Concentric Sky and the Promise Neighborhoods Research Consortium (PNRC) today announced the commencement of the Grand Opportunity project, an NIH anti-poverty GO grant program funded through the American Recovery and Re investment Act (ARRA). The project brings together a consortium of experts from around the country to implement the Obama Administration's "Promise Neighborhoods"
"The PNRC serves as a foundation for future anti-poverty programs and could be the most significant improvement in wellbeing ever accomplished in these neighborhoods,"
The PNRC project pulls together 15 of the most prominent prevention scientists in the nation - as well as prominent people from the behavioral sciences, evolutionary biology, and technology. Participants in the project include Carl Bell, Steven C. Hayes, and David Sloan Wilson.
"Many programs in use today have no evidence behind them and some are even counter-productive. And the majority have no measurement to find out if they should be replaced or used more widely, " said Dr. Dennis Embry of the Paxis Institute. "We are so excited to be promoting simple strategies that have effectiveness data, ease of monitoring and low, sustainable cost in the Consortium."
A primary goal of the PNRC is to measure the effectiveness of these existing anti-poverty programs and recommend new programs based on peer-reviewed research. The program also plans to develop community-based research initiatives to explore the use of evidence-based policies in high-poverty communities.
"The PNRC brings together some of the greatest minds in the country to tackle some of the nation's most serious social issues," said Concentric Sky CEO, Wayne Skipper of the project. "We're honored to be involved in such a noble effort."
About Concentric Sky
Concentric Sky offers high-end web development and consulting services with a focus on emerging technologies such as Social Media and the iPhone. Founded in 2005, the company has rapidly become a leader in the space, recently forging an exclusive development partnership with blog pioneer Mashable.com. Concentric Sky is based in Eugene, Oregon and consists of about 30 software engineers and technical professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.ConcentricSky.com
