Institute for Social Research

As the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization, the Institute for Social Research (ISR) is a leader in developing and applying new social science methods and is committed to educating the next generation of social scientists.

News & Events

Black progress in real time—public art from Rick Lowe informed by U-M social research

Rick Lowe,
Lowe, a MacArthur Fellow and artist in residence at the U-M Institute for Social Research, has decades of experience creating meaningful community-based arts projects. But upon learning about the multitrillion dollar contribution of the Black community to the U.S. economy each year, Lowe began thinking about how to gather, understand and represent that data in a way that could give the information life. Learn more about Black progress in real time—public art from Rick Lowe informed by U-M social research >

October 21, 2026

Caregiving gap grows as women devote more years to aging adults

ANN ARBOR—Women in the United States can expect to provide seven years of care over their lifetimes to… >>

October 15, 2026

Whatcha lookin’ at? Social anxiety heightens brain sensitivity to others’ gaze

Ever catch someone looking your way and wonder what they’re thinking? For people with social anxiety, that moment… >>

October 13, 2026

Your chances of Alzheimer’s disease vary based on where you live. Why is that?

Federally funded University of Michigan research will search for answers—and prevention possibilities—in data from 20 countriesWhat’s the study:… >>
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ISR Insights Speaker Series

ISR Insights Speaker Series

Discover groundbreaking research on timely social issues at the ISR Insights Speaker Series. Join us as ISR researchers take the stage to share their insights in captivating talks.

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Research

ISR serves as a national laboratory advancing understanding of human behavior through empirical research. More than 300 scientists are affiliated with one or more of our research centers. Their work provides the foundation for the Institute’s legacy of social science in the public interest.

Karen E. Nielsen

Karen Emily Nielsen

RESEARCH FELLOW, RESEARCH CENTER FOR GROUP DYNAMICS, INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL...

Barbara A Anderson

Barbara A Anderson

RONALD FREEDMAN COLLEGIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AND POPULATION STUDIES,...

Richard Gonzalez

Richard D Gonzalez

AMOS N TVERSKY COLLEGIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND STATISTICS,...

Mara Cecilia Ostfeld

Mara Cecilia Ostfeld

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PUBLIC POLICY, ADJUNCT LECTURER IN PUBLIC...

Elif Isbell

Elif Isbell

ADJUNCT RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, INTER-UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM FOR...

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Training & Opportunities

ISR is committed to training the next generation of social scientists, and to providing the highest quality continuing education to professionals working in the fields of survey research and data analysis.

Organizational Projects

  • Strong, impactful social science research requires diverse cadres of scholars who can fully engage in all aspects of the research process.
  • The high quality social science at ISR requires teams composed of staff and faculty whose contributions are understood to be equally valuable.
  • We believe in a responsibility to share social science research resources broadly with scholars who are members of groups that are underrepresented in academic research.
Maggie Hicken with the interns

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