THE MISSION
The Love Consortium is a digitally-connected community of researchers engaged in the advanced scientific study of high-quality social connections. Love Consortium members aspire to facilitate such research through collaborative opportunities that emerge from archived data. The Love Consortium Advisory Board, with support from members, facilitates the two core aspects of the mission: fostering connections among researchers and advancing the science.
Values
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Scientific innovation, rigor, and integrity
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Inclusion and open-mindedness
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Future-orientation
On Inclusion
Strategies
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Supporting rigorous research
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Training the next generation
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Outreach to foster and support collaborations
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Growth: evaluating processes, identifying lessons and opportunities, improving processes
We are committed to understanding human connection across all contexts and from the perspective of all identities. We aspire to facilitate collaborations among researchers from diverse backgrounds as well as advance the science of social relationships across race, ethnicity, gender, age, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, identity, and experience. The Love Consortium is for everyone.
THE PEOPLE
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Sara Algoe, Ph.D., Director
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Emily Impett, Ph.D.
University of Toronto-Mississauga
Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Shelly Gable, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.
Nickola Overall, Ph.D.
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Andrea Hussong, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Harry Reis, Ph.D.
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York, U.S.A.
PROGRAM STAFF
Laura Kurtz, Ph.D.
Program Manager
Angela Paige
Science Communications
and Events Coordinator
Patrick Turner
Public Communications Specialist
RESEARCH STAFF
Alexis Cameron
Research Assistant
Kylie Chandler
Graduate Student Representative
Zoe Hansen
Graduate Student Representative
Tatum Jolink
Graduate Student Representative
Emily Le
Research Assistant
Brett A. Murphy, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
UNC’s Odum Institute Data Archive
FUNDING
TLC TIMELINE
The early seeds for The Love Consortium were planted around 2014. The Replicability Movement was putting the squeeze on junior investigators in relationship research, who required bigger sample sizes and more samples, yet had few resources to collect these expensive and time-consuming data; meanwhile, senior investigators had “extra” data on hand from prior studies and an interest in using it but no way to share that information. And more and more evidence was coming to light about the value of finding and maintaining high-quality, caring relationships (e.g., Holt-Lunstad, Smith, and Layton, 2010 ).
The Love Consortium capitalizes on technology to present a win-win-win solution for scholars interested in joining research in this area, for Principal Investigators, and for the field.
2016: Survey of relationship researchers confirms an overwhelming interest in a centralized data sharing and collaboration platform
2018:
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Foundational funding is secured through the John Templeton Foundation to create The Love Consortium Dataverse (TLCDv) and build the TLC network
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Board of Directors is formed; begins developing the mission, values, and planned activities of The Love Consortium
2019:
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The Love Consortium Inaugural Meeting and the first in-person meeting of the Board of Directors held in Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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2 in-person events @ International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) Conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada:
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Trainee Workshop on the Science of Love
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Pre-Conference Workshop
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2020:
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First TLC staff member is hired!
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First cohort of 10 graduate student Love Fellows (2020-2021) are awarded research grants and begin work on their projects
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3 virtual events hosted:
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TLC Community Event
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What Is Love?
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Harnessing Gratitude for Good
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2021:
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Second cohort of 10 graduate student Love Fellows (2021-2022) are awarded research grants and begin work on their projects
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Second grant is funded through the John Templeton Foundation to support research on a new measure of love in the moment and interdisciplinary meetings related to this topic
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3 virtual events are hosted:
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Open Questions in Compassion Research
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Inaugural TLC Love Conference
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Cultural Considerations in the Science of Love
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2022:
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Third grant is funded through the John Templeton Foundation to build a global gratitude dataverse and network
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First in-person TLC Love Conference hosted in Durham, NC, USA
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7 junior scholars from underrepresented backgrounds with an interest in the science of love and social connection are awarded travel funding to attend TLC Love Conference
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1 additional virtual event is hosted: Love and Sex Virtual Symposium
2023:
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TLCDv Postathon is hosted @ Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Conference in Atlanta, GA, USA
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10 junior scholars from underrepresented backgrounds with an interest in the science of love and social connection are awarded travel funding to attend SPSP Conference