2020 Projects, Publications, and Meetings of the Academy | American Academy of Arts and Sciences

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.

† Deceased

Recent Exploratory Meetings

Young Adult Mental Health and Well-Being: Higher Education’s Responsibility

September 5–6, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA

On the campuses of residential colleges and universities, young adults (eighteen to twenty-five years old) are experiencing an intensifying crisis of their mental health and well-being. Students have increasing levels of depression and anxiety, which interfere with and may interrupt both their academic and developmental progress. This gathering of university presidents and mental health leaders explored the roles colleges and universities have in creating campus cultures that foster student mental health and well-being; deepened understanding of how recent research can inform this work; and identified pathways forward.

Meeting Chairs

John DeGioia
Georgetown University

David Oxtoby
American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Featured Speakers & Participants

Paul Barreira
Harvard Medical School; formerly, Harvard University Health Services

Daniel Eisenberg
University of Michigan; Healthy Minds Network

Wendy Fischman
Harvard University

Wayne Frederick
Howard University

Elizabeth Gong-Guy
University of California, Los Angeles

Laura Horne
Active Minds

Paula Johnson
Wellesley College

Sarah K. Lipson
Boston University School of Public Health

Jacqueline Looney
Duke University

Suzy Nelson
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Vikram Patel
Harvard Medical School

Stephanie Pinder-Amaker
McLean Hospital College Mental Health Program

Zoe Ragouzeos
NYU Student Mental Health

Julie Reuben
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Stephanie Bell Rose
TIAA Institute

Chad Wellmon
University of Virginia

Jacqueline Looney (Duke University) addresses participants at the Exploratory Meeting on “Young Adult Mental Health and Well-Being: Higher Education’s Responsibility.”

Protecting Communities in Social Science Studies: Toward New Ethics

November 7–8, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA

This convening brought together researchers and administrators from universities, professional organizations, and institutional review boards. A series of open discussions allowed participants to share perspectives on some of the most pressing challenges to contemporary fieldwork in the social sciences. The participants looked at how ethical issues related to large-scale studies have manifested themselves in a variety of fields and evaluated proposed guidelines meant to address these challenges.

Meeting Chair

Rose McDermott
Brown University

Featured Speakers

Jay Lyall
Dartmouth College