Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) Virtual Forum – 2024 Tornadoes

Members of the Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) network and potential collaborators are invited to join a Virtual Forum in response to recent tornadoes that have affected the central, southern, and eastern United States. The forum will be held on Tuesday, June 25, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Mountain Time.  

During this forum, participants will hear from those who are hoping to conduct or support social science-led, tornado-focused research. Specifically, we’ve invited practicing meteorologists and other professionals from affected regions to join us to share their early observations regarding critical research needs. We are also eager to learn more from social scientists who are planning or who have already launched studies in response to the recent tornado outbreaks.  

To support this research, we will provide an overview of our Call for Proposals for Tornado Ready Research and Data Publication. This call will fund tornado research and the publication of tornado-focused datasets and research instruments. We will prioritize proposals focused on places that house or serve socially marginalized populations, such as schools, nursing homes, correctional facilities, or manufactured homes. The program, which is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, offers awards ranging from $1,250 to $15,000. Proposals will be accepted through August 9, 2024. 

We hope you will join us if you are:   

• a locally-affected researcher in one of the states impacted by the recent tornadoes; 
• a social science researcher who has conducted prior research on tornadoes or who has launched an investigation in response to recent events;   
• a meteorologist or other practicing professional involved in tornado forecasting or recent post-tornado damage assessments;   
• interested in learning more about available resources to inform the ethical collection of perishable data, conducting emotionally challenging research, reciprocity in disaster research, and more. 
• a researcher planning to apply for funding through the Natural Hazards Center.   

If you have questions or would like to speak during this Virtual Forum, please contact Lori Peek at SSEER@colorado.edu. If you are new to hazards or disaster research, we hope you will access our CONVERGE Training Modules and Extreme Events Research Check Sheets.  

We will record this online meeting and post written updates, questions, and comments on the CONVERGE Virtual Forum page. If you are a social scientist who has not yet joined the SSEER network, please sign up.  

Our thoughts are with the people whose lives and communities have been affected by the recent tornadoes. Our hope is that the research generated in response to these calls can help reduce future harm and suffering from tornadoes and other natural hazards.