UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

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.

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Matrix News

News

Published June 25, 2020

2020-2021 Matrix Research Teams Announced

Seven new interdisciplinary teams will tackle emerging social-scientific topics

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Grants and Opportunities

Published June 2, 2020

2020 Social Science Division Distinguished Teaching and Service Awards

Raka Ray, Dean of the Division of Social Sciences, honors instructors for overcoming challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

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COVID-19

Article

Published May 6, 2020

Disaster Preparedness and Seeking Equity Amidst COVID-19

An interview with Sarah Vaughn, Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, on how different communities prepare for and respond to pandemics and disasters.

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Health

Published April 29, 2020

Berkeley Interpersonal Contact Study

Researchers from the UC Berkeley Department of Demography use survey methods to measure the effect of "social distancing."

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Inclusion

Published April 22, 2020

COVID-19 is Blind to Legal Status, but Can Disproportionately Hurt Immigrants

 COVID-19 is blind to legal status, but can still disproportionately hurt immigrants, argue Jasmijn Slootjes and Irene Bloemraad from the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative.

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COVID-19

Published April 17, 2020

Student Futures and Life Under COVID-19

Michael Watts writes that innovative solutions are needed to support students and universities in the era of COVID-19.

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