The challenge of effective public health guidance has been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and well-being of individuals, communities and entire regions of the U.S. can be fortified through fundamental scientific insights into how public health guidance is created and distributed and how people perceive it.

The U.S. National Science Foundation is partnering with the Social Science Research Council to support research that advances scientific knowledge about public health guidance and its impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities. The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) will donate up to $7.5 million to NSF over the next two years to support fundamental research exploring the effects of public health guidance on society. NSF will invest $12.5 million for a combined total of up to $20 million in research funding.

The partnership will leverage the unique capabilities of NSF and SSRC through their diverse connections to the research community and public health organizations.

NSF and SSRC invite research proposals that can reveal the complex factors that contribute to effective public health guidance and provide rigorous evidence that will be useful for decision-makers seeking to improve and protect the health of their communities.