Description

The first of these grants would provide support for the Social Science Research Council, and I hereby recommend a grant of $250,000 to partially fund the SSRC’s initiative in response to COVID-19. The substance of the proposed work — which will operate at the intersection of community, democracy, technology, ethics, and inequality — aligns with established and emerging themes in the Theology Program’s portfolio, and with the focus of our emergency grantmaking. The role of religious ideas, practices, and organizations in responding to the pandemic will be a key component of the initiative, and we hope that the Luce Foundation’s support will further encourage that emphasis. At the same time, the wider SSRC initiative will be expansive and ambitious, and not narrowly limited to a focus on religion and theology, possibly affording both the Theology Program and HLF more generally openings for new and uncommon forms of philanthropic partnership. In funding this effort at any early stage, in other words, the Luce Foundation has the opportunity not only to catalyze a response to the pandemic that is both urgent and thoughtful, but also to shape the contours of that response in ways that align with both our broader mission and the goals of the Theology Program, which seeks to bring first-rate multidisciplinary scholarship to bear on matters of pressing public concern. Our funding will ensure, furthermore, that attention to religious communities and theological reflection form a consistent and integral part of the SSRC’s wider effort in response to the pandemic, a response which will cut across several of the Council’s existing program areas. In terms of specific activities, our grant would support the SSRC’s efforts to rapidly mobilize the social science community to contribute knowledge and analysis of the impact of COVID-19. This will include the production and distribution of digital content and resources, the organization of virtual working groups, the funding of small grants ($2,000 – $10,000) to support rapid research, and initial efforts to design a virtual research center — a digital platform and resource for scholars, media, and the public. All of this is described at greater length in the attached proposal, which includes a detailed budget, both for the proposed use of Luce funds and for the more expansive initiative that the Luce Foundation’s support would help seed. As you’ll note from the detailed budget included with the SSRC’s proposal, Luce Foundation funds would support less than 20% of the total anticipated budget for the initiative. The SSRC is well-known to the Luce Foundation, and a trusted partner. I know that you have had previous conversations about this budding initiative with Alondra Nelson, and I am personally impressed by the Council’s commitment to pressing forward with this effort in a timely manner. I am pleased to wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend the approval of this grant.