Exploratory Initiatives
The Exploratory Fund was established in 2015 to support members who wish to work together, and with other scholars, experts, and practitioners, to look for issues and opportunities not well understood, to think of problems in a fresh way, and to search for connections between research and policy that advance the common good.
Through the Exploratory Fund, the Academy is committed to encouraging forward-thinking collaborations that incorporate diverse perspectives and bring together creative thinkers and leaders representing a range of disciplines, career stages, backgrounds, and experiences.
Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and awarded funds to cover the costs associated with an exploratory meeting.
The Exploratory Fund is made possible through the generous support of the Arnhold Foundation, John F. Cogan, Jr., Michael E. Gellert, Bob and Kristine Higgins, Carl and Betty Pforzheimer, William Poorvu, and Kenneth L. and Susan S. Wallach.
Recent Exploratory Meetings
The Future of the Ph.D.
November 15–16, 2018
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA
This gathering of nearly thirty leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia focused on trends in career outcomes for doctoral students across disciplines. The participants discussed changes to doctoral training and student mentorship in order to improve and diversify career outcomes for recipients of doctoral degrees.
CHAIRS
Nancy C. Andrews
Duke University School of Medicine
David Nirenberg
University of Chicago
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Carlos J. Alonso
Columbia University
Ed Balleisen
Duke University
Thomas Bender
New York University
Mary Sue Coleman
Association of American Universities
Robin Garrell
University of California, Los Angeles
Kelly Gebo
Johns Hopkins University
Dianne Harris
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Nimmi Kannankutty
National Science Foundation
David Lee
Princeton University
Terry Magnuson
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Anthony Monaco
Tufts University
Thomas Pollard
Yale University
Cybele Raver
New York University
Robert B. Townsend
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Ian Waitz
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keith Yamamoto
University of California, San Francisco
Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict
February 19, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA
Participants at this exploratory meeting provided advice on the direction and shape of a larger Academy project on humanitarian interventions in conflict zones.
CHAIRS
Jaime Sepulveda
University of California, San Francisco
Jennifer Welsh
McGill University
Paul Wise
Stanford University
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Michael Barnett
George Washington University
Anne Patterson
Yale University; formerly, U.S. Department of State
Ron Waldman
George Washington University
National Memory in a Time of Populism
May 23–25, 2019
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
As a follow-up to a December 2017 planning meeting convened at the Academy, this exploratory meeting brought together scholars from across the globe to discuss national narratives, historiography, and shared identity in the current context of rising populism.
CHAIRS
Henry L. Roediger, III
Washington University in St. Louis
James V. Wertsch
Washington University in St. Louis
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Madgalena Abel
University of Regensburg, Germany
Krystian Barzykowski
Jagiellonian University, Poland
Nutsa Batiashvili
Free University of Tblisi, Georgia
David Blight
Yale University
Pascal Boyer
Washington University in St. Louis
Andrew C. Butler
Washington University in St. Louis
Alin Coman
Princeton University
Amy Corning
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
David Cunningham
Washington University in St. Louis
Yadin Dudai
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel; New York University
Rauf Garagozov
Uppsala University, Sweden
Carol Gluck
Columbia University
James Liu
Massey University, New Zealand
Zhao Ma
Washington University in St. Louis
Elizabeth Marsh
Duke University
Jeffrey Olick
University of Virginia
Suparna Rajaram
Stony Brook University
Henry L. Roediger, III
Washington University in St. Louis
Christina Simko
Williams College
Sharda Umanath
Claremont McKenna College
Abram Van Engen
Washington University in St. Louis
James V. Wertsch
Washington University in St. Louis
Jeremy Yamashiro
Washington University in St. Louis
Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict
June 10–11, 2019
Chatham House
London, United Kingdom
Held in collaboration with the Centre for Global Health Security at Chatham House and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the meeting brought together scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers from the global health, humanitarian, and security sectors to explore how future work by the three hosting organizations could help define new strategies for the provision of essential health services in areas of violent conflict.
CHAIRS
Jaime Sepulveda
University of California, San Francisco
Jennifer Welsh
McGill University
Paul Wise
Stanford University
The Future of the Administrative State
June 12, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA
This exploratory meeting brought together scholars from law, political science, public administration, history, and organizational design to discuss the history, current challenges, and potential futures of regulatory agencies.
CHAIR
Mark Tushnet
Harvard University
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Susan Dudley
George Washington University
Gillian Metzger
Columbia Law School
Aaron Neilson
Brigham Young University Law School
Charles Sabel
Columbia Law School
Peter Strauss
Columbia Law School
Phil Wallach
R Street Institute
Water in Our Future
June 19–20, 2019
Battery Wharf Hotel
Boston, MA
This exploratory meeting convened a range of scholars, policy-makers, and representatives from ngos and international organizations to examine the socioecological and political aspects of water management and governance. Supported jointly by the Academy’s Science, Engineering, and Technology and Global Security and International Affairs program areas, the exploratory meeting facilitated discussions on major issues around water availability and safety in urban and agricultural areas, as well as large dams, environmental impact assessments, and transboundary water governance.
CHAIRS
Allen F. Isaacman
University of Minnesota; University of the Western Cape
Geraldine L. Richmond
University of Oregon
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Rita R. Colwell
University of Maryland
Jennifer Derr
University of California, Santa Cruz
Christopher Field
Stanford University
Annette Huber-Lee
Stockholm Environment Institute
Antarpreet Jutla
West Virginia University
Jacqueline M. King
University of the Western Cape
David W. Oxtoby
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Kurt Soderlund
Safe Water Network
