IPR - Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University

MISSION
The mission of the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is to stimulate and support excellent
social science research on significant public policy issues and to disseminate the findings
widely—to students, scholars, policymakers, and the public at large.
IPR faculty are committed and well-positioned to apply
their interdisciplinary research capabilities to many
significant policy issues that relate to the economic and
social well-being of the United States. These include
implementing welfare reform in a way that strengthens
families and promotes positive child development;
reforming our education system; understanding the
causes of increasing income disparity between classes
and races and developing policies to offset those
differences; involving communities in innovative
responses to combat crime; understanding the impact of
the nation’s racial and ethnic
diversity; and examining
issues of social disparities
and health at the population
level.
< Fellows and Funding
The Institute’s 33 faculty
fellows and 58 faculty
associates represent 24
departments in seven of the
University’s schools. They
collaborate with research
associates, visiting scholars,
graduate students, and
undergraduates on research
projects and participate in colloquia, conferences, and
workshops. Support for these activities comes from the
University, grants from local and national foundations,
government agencies, corporations, and gifts.
< Dissemination
The Institute disseminates its faculty research through a
newsletter, www.northwestern.edu/ipr, working papers,
and a noontime colloquium series. IPR also organizes
special events, including conferences, policy briefings,
lectures, and workshops.
< Research Programs
Research at the Institute takes place within the
following eight research areas:
• Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies
• Poverty, Race, and Inequality
• Education Policy
• Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
• Politics, Institutions, and Public Policy
• Social Disparities and Health
• Quantitative Methods for Policy Research
• Urban Policy and Community Development
< Student Training
IPR faculty serve as major advisers for doctoral
candidates as well as for undergraduates. Hundreds of
graduate students have been supported through the
Institute’s graduate research assistants program.
Undergraduate students participate in IPR’s Summer
Undergraduate Research Assistants Program and gain
experience in how to conceptualize and conduct policyrelevant
social science research. Following a weeklong
program in statistical computing, they participate
in a range of projects, such as setting up databases,
conducting fieldwork on racial and social inequities,
and creating protocols for obtaining medical records.
2
IPR faculty are committed and well-positioned to apply their interdisciplinary
research capabilities to many significant policy issues that
“relate to the economic and social well-being of the United States.
”