U-I Partnerships in the Social Sciences Workshop
The University of Maryland, College Park, in collaboration with UIDP and with support from the National Science Foundation, MITRE, and the Consortium of Social Science Associations, are convening a diverse group of experts and leaders from academia, industry, and government to consider how academic-corporate partnerships can advance social, behavioral, and organizational science research to positively impact science and society. Part one of the workshop was a virtual workshop on October 14, 2021, from 11-2 EDT, and part two will be an in-person workshop at the University of Maryland, College Park, on April 20-21, 2022.
With the rapid growth of social networks over the last two decades and the corresponding availability of big data, the behavioral and social sciences have become increasingly important to the development and growth of organizations’ capacity to understand and address global challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of social science research during societal crises. Social, behavioral, and organizational science can help institutions address societal needs, and these contributions can be magnified through collaborations between academia and industry.
Using Mission-Oriented Innovation to Address Societal Challenges
- Kellie Beirne, Cardiff Capital Region
- Rick Delbridge, Cardiff University
- Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University
The session provided an overview of the developments that have prompted increasing interest in mission-oriented innovation and described and assessed a current initiative designed to develop challenges that deliver innovation in public service delivery in ways that create commercial opportunities. The speakers are leading figures in the design and delivery of the Cardiff Capital Region Challenge Fund.
Mapping Privacy Influencers: Partnerships to Understand Emerging Privacy Policy
- Katie Shilton, University of Maryland
- Jessica Vitak, University of Maryland
This presentation described preliminary results from a Facebook-funded collaboration to understand who is influential in shaping privacy narratives in U.S. policymaking and what privacy definitions and practices are shaping the legislative agenda.
Developing a Mental Wellbeing Index for Addressing Behavioral Health Inequities
- Emilie Gilde, MITRE
- Karen Jiang, MITRE
Data demonstrate inequities in mental health and substance use disorders outcomes and treatment access, particularly for racial and ethnic groups, that have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency. MITRE’s Social Justice Platform is developing a Mental Wellbeing Index for each zip-code in the United States to provide a consistent and comparable way to understand mental wellbeing in and across communities. The session explored use cases and applications of the MWI, such as the application of an equity lens to community-level data and lessons learned along the way.
