New Jersey State Policy Lab

Researchers Nicholas Imperato DO, MPH and Kamini Doobay with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School have begun to hold meetings with community organizations, social workers, and care navigators to better understand the real-life experiences and challenges in addressing #health insurance literacy. From these meetings with #care management staff, the team has learned that most hospitals do not currently have many forms or resources on hand specific to health insurance to provide patients when being discharged. Participants also stressed that there are large portions of patients who are covered by #Medicaid but unknowingly have their coverage lapse because instructions to reapply are difficult to obtain. #healthinsurance #literacy #healthcare #hospital #nursing Rutgers Health Rutgers School of Public Health Rutgers School of Health Professions Rutgers School of Nursing

The New Jersey Assembly unanimously approved a bill barring #sportsgambling companies from advertising or partnering with public colleges and universities in an effort to address #mentalhealth and #financial risks associated with #gambling #addiction; Gov. Phil Murphy presented his final annual #budget to the Legislature for fiscal year 2026; Read more in today's #newsletter and #subscribe:

Did you know that more than half of college students have taken fewer courses or avoided taking a particular course to reduce textbook costs? The steep and rising cost of course materials represents a serious financial burden for students - at Rutgers and nationwide. Rutgers University Libraries are now accepting applications for our Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Program. Through this program, we award research funds to Rutgers University faculty who redesign their courses to use free or low-cost materials or who create a new open textbook. More info: https://lnkd.in/eyvaGXEs University Academic Affairs at Rutgers University Rutgers University–New Brunswick Rutgers University - Newark Rutgers University - Camden Rutgers Health

Last week, in commemoration of #BlackHistoryMonth, Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way announced the release of the state's?Wealth Disparity Task Force report, "New Jersey - Building a State of Opportunity: A Report of the Wealth Disparity Task Force to Close Opportunity Gaps and Repair Structural Disparities." The New Jersey State Policy Lab was honored to contribute research supporting the task force's #report, including analyses of data, literature reviews, and comprehensive reports in response to #research questions posed by the task force's working groups. Stuart Shapiro, Charles Menifield, and Elizabeth Cooner, Ed.D. met with the task force at various points during its work, and the NJSPL coordinated faculty and student researchers who provided the working groups with reports on wealth disparities’ impacts on #education,?#housing,?#health, criminal justice, and the?#economy. Each research area was overseen by a faculty advisor—Vandeen Campbell, Ph.D. supported education research, Eric Seymour contributed housing research, Ellen T. Kurtzman, PhD, prepared health research, Frank Edwards and Michael Ostermann offered insights regarding criminal justice research, James DeFilippis compiled research related to shared equity homeownership, and Ronald Quincy provided guidance related to the historical underpinnings of wealth disparities in the state. Jermaine Toney and Dawne Marie Mouzon provided economic and health disparities research they each had conducted, respectively. These researchers encompass areas of expertise from Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University - School of Criminal Justice, and Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences. Additionally, we greatly appreciate the contributions of several undergraduate and graduate students who offered research assistance such as literature reviews, analyses, and report writing for each working group of the task force. Notably, a former New Jersey State Policy Lab teaching assistant and one of our interns were contributors to the final report—Breanna Danielle Brock, MA and Maia Hill, MPP, who served as research interns and fellows for the Wealth Disparity Task Force.

In commemoration of #BlackHistoryMonth, the state of New Jersey has released the Wealth Disparity Task Force's report the causes of, and remedies for, longstanding wealth disparities affecting Black and Latino New Jerseyans. The New Jersey State Policy Lab is proud to have contributed toward the research within this report, along with research affiliates and associates including Ronald Quincy, Breanna Danielle Brock, MA, and Maia Hill, MPP.

The New Jersey State Policy Lab and SPIA in NJ with the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs will be hosting the second annual #Policy Collaboratory at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development on April 10th from 12pm to 5pm. This collaborative event will welcome graduate students from Princeton University and Rutgers University to work together and brainstorm various solutions to address #affordablehousing challenges in the Garden State. Registration is limited and required. Please only register if you intend to attend in person. Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration

The New Jersey State Policy Lab and SPIA in NJ with the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs will be hosting the second annual #Policy Collaboratory at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development on April 10th from 12pm to 5pm. This collaborative event will welcome graduate students from Princeton University and Rutgers University to work together and brainstorm various solutions to address #affordablehousing challenges in the Garden State. Registration is limited and required. Please only register if you intend to attend in person. Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration

Science & Policy in Action February was a busy and exciting month for the Eagleton Science and Politics Program! Scientists across our community engaged deeply with policy—whether at the state level or at national conferences. Here's a quick recap: ?? Engaging Future Leaders: Shin-Yi Lin (Science Fellow ‘20) spoke with the Science and Policy Learning Cohort at Princeton, sharing insights from her journey in science policy. ?? State-Level AI Governance at AAAS:?At the AAAS Annual Meeting, former Science and Politics Program Director Anna M. Dulencin, PhD moderated the panel “A Roadmap for State-Level Governance.” The discussion featured Rita Allen Foundation Civic Science Fellow at Eagleton, Dr. Michael Akinwumi, who introduced his AI governance system. Also during the meeting, Rutgers University - Camden Data Scientist Ojobo Agbo Eje, B.Eng, MBA presented his poster on the State AI Preparedness Index, a project supported in part by the New Jersey State Policy Lab. ?? Learn more here:?https://lnkd.in/etk4_r6X ?? AAAS Mini-CASE Workshop: Lead by Tobin Smith from the Association of American Universities (AAU), participants received an overview of the material covered in the AAAS CASE Workshop and learned about The Whole Foods vs. Cracker Barrel indicator and its use as a lens for understanding political and cultural divides in American society, highlighting how geography correlates with voting behavior. ?? Science Fellows in Action: The Science Fellows are in Annapolis today with Eagleton's Graduate Fellows, immersing themselves in the Maryland legislative process and gaining firsthand experience in state policymaking. From hands-on statehouse learning to national discussions on AI and policy, February underscored how scientists are stepping into policy spaces to drive meaningful change. #februaryrecap #science #policy #AAASannualmeeting #AI #government #technology #annapolis #SciencefortheCommonGood

In New Jersey, there are 564 municipalities and 105 separate authorities and agencies that administer housing assistance, making it difficult to form a comprehensive picture of New Jersey's #housing landscape. Researchers Ayse Akincigil and Uri Amir Koren from the Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration with the Rutgers School of Social Work, and with support from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, have addressed this gap by compiling a #database and interactive map of all housing apartments available for older adults with low income in the Garden State, which is available to view now. #affordablehousing #lowincomehousing #seniorhousing #retirement

The NJ Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced a slate of bills to strengthen state #firearm restrictions; Gov. Murphy allocated $3M in the 2026 #budget proposal to support school districts' #cellphoneban; the Assembly Labor Committee has advanced a bill to mandate heat protections for workers. Subscribe to the weekly NJ State Policy Lab #newsletter today: