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The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) supports basic research on people and society.
This includes the study of human behavior and social organizations, as well as research on how social, economic, political, cultural and environmental forces affect the lives of people from birth to old age and how people in turn shape those forces.
SBE also supports research infrastructure in social and behavioral sciences, including surveys that provide data about American society and about the state of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise.
At every level, researchers supported by SBE are making transformative discoveries that empower America’s industries and communities, provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and create the knowledge that fuels American economic leadership.
Promotes investigation of psychological, linguistic, anthropological and geographic sciences, including human origins, archaeology and brain development and learning.
Invests in the study of how societies, organizations and economies function, including how decisions are made, how institutions function and how scientific and technological progress are pursued.
Collects and reports data on the science and engineering workforce, U.S. competitiveness in science and technology and the progress of education in these fields.
Cultivates interdisciplinary research and training in the social, behavioral and economic sciences, including capacity-building at minority-serving institutions, international collaborations and the ethical conduct of scientific research.
Prior to European arrival, the Maya peoples built a civilization in the inhospitable lowland jungles of Middle America. David Lentz, professor of biological sciences and executive director at the University of Cincinnati Center for Field Studies, joins to discuss his archeological findings from ancient Mayan cities.
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics is is tasked with providing objective data on the status of the science and engineering enterprise in the U.S. and other countries.
This report summarizes key indicators that assess the status of the science and engineering enterprise within the United States and illustrate the U.S. global position in multiple aspects of that enterprise.
This report provides high-level insights from multiple data sources into the diversity of the STEM workforce in the United States.
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