New Directions
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Event Date: October 14th, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
New Directions: Green Transitions
This panel will bring together advanced graduate students from UC Berkeley whose research examines the forces shaping green energy transitions around the world. Drawing on emerging scholarship spanning energy systems, technological change, environmental policy, and social equity, the discussion will explore how societies can navigate the opportunities and tradeoffs of decarbonization, and what is at stake for communities, economies, and the future of the planet.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
Recap
Published March 3, 2026
Matrix on Point: Corruption in America
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our recent Matrix on Point panel focused on "Corruption in America," featuring leading scholars from business, political science, and law to examine the many facets of corruption in the United States and the ways it is identified, constrained, and addressed.
Learn More >Matrix News
Funding Opportunity
Published February 25, 2026
Applications Open: 2026-2027 Research Teams, Iris Hui Memorial Scholarship
Social Science Matrix is pleased to present two funding opportunities: for 2026-2027 Matrix Research Teams, and for the Iris Hui Memorial Scholarship.
Learn More >Interview
Podcast
Published February 3, 2026
“Some College” and the Social Function of Higher Education: An Interview with Sarah Payne
What are the economic consequences of starting, but not completing college? On this episode of the Matrix Podcast, Sarah Harrington, Program Manager at Social Science Matrix, spoke with Sarah Payne, a sociologist who recently published a paper in Sociology of Education that examined what happens when students begin college but fail to graduate. “Although non-completion […]
Learn More >Lecture
Recap
Published February 3, 2026
American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now
How did Americans come to elect Barack Obama — and then Donald Trump? Watch the video of a talk by Paul Starr, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, and Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs, at Princeton University, discussing his book, "American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now."
Learn More >Matrix News
Funding Opportunity
Published February 3, 2026
Call for Proposals: 2026-2027 Matrix Research Teams
The application window is now open to submit proposals for Matrix Research Teams for the 2026-2027 academic year. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 16, 2026. Faculty-led Research Teams can receive funding up to $5000. They run for one to two semesters. Student-led Research Teams will receive funding up to $1500. Coordinated by one or more graduate students, they meet regularly, around 5-10 times over the course of the academic year.
Learn More >Matrix Lecture
Recap
Published December 16, 2025
Alexis Madrigal: “To Know A Place”
Recorded on December 4, 2025, this video features a Social Science Matrix Distinguished Lecture, “To Know a Place,” presented by journalist and author Alexis Madrigal. In this talk, Madrigal turns his attention to the question of how we come to know a place. Drawing on his background as a reporter, writer, and thinker of cities, landscapes, and histories, he explores different ways of writing about and understanding place, revealing how perspective, memory, and narrative inform the stories we tell about the world around us.
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