About CERSP
The Center for Explanatory Research and Scientific Prediction (CERSP) is a U.S.-based nonprofit research lab advancing a better understading of uncertainty in order to strengthen democratic futures. CERSP is an independent center dedicated to pioneering the systematic study of how prediction and explanation can be combined to re-strengthen democracy and society.
CERSP takes the future seriously by:
- Developing tools to explain under uncertainty
- Merging social science frameworks with predictive models
- Rethinking explanation vs. prediction in social science
- Strengthening democracy in the age of AI
CERSP Leadership
Chiara Binelli, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Programs Director
Dr. Binelli oversees CERSP’s methodological and interdisciplinary research agenda. Her work focuses on the foundations of explanatory and predictive social science, with leadership over the following programs:
· Predict to Explain - PTE
· Why Artificial Intelligence? - YAI
· Women in Data Science and Social Science - WINDS
Matthew Loveless, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Programs Director
Dr. Loveless leads CERSP’s research on democracy, political behavior, and future-oriented governance. His programmatic responsibilities include:
· Predict to Explain
· Democracy in the Future
James F. Downes, Ph.D.
Europe-Asia Program Director
Dr. Downes directs CERSP’s Europe–Asia research initiatives, with a focus on global politics, international relations and public policy. His programmatic responsibilities include:
· EU-China Relations
· Global and Far-Right Populism & Immigration in Europe
Long-term Vision
Prediction is reshaping science, business, and democracy, but we lack a dedicated center to study how people imagine and act on the future. CERSP will pioneer this field, combining rigorous social science, machine learning, and democratic engagement.
We seek Founding Partners to invest in a new way of using theory and data to inform collective decision-making. This CERSP team will also include data scientists, computer scientists, engineers, and support staff.
Today, we are looking for Founding Partners in building CERSP – a role with high visibility and long-term impact. Funders who join us at this stage will be investing not only in a new center, but in a new way of doing social science at a moment when prediction and uncertainty are reshaping every field.
Impact:
- Applied Prediction Projects: Partnerships with governments, NGOs, and businesses to test prediction in practice.
- Research & Publishing: Books, articles, and public talks that reframe explanation vs. prediction in social science.
- Talent Pipeline: Training postdocs and early-career data scientists to work at the intersection of theory and application.
Compliance Information
The Center for Explanatory Research and Scientific Prediction (CERSP) is a U.S.-based nonprofit [501(c)(3)].