A new website aims to make scientific research on the causes and treatment of chronic pain more accessible to patients and the general public. RELIEF offers news, feature articles and interviews with leading experts, and will soon add podcasts and webinars. Chronic pain affects up to one-third of…
David Tuveson was born a naturalist. Growing up in Michigan, he says, “I was always outside—looking under a rock, going out on the water to observe and catch things and let them go…I’ve loved science ever since I was conscious.” David Tuveson(Photo: Courtesy of David…
A new multimedia, interactive resource provides practical tips, case studies and collaboration strategies for those seeking to help communities prepare for and recover from disasters. The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook is a joint project of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Council of New…
Thanks to the growing use of digital technologies, people everywhere now have access to a spectacular wealth of information. New technologies also hold untapped potential to broaden access to government, scientific research and other knowledge. Civic tech innovators are building tools to help open up policymaking, budgeting and voter information…
This month, the Council on Foundations blog features aQ&A with Elizabeth Good Christopherson, President and CEO of the Rita Allen Foundation. Here, Ms. Christopherson sums up our approach to investing in innovation: We look for promise, openness to collaboration, hunger for leadership—not proof that ideas will work. If…
The results are in: Of the 50 U.S. states, only three earned a D+ or better, and 11 states received failing grades. The scores were released on November 9 by the Center for Public Integrity’s State Integrity Investigation. This comprehensive assessment involved research by 50 state-based reporters who…
Ajay Chawla delighted in exploring the mechanics of everyday objects from an early age. At first, he recalls, “I spent most of my time taking things apart and not putting them together.” This impulse served him well in school, where he was drawn to math and science, and…
The ability to stimulate specific neurons using beams of light, a technique known as optogenetics, has led to great advances in neuroscience over the past decade, helping to establish critical links between brain and behavior. But this approach has its drawbacks. Notably, light is easily scattered by the body’s tissues,…
The Fund for Shared Insight, a collaborative of funders dedicated to improving philanthropy, has launched Listen for Good. This new grant-making effort is aimed at exploring new ways for nonprofits to engage with the people they seek to help through high-quality feedback loops. To apply to…
The Rita Allen Foundation’s distinctive mission and collaborative style of philanthropy are the focus of a feature article in today’s issue of The Princeton Packet (published online August 25). The piece recounts the origins and evolution of the Foundation, including longstanding investments in early-career biomedical Scholars, as well…