Penn State Research has recently launched a new website for core facilities. These facilities offer critical specialized instrumentation, services, and guidance to researchers and businesses. The goal is to supplement projects with resources and expertise that may be cost-prohibitive for direct…
Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to seven diverse projects - 2026
The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) has announced the results of its most recent seed-funding competition. The center awarded more than $152,000 to seven interdisciplinary research projects representing six colleges.
Each proposal was evaluated by peers…
CTSI to host three-part virtual mini-series on team science
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will host a three-part virtual mini-series focused on team science, led by Susan Simkins, director of Team Science with Penn State CTSI. Designed for researchers, staff and leaders working in collaborative environments, the series will…
SSRI Launches Mid-Career Research–Practice Partnership Fellows Program
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) has opened applications for its 2026–2027 Mid-Career Research–Practice Partnership Fellows Program, a new initiative designed to strengthen collaborative research that drives real-world impact.
Supported in part by a William T. Grant…
Sharkey to lead SSRI Grants and Contracts Office
Nicole Sharkey was recently named the Director of Grants and Contracts for the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI).
In this role, Sharkey will lead SSRI’s newly created Grants and Contracts Office, a team of administrators who support researchers with complex, multi-disciplinary proposal…
Fowler named director of statistical data center
Christopher Fowler, professor of geography, was recently named director of the Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) at Penn State, a unit within the Social Science Research Institute and one of over 30 Federal Statistical Research Data Centers located across the country.…
NIH Application Policy Update
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new Application Policy Update, effective December 3, 2025 implementing the Removal of Requirements for Letters of Intent and Unsolicited Applications Requesting $500,000 or More in Direct Costs
The Update, Notice Number: NOT-OD-26-019, states that…
A hard year for federal workers offers a real-time lesson in resilience
By Anne Pisor, SSRI cofunded faculty member and assistant professor of anthropology and demography, for "The Conversation"
Imagine going from having a book club with your co-workers to seeing them only on a Signal chat where every member has to be vetted – and the main conversation topic is when…
Baumgartner Named SSRI Research Operations Manager
Natahsha Baumgartner has been named research operations manager for the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State.
Previously, Baumgartner was the associate director of University Health Services (UHS) Operations. In this role, she served as the administrative lead of UHS’s Pharmacy,…
Barbara Rigg retires from SSRI
SSRI Research Operations Manager Barbara Rigg recently retired after 35 years of service to Penn State. Barbara started at Penn State in 1991, working as a clerk accounting secretary in the Center for Cell Research, College of Science. She served in various research administrative roles in the…
Structural issue believed to be the cause of Welch Building incident
As most of you are aware, an incident occurred in Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building last Wednesday which prompted the evacuation of all occupants. We want to reassure you that everyone in SSRI is safe, and that no one was injured during the incident. Please be patient with us as we locate…