Acceptance speech: 18th Frontiers of Knowledge Awards in the Social Sciences

Acceptance speech by Kathleen Cagney, of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan, winner of the 2025 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences, who was honored alongside the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago for “their contributions to the objective and continuous measurement of public opinion and social life,” according to the award citation.

Cagney highlights the role of rigorous social sciences not only in describing reality, but also in anticipating transformations and revealing social dynamics that are not yet visible. She emphasizes that data-based research makes it possible to better understand the changes affecting people, communities and institutions, providing tools to interpret complex phenomena. She also underlines the predictive value of scientific evidence as a basis for guiding decisions and responding more precisely to social challenges.