Events

ISCE 2023 Spring Forum: Behavioral and Social Sciences at the NIH: New and Emerging Directions

March 31, 2023
ISCE invited Dr. Christine Hunter, the acting director of the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to describe the work of OBSSR and its funding initiatives. Click here for the slides and the recording of the presentation.

Presentation on the Transformation to Whole Health

November 15, 2022
Sponsored by ISCE, Dr. Tracy Gaudet gave a presentation about the merits of transforming the health care system using a more inclusive whole health approach -- one that empowers and equips people to take charge of their own health and wellbeing. Citing shortcomings in the current system and the profound benefits the Veterans Health Administration achieved under her leadership, Dr. Gaudet explained how Virginia Tech has the resources to become a leader in whole health research. Click here for the slides, click here for the presentation recording, and click here for the VTx article.

ISCE 15-Year Anniversary Event Featuring SSRC President

March 31, 2022
ISCE hosted the president of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Anna Harvey, as part of Virginia Tech’s Sesquicentennial celebration and in recognition of the institute’s 15-year anniversary on March 31st. Harvey presented on the current landscape of social and behavioral science research and strategies that both funders and universities can adopt to increase the production of policy-based evidence of impact at scale. Click here to read the preview article about the event published in the Virginia Tech Daily News and here to view a recording of the presentation.

Presentation on the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science

November 5, 2021
This presentation featured Alexandra Hanlon, director of the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, who described the services the Center offers, showcased some of the Center's prior work and ways faculty can access specific health data through the Center. If interested in a copy of the presentation or more information on the CBHDS, contact Alex Hanlon.

Information Session on NSF Call for EAGER Proposals for SaTC

October 15, 2021
ISCE, together with the Virginia Tech National Security Institute and Virginia Tech personnel from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, hosted an information session related to a new call for proposals from the National Science Foundation, Enabling Secure and Trusted Cyberspace (SaTC) CISE-SBE Interdisciplinary Collaborations (EAGER), which is due December 10, 2021. This call emphasizes the role of social science related to cybersecurity issues. If interested in more information about this call, contact Isabel Bradburn.

Presentation on Access to Federal Restricted Microdata

September 28, 2021
This presentation featured Amy O'Hara, Director of the Georgetown Federal Statistical Research Data Center, who explained how scholars interested in using a wealth of restricted Census and other federal data can submit applications and gain approval to access the data at no cost due to a contract with Virginia Tech via ISCE. O'Hara reviewed the myriad rich data available and the process by which researchers can use it, with Q&A. Virginia Tech faculty interested in viewing the recording of the presentation should contact Isabel Bradburn.

Introduction to NIH Funding for Social & Behavioral Scientists

April 14, 2021
ISCE and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences hosted a 2-hour introductory workshop on NIH funding for social and behavioral scientists. The workshop provided an overview of NIH, grant mechanisms, the review process and information about NIH resources. Contact Yancey Crawford for a copy of the PPT or recording.

Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation for Science, Technology, and Society Researchers at Virginia Tech

March 30, 2021 
This presentation, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Center for Humanities, and College of Liberal Arts and Human Science,s featured presenters from the National Science Foundation's Science, Technology Studies program of the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences directorate, Frederick Kronz, PhD, Program Director, STS and Wenda Bauchspies, PhD, Program Director, STS. During their presentation, they discussed the following NSF programs:

• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2)
• Science of Science (SoS)
• NSF Research Traineeship (NRT)
• Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems  (DISES)
• Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel)
   

ISCE 2021 Spring Social Sciences Forum: Dr. Kelli Craig-Henderson, National Science Foundation

February 24, 2021
The ISCE Social Sciences forum featured a presentation by Dr. Kellina Craig-Henderson, Deputy Assistant Director at the National Science Foundation, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences directorate, entitled "Opportunities & Priorities: Getting NSF Support for Your Research in the SBE Sciences." Dr. Craig-Henderson included information about the directorate's newly refocused funding priorities and several new programs they have initiated this year as well as how to apply for funding. 

Click here to read Dr. Craig-Henderson's December 2020 blog post for the Consortium of Social Science Assocations entitled: "Why Social Science? Because It Can Help Fight Stereotypes in the World of Science."
 

ISCE Webinar: Online Observational and Experimental Data Collection

February 4, 2021
This event featured three panelists, listed below with links to their presentations, who discussed Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS); Discoveries Online, a method to record observational data remotely with children and families; and methods to collect cognitive and behavioral data virtually with adults.  

• James Druckman, PhD, Northwestern University, TESS presentation
  
• Marjorie Rhodes, PhD, New York University, Discoveries Online presentation
  
• Benjamin Katz,  PhD, Virginia Tech, Cognitive Data presentation
  

Click here for the webinar recording, here for the speaker bios and here for the event flier.

ISCE Webinar: Online Survey Data Methodology

January 27, 2021
This event featured four panelists, listed below with links to their presentations, who described working with Qualtrics, MTurk and AmeriSpeak, including with international respondents and panels.

• James Hawdon, PhD, Virginia Tech, Online Surveys presentation
  
• Aaron Ogletree, National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, MTurk presentation
  
• Daniel Costanza, NORC at University of Chicago, AmeriSpeak presentation
  
• Nathaniel Porter, Virginia Tech University Libraries, Virginia Tech Survey Resources
  

• Olgetree, A.M. & Katz, B. (2020). How do older adults recruited using MTurk differ from those in a national probability sample? The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415020940197
  
• Porter, N.D., Verdery, A.M., Gaddis, S.M. (2020). Enhancing big data in the social sciences with crowdsourcing: Data augmentation practices, techniques, and opportunities. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0233154. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233154
   

ISCE 2020 NSF Presentation

February 13, 2020
ISCE hosted a presentation featuring Dr. Arthur Lupia, head of the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation on February 13, 2020 for Virginia Tech faculty in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area and for faculty on the Blacksburg campus via Zoom. Dr. Lupia presented "The Value of Science in a Polarized Age."