From the ashes of the aborted American Teen Survey arose one of the most important longitudinal surveys in the social and and behavioral arsenal, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. This is a story of government spending gone terribly right!
Two decades ago two curious scientists from very different fields wondered how many people live at various altitudes. Aided by federal funding, their inquiries have helped in area ranging from disaster preparedness to cancer research to fresher snack foods. Now the duo have been honored with a Golden Goose Award.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover – federal funding for odd or frivolous sounding research pays enormous societal, health, security, and economic dividends to the American taxpayer,’ argues a member of the steering committee for the Golden Goose Award.
Two neurophysiologists who brought kittens into their lab to study vision have been honored with the Golden Goose Award for federally funded experiments that once sounded silly but provided important benefits to society.
Were a psychologist to win federal funding for an experiment that involved offering 3-year-olds marshmallows, it’s likely that grant would eventually be cited on the floor of the House of Representatives as yet another example of silly and wasteful spending on social science.
The latest winners of the Gold Goose Award for seemingly weird science with big practical benefits are researchers whose brush with lab rat love is now helping thousands of preemies.
Three economists who used federal funding to research highly theoretical work on game theory and auctions are being honored with Golden Goose Awards for the highly practical application of their work that enabled the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to auction off the nation’s telecommunications spectrum in a way that maximized fairness and efficiency in the marketplace.
It can be fun to poke at oddball research, but a U.S. award rewards researchers whose peculiar efforts pay off for society.
Drawing on discussions with academics who have oriented their work around public engagement and social impact, Daniel Pearson suggests these academics present an opportunity to rethink the existing structures of reward and recognition in higher education. “We are, as a species, addicted to story,” says English professor Jonathan Gottschall in his book, The Storytelling Animal. “Even when the […] Tom Burns, whose combination of play — and plays – with teaching in higher education added a light, collaborative and engaging model […] A 2024 report by the National Academies explores the latest advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and their potential effects on economic productivity, job stability, and income inequality. It also highlights key research opportunities and data needs to help workers and policymakers adapt to the evolving AI landscape. In this post, co-authors Frank T. Piller, Tucker J. Marion, and Mahdi Srour reflect on the inspiration behind their research article, “Generative […] During the final stages of editing the proofs for Artificial Intelligence and Work: Transforming Work, Organizations, and Society in an Age of Insecurity, […]
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Impact
Young Scholars Can’t Take the Field in Game of Academic Metrics
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Canada’s Storytellers Challenge Seeks Compelling Narratives About Student Research
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Tom Burns, 1959-2024: A Pioneer in Learning Development
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Innovation
NAS Report Examines Nexus of AI and Workplace
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When Do You Need to Trust a GenAI’s Input to Your Innovation Process?
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The Authors of ‘Artificial Intelligence and Work’ on Future Risk
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