EAGER: Innovation in Society Study Group

This award supports an study group that examines the social and behavioral dimensions of innovation as they relate to the broad mission of the National Science Foundation. The Innovation in Society Study Group will advance actionable recommendations for programmatic investments that support multiple objectives. An initial objective is to promote engagement with diverse communities for use-inspired research and early-stage intervention, including communities in geographic regions of the United States that show untapped potential for innovation and economic growth. A second objective is to advance convergence across technologies by supporting interdisciplinary collaborations and incorporating new perspectives on technological systems, especially for national priority technology development areas. Composed of an array of interdisciplinary practitioners from across the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, the study group also elucidates opportunities for research translation, ranging from prototypes to pilot testing to startup firms to widespread innovation diffusion, in ways that include a broad range of stakeholders. Expanding on insights about community partnerships and research translation, the products of this award include concise reports and publicly accessible publications that detail the insights resulting from the group’s activities. The broad objective is to identify social, behavioral, and economic drivers and consequences of technological innovations, particularly those that are the focus of current investments. To realize this objective, the group embodies interdisciplinary expertise and perspectives from across the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The award supports a complement of activities, including multiple workshops and collaborative opportunities to facilitate the production and dissemination of recommendations. The award also supports efforts to broaden participation in science by incorporating insights from underrepresented populations and geographic regions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.