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

Neighborhood by neighborhood: Mapping what shapes healthy aging

a park with trees
With an $11 million award from the National Institute on Aging, University of Michigan researchers will build and share national data that track how neighborhood conditions change over time, helping scientists study how local environments affect older adults' health. Learn more about Neighborhood by neighborhood: Mapping what shapes healthy aging >

September 25, 2026

Trade tensions, high prices and interest rates drive slip in consumers’ outlook

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment ticked down less than four index points in September, reaching the lowest reading in four… >>

September 24, 2026

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

20 new works in Lowe’s largest U.S. solo exhibit to-date, ‘Black Wall Street Journey: Re and De Imagining… >>

September 18, 2026

Social Science and Journalism fellow to make first campus visit

ANN ARBOR — The 2026-27 James S. House and Wendy Fisher House Social Science and Journalism Fellow will… >>
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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.

Ethan F Kross

Ethan F Kross

PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS,...

Esther Friedman

Esther M Friedman

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SURVEY RESEARCH CENTER AND FACULTY...

Mark Dincecco

Mark Dincecco

PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, DIRECTOR GRADUATE STUDIES, POLITICAL...

William Axinn

William G Axinn

PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS,...

David A Lam

David A Lam

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF ECONOMICS, COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE...

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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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