A little over a month ago, CONVERGE and the Social Science Extreme Events Research Network (SSEER), both part of the Natural Hazards Center that is funded by the National Science Foundation, partnered with the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) to create the COVID-19 Global Research Registry for Public Health and Social Sciences. The effort seeks to connect researchers worldwide who are studying the social and behavioral impacts of COVID-19 and to log their COVID-19 related projects with the registry. You can read more about the SSRC’s efforts in this newsletter.
Even though COVID-19 has forced people apart, the registry aims to keep people connected through research and help us understand more together than we would on our own. COVID-19-related research projects focus on everything from the virus’ influence on mental health to the role of tech in our lives. SSRC president Alondra Nelson says, “We are honored to partner with the Natural Hazards Center to continue the SSRC’s longstanding mission to support researchers and to advance and mobilize research for the public benefit—a mission that is most urgent today.” Please read the full press release. The registry was born after Lori Peek held a CONVERGE virtual forum in mid-March to discuss the global pandemic and realized how many projects were already in progress around the world. Peek is the Natural Hazards Center Director at the Institute of Behavioral Science and a sociology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The unique registry is the first of its kind and the registration form is currently offered in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese. In the future, entries will be accessible to journalists, funding agencies and philanthropists who are searching for story ideas and benefactors.
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