Siegel Family Endowment Renews Support for CSMaP Research

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Siegel Family Endowment has renewed its support of NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP). The gift, which is part of $3.25 million in grants to 10 institutions, will support our work conducting rigorous research, advancing evidence-based public policy, and training the next generation of scholars.

“Siegel was one of our very first funders when we launched in 2019, and we are beyond grateful for their continued partnership and support,” said Zeve Sanderson, Executive Director of CSMaP. “Social media and digital technology have transformed our society and presented urgent challenges to democratic governance. As policymakers reshape laws governing the online sphere, it’s critical that these policies are informed by high-quality empirical evidence. Siegel’s support enables and enhances our work to understand politics, improve the public conversation, and strengthen democracy in the digital age.”

In addition to funding our research, Siegel continues to support CSMaP through its Siegel Research Fellows Program, which supports early-career scholars exploring the impact of technology on society. 

Tiago Ventura, a CSMaP postdoctoral fellow, will join the 2022-2023 cohort of Siegel Research Fellows, where he’ll continue his work exploring substantive issues on political communication and political behavior. He follows Kevin Aslett, a former CSMaP postdoctoral fellow and current Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida, who was part of the inaugural cohort of Siegel Research Fellows in 2021-22.

“Over the course of this fellowship, I made important connections with other scholars and received valuable feedback on my own work,” said Aslett. “By engaging me with diverse perspectives outside of my own subfield, this fellowship significantly improved how I communicate my research and increased the impact of my work.”

As part of this program, CSMaP is also working closely with Siegel to host a mult-day in person event for fellows at New York University’s campus in 2023.