McCourt School of Public Policy
McCourt School of Public Policy

COVID-19: McCourt Community Response Efforts

The central mission for a public policy school is to offer the education and tools to equip changemakers to develop impactful policy and collectively strengthen civil society. During times of uncertainty and complexity, the McCourt community is called to harness our collective evidence and expertise to contribute to COVID-19 response efforts.

The following resource highlights some of the ways the McCourt community is coming together in response to COVID-19 and will be updated on a weekly basis. For real-time updates and the latest news about McCourt’s global impact and community engagement efforts, follow the McCourt School on Twitter. 


Our future depends on our ability to work together across differences, and today our interdependencies are more obvious and urgent than ever.

Dean Maria Cancian, McCourt School of Public Policy

Subject Matter Experts

Economy and Labor Market
Health Insurance
Policy Evaluation
Education Policy

Faculty Research Projects and Initiatives

Andrew Zeitlin of the McCourt School of Public Policy is leading a partnership between gui2de and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), that seeks to understand the consequences of the COVID pandemic and associated lockdown for refugees and other vulnerable populations in Nairobi, Kenya. This work, involving two rounds of phone-based survey of over 500 individuals, will inform the International Rescue Committee’s programming to support this population through the pandemic and recovery period.

Jishnu Das of the McCourt School and SFS has been working with governments in India and Pakistan to understand the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic in the context of private and public health and education markets, and to provide advice on testing and management strategies. His work is part of the Global Advisory Council for the state of West Bengal in India.

Responses from Centers and Institutes

Many of McCourt’s research centers have been contributing information and resources to the general public and people on the frontlines. 

Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics)

After shifting all event operations to virtual programming, the Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School continues to host timely virtual forums including:

Massive Data Institute
McCourt’s Massive Data Institute, in collaboration with multiple institutions, is examining misinformation and other online health information sharing trends related to COVID-19. 

Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) 

CHIR created a resource center with updates on the latest news in private health insurance coverage to help state and federal policymakers, advocates, journalists, and consumers.
Working with Washington’s NPR station WAMU, CHIR also helped create a “Guide To Applying For Medicaid And Marketplace Insurance In The D.C. Region” and developed a frequently asked questions (FAQs) resource.
Research from CHIR was also cited in a recent piece from Marketplace discussing the increase in mental health spending in America as a result of COVID-19.

Center for Children and Families (CCF)

In response to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19, CCF developed a resource center to keep the wider community up to date on the latest in health coverage.

Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR)
McCourt’s CJJR created a resource that juvenile justice and child welfare practitioners can reference as they manage the current environment, and hosted two national webinars on the impact of COVID-19 on juvenile justice practice.. Additionally, CJJR Director Michael Umpierre recently shared insight in an LA Times article covering how families with children in the juvenile justice system have been impacted.

The Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership (CPNL)

The CPNL continues to share strategies and guidance for nonprofit leaders and organizations through the Leading in Times of Hyper Change content series. Read a recent article on what actions leaders at all levels can do to support teams in this time of unprecedented change.

Edunomics Lab
Edunomics Lab continues to share insight with districts, states, and reporters on how school systems will be affected by the COVID-19 response and economic downturn. Dr. Roza is facilitating a webinar series on what states and districts might consider as they make financial plans, and on the Brookings Institution’s Brown Center Chalkboard , she analyzed why education has become more susceptible to economic shifts, and what states and districts can do to put systems in better shape for the next downturn. Additionally, Edunomics has surfaced a series of relevant fiscal analyses for education leaders and policymakers from the previous economic crisis.

FutureEd
Future Ed created a resource that is updated daily and tracks state education legislation in relation to COVID-19. Additionally, they provide commentary and insight on:

The Government Affairs Institute (GAI)
GAI continues to provide education and training about congressional processes and practices. In a Washington Post interview , Senior Fellow Josh Huder shared insight on how Congress is continuing work in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Georgetown University Initiative on Innovation, Development and Evaluation (gui2de)
The gui2de team created a “COVID-19 Student Impact Survey ” to provide a space for students all over the world to share stories and experiences about the COVID-19 crisis.

National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH)
Staff at NCEMCH are working with partners to develop and disseminate resources for the public health workforce, community health centers, and families during this difficult time.

The Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW)
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has been researching the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on the workforce, higher education, students, and workers. CEW has proposed ideas to President DeGioia on higher education support sent to the American Council on Education for CARES Act policy recommendations and are publishing blog posts about COVID-related topics including a recent post about the work-from-home education divide .

The Center on Retirement Initiatives (CRI)
CRI Executive Director Angela Antonelli recently shared insight on ways to reduce financial fragility and protect retirement after COVID-19. Additionally, CRI launched a 4-part webinar series on how COVID’s economic fallout is affecting retirement security and published a resource on how to improve short-term financial stability while doing more to expand and protect long-term retirement security in the current economic environment.

Academic Expertise in the Media

Op-Eds:

Wisconsin’s vote in time of coronavirus is Republicans’ blueprint for November, The Guardian

6 Steps To Reduce Financial Fragility And Protect Retirement After COVID-19, Forbes

The COVID-19 Crisis Must Accelerate The Transformation Of Retirement Savings , Forbes

The Coronavirus Stimulus Is Playing Hard to Get, The New York Times

We need to invest in national service , The Hill

The economic costs of reopening too soon, The Hill,  April 20, 2020

Expertise in the Media: