January 2022

Dear Friends of Courage,

Without sustained research and education over many decades we would not currently have COVID vaccines, numerous effective cancer treatments, or a myriad of other life-sustaining medical advances. Research and education can be powerful investments in a better future. This is true for social ills like institutional betrayal as well as medical challenges. As Desmond Tutu famously noted: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in.” But the devil is in the details; it matters greatly what research questions are asked, how the research is conducted, and how that research is disseminated through education that actually reaches people outside the research community.

At Courage we are committed to advancing the world’s understanding of institutional courage and institutional betrayal through innovative, rigorous scientific research and generous, wide-reaching education. Our vision is a world in which institutions act courageously – with accountability, with transparency, actively seeking justice, and making changes where needed despite unpleasantness, risk, and short-term costs.

I’m excited to report that Courage is continuing to grow and increase our research and education capacity as we invest in a better, more courageous, future. Our growth includes the addition of three new members to our Board of Directors: Lori Nishiura Mackenzie (Board Director), Kim Scott (Board Director), and Lisa Howe Verhovek (Board Secretary). We are thrilled to welcome each of them to the Board, as each have unique talents and experience that will enrich Courage.

We have featured articles in past issues of The Courage Brief by and about both Lori Nishiura Mackenzie and Kim Scott. In this issue of The Courage Brief, Postdoctoral Fellow for Research and Education Dr. Sarah Harsey interviews Lisa Howe Verhovek about her background and passions for the work Courage has undertaken.

I am also pleased to announce that Courage has issued a call for letters of intent for a second funding cycle of the Institutional Courage Research Grant. The goal of this grant program is to fund research on institutional courage and institutional betrayal, with a particular interest in funding previously unstudied institutions and/or marginalized populations. We know that many of these promising and innovative projects would not be completed without our support. Courage grants are made possible by the generous support of Courage’s donors and supporters.

I hope you read about our Research Priorities, and list of previous grants funded, for current research questions that are high priority for Courage and examples of topics funded in our last cycle. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather provides some avenues for exploration that applicants might find useful to consider. I also hope you share and forward our call for letters of intent widely with friends, colleagues, or anyone who may be interested.

Thank you for being with us on this journey, and with appreciation,