The Center for Decision Research periodically hosts conferences featuring research on special topics in decision research of timely import. For example, in 2009 the CDR hosted Capitalism without Poverty, a symposium to facilitate a dialogue and exchange of ideas among experts across multiple disciplines to promote innovative, cutting-edge thinking about effective ways to alleviate poverty.
In 2008, the CDR hosted Using Human Nature to Improve Human Life, a preconference to examine how basic knowledge about human nature (fundamental motives, habits, biases, limitations, etc.) can be used to improve individual and social welfare.