Frameworks Institute

Human rights, services and justice: Frameworks undertakes multiple projects in the areas of human rights, services, and justice. Researchers study how nonprofit organizations can help the public understand the criminal legal system and the need to reform it in the u.s., brazil, the netherlands, and the united kingdom. Frameworks has partnered with several global organizations to communicate the value of peace and peacebuilding as foreign policy strategies. Additionally, the Institute has conducted research in the u.s. and the united kingdom on affordable housing.

Children and families: Frameworks helps nonprofit organizations that serve children and families to discover and document the effects of frames on public views and attitudes, as well as translate the views of experts to their respective publics. The aim of this work is two-fold: to deepen public understanding of complex social problems and to help individuals better evaluate potential solutions to the tough challenges that confront many children and their families. Issues addressed range from early childhood development to child abuse prevention, child nutrition and oral health, adolescent development, criminal justice, foster care, and educational reform.

Health: Frameworks' research has taken place on a wide variety of issue areas, including children's mental and oral health, tobacco-related health disparities, social determinants of health, the intersection of public health and other sectors, community health, environmental health, health care, and public health informatics. Especially notable is our work on health equity in the u.s. and uk and on framing vaccines, including ongoing multi-year research into the ways in which mindsets around these issues have changed and continue to change over time.

Aging: eight of the nation's leading aging-focused organizations have formed an unprecedented partnership to create a better public understanding of older adults' needs and contributions to society and subsequently to improve the lives of all people as they age. This coalition includes aarp, the american federation for aging research, the american geriatrics society, the american society on aging, the gerontological society of america, grantmakers in aging, the national council on aging, and the national hispanic council on aging. Together they represent, and have direct access to, millions of older adults and thousands of individuals working in aging-related professions. Working collaboratively with Frameworks, the eight organizations address public perceptions of older adults: who they are, what issues affect them, how they contribute to society, and how society can best integrate their needs and contributions.

Cross-cutting: work in this area, along with that underwritten by general support, focus on intellectual inquiry and services that cross discrete issue-focused boundaries and are wide-ranging in impact.

Economy and equality: as income inequality continues to rise, people are paying more attention to its effects on the country's social, economic, and political systems. Discussions about ways to alleviate poverty, reduce inequity, promote economic mobility, and redefining the future of work are permeating policy circles, the media, and scholarly publications and Frameworks is actively engaged in research in all these areas.

Education: recognizing the challenge that nonprofit and public-sector leaders face in engaging the american public in meaningful education reforms, an influential group of philanthropic leaders came together to partner with the Institute in developing effective new ways of talking about this critical issue: a new core story of education. Frameworks offers workshops and on- line courses to help advocates use this research. Frameworks also works with the partnership for the future of learning in the shared story project, a collaborative effort to create a narrative shift that centers public education as a public good. Additionally, Frameworks has conducted research on family, school and community engagement in early childhood.

Workshops and presentations: Frameworks maintains an active schedule of presentations, briefings, and workshops, with over 200 each year. Topics cover a full array of social and scientific issues, ranging from early childhood development to climate and ocean change to immigration. Sessions range from one-hour presentations to day-long intensive workshops that take place over a period of weeks or months. Staff cover framing fundamentals as well as findings from specific framing initiatives; they explore key framing concepts and research recommendations; provide opportunities for participants to apply recommendations to their own communications practices; and explore the potential of strategic frame analysis in building issue coalitions.

Publications and curricula: Frameworks academy is Frameworks' online learning platform that contains multimedia classes on framing and its applications in a variety of areas. Among its many offerings are courses on framing science, technology, engineering, and math (stem) education, reframing elder abuse and framing for climate interpreters.

Environment: Frameworks delivers research that documents the shaping force of the environment on individual and group outcomes (e.g., the social determinants of health, gene- environment interaction, and food and fitness). Training and technical assistance are also provided to a multi-disciplinary network of professionals who promote public health and protect citizens from environmental hazards.