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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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ 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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ
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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ 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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ
Cambridge, MA

Participants at this exploratory meeting provided advice on the direction and shape of a larger Çï¿ûÊÓƵ 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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ, 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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ
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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ’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 Çï¿ûÊÓƵ of Arts and Sciences

Kurt Soderlund
Safe Water Network