As part of our process [1] for choosing focus areas [2], we’ve investigated a number of causes. This page lists all of the public writeups we have available from such investigations. More information on the role of these investigations is here [3].

Policy

Shallow

• Advocacy for Improved or Increased U.S. Foreign Aid [4]
• Alcohol Taxation [5]
• Anthropogenic Climate Change [6]
• Broadband Policy [7]
• Cannabis Policy [8]
• Federal Tax Reform [9]
• Increasing the Supply of Organs for Transplantation in the U.S. [10]
• International Labor Mobility [11]
• Land Use Reform [12]
• Software Patent Reform [13]
• Treatment of Animals in Industrial Agriculture [14]
• U.S. Health Care Reform [15]

Medium-depth

• Criminal Justice Reform [16]
• Macroeconomic Policy [17]

Global catastrophic risks

Shallow

• Anthropogenic Climate Change [6]
• Atomically Precise Manufacturing [18]
• Artificial Intelligence [19]
• Biosecurity [20]
• Detection of Near-Earth Asteroids [21]
• Geomagnetic Storms [22]
• Global Catastrophic Risks (in general) [23]
• Governance of Solar Radiation Management [24]
• Large Volcanic Eruptions [25]
• Nuclear Weapons Policy [26]

Shallow investigations conducted by others

• Improving Disaster Shelters to Increase the Chances of Recovery from a Global Catastrophe [27]

Medium-depth

• Geoengineering Research [28] (see also our blog post on the topic [29])
• Research and Development to Decrease Biosecurity Risks from Viral Pathogens [30]

Scientific research

Shallow

• Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases [31]

Medium-depth

• Animal Product Alternatives [32]
• Mechanisms of Aging [33]
• Open Science [34]

International development

Shallow

• Aid to Fragile and Conflict-Affected States [35]
• Environment for Business in Low-Income Countries [36]
• Improving Funding Allocation within HIV/AIDS Programs in Developing Countries [37]
• Infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa [38]
• Seasonal Migration within Low-Income Countries [39]
• Tobacco Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries [40]
• Traffic Safety in Low- and Middle-Income Countries [41]

Medium-depth

• South Asian Air Quality [42]

Other

Shallow

• Antibiotic Resistance [43]
• Attendance of Selective Colleges amongst High-Performing, Low-Income Students [44]
• Autonomous Vehicles [45]