Faculty Research Our researchers conduct path-breaking research across the hard and social sciences, publishing hundreds of academic research papers each year. Below are research briefs highlighting a sampling of their work from 2020 to 2021. Breadcrumb Home About Annual Reports Annual Report 2021 Our Faculty Faculty Research Annual Report History Strategic Pillars Leadership Administrative Offices Princeton Community Annual Reports Annual Report 2021 Our Faculty Hellos, Goodbyes, Congratulations Faculty Research Faculty Awards & Recognition Faculty Books & Awards Centers & Programs Our Students Public Affairs Programming Public Service Reimagining Robertson Addressing Systemic Racism Telling Our Story Bernstein Gallery Centers & Programs Jul 02, 2020 Global Threats: How Lessons from Covid-19 Can Prevent Environmental Meltdown Epidemiologists highlighted the dangers of Covid-19 in its early stages, but their warnings went largely ignored until rising infection rates forced… Jul 21, 2020 Tracking Misinformation Campaigns in Real-Time Is Possible, Study Shows A research team led by Princeton University has developed a technique for tracking online foreign misinformation campaigns in real time, which… Aug 17, 2020 Society Perceives the Poor as “Hardened,” Less Affected By Distress Than Those With More Means Negative life events can cause crippling distress, significant hardships, and even lifelong trauma. The poor are perceived to be “hardened” by these… Oct 12, 2020 Tighter Border Policies Leave Migrants Vulnerable to Effects of Climate Change Open Borders Strengthen Developing Countries Economically As the planet continues to warm, people living in the world’s most vulnerable regions —… Nov 16, 2020 People in Developing Countries Eat Less Bushmeat as They Migrate from Rural to Urban Areas People around the world, especially in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, consume wild game, or bushmeat, whether out of… Nov 30, 2020 Covid-19 Shutdowns Disproportionately Affected Low-Income Black Households The alarming rate at which Covid-19 has killed Black Americans has highlighted the deeply embedded racial disparities in the U.S. health care system… Dec 11, 2020 Polarization Increases with Economic Decline, Becoming Cripplingly Contagious The rise of populist movements is changing political systems around the world. As support for these “anti-elite” movements intensifies, many are… Jan 04, 2021 Data-Driven Model Provides Projections of a 21st Century Urban Climate Cities only occupy about 3% of the Earth’s total land surface, but they bear the burden of the human-perceived effects of global climate change. Yet,… Feb 11, 2021 Diversity in Policing Can Improve Police-Civilian Interactions The recent killings of Black Americans have reignited calls for policing reform, including proposals to diversify police departments, which have… Aug 10, 2020 Online Political Manipulation Efforts Persist in Russia, China, and the Middle East As technology becomes more advanced and accessible, its role on the global political stage has increased — for better or worse. While the internet… Mar 08, 2021 Life Expectancy Falling for Adults Without a Bachelor’s Degree Life expectancy in the United States dropped in 2020 due to COVID-19, but, for American adults without a college degree, an increase in mortality… Mar 10, 2021 Outbreak of a Rare, Polio-like Syndrome Likely Prevented or Postponed by Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions Social distancing not only helped slow the spread of COVID-19 — it also may have prevented the transmission of an outbreak of a rare polio-like… Apr 01, 2021 East Asian Development Banks are Now Largest Public Financiers of Global Power Sector, Particularly Coal While the World Bank and other multilateral development banks are increasingly investing in renewable technologies and phasing out coal power… Apr 12, 2021 Common Approach to Diversity in Higher Education Reflects Preferences of White Americans Increasing diversity remains a key priority at universities, especially in the wake of mass demonstrations in support of racial equality in 2020… Apr 15, 2021 COVID-19 Reduces Access to Opioid Dependency Treatment for New Patients COVID-19 has been associated with increases in opioid overdose deaths, which may be in part because the pandemic limited access to buprenorphine, a… May 25, 2021 Keeping More Ammonium in Soil Could Decrease Pollution, Boost Crops Modern-day agriculture faces two major dilemmas: how to produce enough food to feed the growing human population and how to minimize environmental… Jun 01, 2021 Overconfidence in News Judgment is Associated with False News Susceptibility People who falsely believe they are able to identify false news are more likely to fall victim to it, according to a study published in Proceedings… Jun 15, 2021 Americans are Unaware of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technology, According to a New Study Capturing carbon at the smokestack is a promising way to combat climate change, but the majority of Americans are unfamiliar with the technology,… Feb 16, 2021 Despite Sea-Level Rise Risks, Migration to Some Threatened Coastal Areas May Increase In coming decades as coastal communities around the world are expected to encounter sea-level rise, the general expectation has been that people’s… Jun 17, 2021 Communication Technology, Study of Collective Behavior Must Be ‘Crisis Discipline,’ Researchers Argue The ability to confront global crises, from pandemics to climate change, relies on how people interact with and share information. Social media and… Jun 24, 2021 Updated Analysis of U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Shows Drops, Disparities in Average Lifespans An updated analysis of American COVID-19 deaths throughout 2020 reveals an even bigger drop in average life expectancy as well as still… Jun 10, 2021 A Better Understanding of “Wet Markets” is Key to Safeguarding Human Health, Biodiversity Great uncertainty surrounds the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Early on, some suggested a link between COVID-19 and a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Other… Research Briefs Take a deeper dive into more of our faculty's research. Read More