Human and Social Dynamics (HSD)

The Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) priority area fosters breakthroughs in understanding the dynamics of human action and development, as well as knowledge about organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation and change. HSD aims to increase our collective ability to (1) understand the complexities of change; (2) understand the dynamics of human and social behavior at all levels, including that of the human mind; (3) understand the cognitive and social structures that create, define, and result from change; and (4) manage profound or rapid change, and make decisions in the face of changing risks and uncertainty. Accomplishing these goals requires multidisciplinary research teams and comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches across the sciences, engineering, education, and humanities, as appropriate.

The FY 2008 competition will include three emphasis areas (Agents of Change; Dynamics of Human Behavior; and Decision Making, Risk and Uncertainty). HSD encourages projects investigating complexity and systems thinking, with a goal of revealing the emergent properties of dynamic systems. HSD also encourages projects identifying human drivers of environmental change and exploring the consequences of environmental change on humans. Such research is central in equipping us to handle the most pressing environmental problems for our nation and the world.