GunsRAND to help oversee high-quality research on gun violence

The RAND Corporation has been selected to help oversee a philanthropic fund that will support high-quality research on issues related to gun violence.

The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research is a creation of the Houston-based Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF), which has pledged $20 million to the effort and will seek an additional $30 million from other philanthropic groups.

RAND says that over the next five years, research sponsored by the collaborative will seek data-driven answers on the causes and patterns of gun-related violence in the United States. Based on scientific evidence, the work will help policymakers craft evidence-based policies to reduce gun violence.

“Understandably, gun violence is a deeply emotional issue. But arguing about the proper response will not solve the problem. Our goal is to provide objective information to guide a rational, fact-based response to a national crisis,” said Laura Arnold, co-chair of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. “We need data, not politics or emotion, to drive our decisions.”

The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research will oversee the dissemination of key research findings to a wide variety of audiences.

RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group, says it was chosen to help administer the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research because of RAND’s deep technical knowledge of gun policy science and its ongoing Gun Policy in America initiative, a project designed to establish a shared set of facts on gun policy that will improve public discussions and support the development of fair and effective policies.

“Discussions about the best ways to reduce gun violence—suicides, injuries, and homicides—should be based on facts and rigorous, objective analysis,” said Michael D. Rich, president and CEO of RAND. “The National Collaborative is an important step toward building the evidence base needed for constructive debates and effective policymaking.”