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.

Matrix On Point

Recap

Published April 10, 2025

Mainstreaming Psychedelics

Psychedelics are steadily moving from the fringes of counterculture to the heart of mainstream society, driven by a growing body of research and shifting public perception. As psychedelics shed their stigma, they are catalyzing a broader conversation about mental health, spirituality, and the boundaries of human consciousness. Recorded on March 6, 2025, this panel featured Diana Negrin, David Presti, Charles Hirschkind, and Graham Pechenik, with Poulomi Saha moderating.

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Economy

Article

Published November 27, 2017

A Tax to Support ‘Made in the USA’

UC Berkeley economics professor Alan Auerbach works with Washington, D.C. policymakers in his quest for corporate tax reform—including implementing a tax focused on where products are consumed, not where they are produced.

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Grants and Opportunities

News

Published October 30, 2017

Request for Proposals: Sciences Po Collaboration Grants

UC Berkeley faculty members are invited to submit applications for Matrix/Sciences Po Collaboration Grants, to be used to fund collaborations with scholars from France's Sciences Po.

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Matrix News

News

Published October 30, 2017

Request for Proposals: Matrix/UC Press Book Series

UC Berkeley researchers are invited to submit proposals for a series of digital monographs that Social Science Matrix will be publishing in collaboration the University of California Press (UC Press).

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Workshop/Symposium

Recap

Published October 19, 2017

Geo4Dev Symposium

Matrix was honored to co-sponsor Geospatial Analysis for International Development (Geo4Dev), a two-day symposium and workshop held September 6-7, 2017 focused on the application of remote sensing and geospatial analysis to address issues of poverty, sustainable development, urbanization, climate change, and economic growth in developing countries.​

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Workshop/Symposium

Recap

Published October 10, 2017

2017 Peder Sather Symposium

Matrix was honored to host the 2017 Peder Sather Symposium, which focused on the theme, "Freedom of Speech Under Pressure in the World’s Liberal Democracies." Featured speakers include Azita Raji, Former US Ambassador to Sweden, and Dr. Knut Olav Åmås, Executive Director, Fritt Ord Foundation.

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Article

Published October 9, 2017

Electing Peace

In her new book, Electing Peace: From Civil Conflict to Political Participation, Aila Matanock, Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Political Science, looks at the role of elections in post-conflict peace agreements.

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