By Megan McCue
The New Jersey State Policy Lab (NJSPL) is pleased to announce that we are funding seven new policy research projects covering a breadth of topics including maternal health care, micromobility transportation, and floodwater management. This marks the third call for proposals by the NJSPL, following a period of ad-hoc requests when the Policy Lab was initially launched. The seven research projects are as follows:
- E-Bike Rebates and Increased Ridership: Lessons Learned and Policy Recommendations for New Jersey, by Hannah Younes (Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers-New Brunswick)
- Enhancing Child Welfare Response to Family Violence: A Rigorous Evaluation of a Child Welfare Certificate Program in New Jersey, by Julia Cusano (School of Social Work, Rutgers-New Brunswick)
- An Experimental Survey of New Jersey Public Support for State Sentencing Reforms, by Colleen Berryessa (School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers-Newark)
- Historical Water Bodies, Combined Sewer Overflow, and Flood Vulnerability in New Jersey, by Jonathan DeLura (Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers-New Brunswick)
- The Impact of New Jersey’s Paid Family Leave Expansion on Maternal Health, by Slawa Rokicki (School of Public Health, Rutgers Health)
- Policy Research on Economic Challenges for Older New Jersey Residents, by Anita Franzione (Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers-New Brunswick) and Cathy Rowe (New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well)
- A Survey Exploring Regenerative Adaptation in New Jersey Agricultural Firms, by Garin Bulger (Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers-New Brunswick)
As always, the overarching goal of the New Jersey State Policy Lab is to expand understanding of policy issues impacting the state and to amplify policy recommendations – for policymakers, the public, and other key stakeholders. Our hope is that this work contributes to improving the quality of life for everyone who lives in New Jersey.
The New Jersey State Policy Lab gratefully acknowledges that our funding is provided by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. We were established as a collaboration between the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers-New Brunswick and the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark. The Principal Investigator of NJSPL is Stuart Shapiro, Dean of the Bloustein School. Charles Menifield (SPAA, Rutgers-Newark), Kelcie Ralph (Bloustein, Rutgers-New Brunswick), and Gregg Van Ryzin (SPAA, Rutgers-Newark) serve as co-Principal Investigators. We have a terrific team dedicated to our mission: Elizabeth Cooner is our Executive Director, Angie Le is the NJSPL’s postdoctoral associate, Kevin Majewski is the research manager of the Promising Practices Project, I am the NJSPL’s public relations specialist, and Candace Harrison is our administrative coordinator. In addition, we have a wealth of research affiliates and assistants that comprise our organization.
We hope you’ll visit the New Jersey State Policy Lab’s website, where you can learn more about our current projects, recent publications, and policy updates.
Megan McCue is the Public Relations Specialist for the New Jersey State Policy Lab and currently enrolled in the Master of Communication and Media program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information.