spotlights & events

bspa hosts a range of annual events aimed at fostering networking within the behavioral science and policy communities. Spotlight workshops bring policymakers, practitioners and scientists together to brainstorm various research ‘best-practices’ and topic areas

JOIN US at the

2025 Behavioral Science & Policy Association 
Online Conference

 May 1-2, 2025 (11-5 EST)

The theme for this year’s conference is: Applying Behavioral Science in your Own Backyard, and we have a star-studded line-up led by our conference co-chairs, Abby Sussman (University of Chicago) and Denise Rousseau (Carnegie Mellon University).

Highlights include:

Keynote – Fireside Chat: International Development Without a Federal Mandate
Nicholas Kristof – NY Times columnist, best-selling author, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
Dean Karlan – Former Chief Economist of USAID, Professor of Economics & Finance at Northwestern University

• Keynote Panel: Injecting Behavioral Science Insights for Health Care Policy
(David Asch, Sally Welborn & Kevin Volpp )
• Panel Discussion: Experimenting in your Organization
(Jennifer Kurkoski, Elizabeth Linos, Vickie Pisowicz, Jessie Wisdom )
• Panel Discussion: Behavioral Aspects of Policing
(Jens Ludwig, Roger Mayer, David Schoorman, Tom Tyler)
• Panel Discussion: Scaling & Implementation of Behavioral Interventions
(Emily Cardon, Louise Connell, Stefano DellaVigna, Dean Fixsen, Scott Young)
• Book Panel: Morality & Polarization
(Michael Morris, Dave Nussbaum, Steven Sloman, Leor Zmigrod)
• Topic-focused Sessions
(Tina Christie, Matthew Cronin, Carrie Leana, Emma Levine, Jeffrey Linder, Katherine White,)

…and many more lightning round speakers.

MORE INFORMATION AGENDA REGISTER HERE

Spotlight Workshops

Our Spotlight workshops bring policymakers, practitioners and scientists together to brainstorm various research ‘best-practices’ and topic areas in a local setting. Topics such as energy, pre-K education, health and financial decision making can drive the agenda; alternatively, these working groups can coalesce around local government priorities in order to facilitate actionable insights being put into practice on a state or municipal level.

Does your research institution have a pressing research priority that would welcome a behavioral science lens? We can help! BSPA convenes ‘spotlight’ sessions where we help support your agenda while providing a vehicle for publication.
Whether in the public sector or a government division, we welcome the opportunity to partner. Let us know what spotlights you are interested in pursuing and together we can help support your agenda
From the private sector and interested in co-hosting a spotlight workshop with us? Get in touch! We’re always interested in a fresh perspective on issues that you care about, as you seek to develop a behavioral science capability in your organization
Want to set a research agenda for behavioral science? Send us ideas for partnership to [email protected]!
Have an idea for a spotlight proposal? Download our RFP to find out more about our work in this space!
Upcoming spotlights include ‘Safe Driving’ with the University of Kansas, and Health Equity with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Have a research interest in either of these topics? Let us know so that we can be sure to include you in the invitation and call for papers

Event Highlights

Become a Member

There is a growing movement among public and private sector leaders to help bridge the divide between behavioral research and policy. We are a key part of this movement — as an information hub and as a community builder, fostering collaboration and connecting those applying behavioral science to specific problems for the greater good. We need you to join us in making this effort have a lasting impact.

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