The School of Public Policy continues to invest in faculty-led research through its Faculty Research Seed Award program. These awards are open to all full-time faculty, including tenure-track and professional-track faculty, and are designed to support innovative projects with a focus on addressing complex and pressing public policy issues. The recipients of the 2026 award have been recognized for the following projects:
Project Title: From Global Goals to Individual Choices: SDG Priorities and Their Wellbeing Returns
PI: Mel George
Description: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) establish priorities for global progress, but do those priorities also reflect what contributes to individual wellbeing? Building on previous research that found no significant relationship between national progress on the SDGs and changes in wellbeing, this project will develop and pilot a survey that examines how people allocate resources such as time and money across SDG-related priorities and how those choices relate to established measures of wellbeing. The findings will provide new evidence on the relationship between global development priorities and individual wellbeing, helping inform future policy and sustainability research.
Project Title: Public Leadership for Applied Policy Reform
PI: Julio Guzman
Description: Advancing policy reform requires more than sound technical policy design. It also depends on leadership that can navigate political, institutional and organizational realities. This project will examine the practical dimensions of advancing policy reform by drawing on the experiences of senior government practitioners from multiple countries. The research will inform a publication and future training programs that provide current and emerging public leaders with practical tools to advance policy reform, build public support and navigate the complexities of governing.
Project Title: The Cambridge History of the Nuclear Age
PI: Christian Ostermann
Description: This project will support the completion of The Cambridge History of the Nuclear Age, a two-volume reference work that offers the first comprehensive historical reassessment of the emergence, evolution and disintegration of the post-World War II nuclear order. Drawing on newly available archival sources and contributions from 78 scholars representing a wide range of countries and disciplines, the publication will provide new historical insights into the nuclear age from the end of World War II through the 21st century. The completed volumes will serve as an authoritative resource for policymakers, scholars, students and national security professionals.
These projects reflect the School’s ongoing commitment to faculty research that tackles critical public challenges through rigorous inquiry and evidence-based solutions.
