Last week, the Iowa Board of Regents approved a new name and scope for the University of Iowa’s prominent hub for social science research. The Public Policy Center, and its subsidiary unit the Iowa Social Science Research Center, are being replaced by a new Center for Social Science Innovation. The reimagined center will serve as a central hub where social scientists including faculty, staff, and PhD students, can find a community of research support and resources.
Mark Berg, director of the unit since January 2023, will continue to lead the center’s operations. Berg is a professor and collegiate scholar in the Department of Sociology and Criminology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
“The social sciences have long been an important and highly regarded pillar of the teaching, research, and community outreach missions at the University of Iowa,” said Kristy Nabhan-Warren, associate vice president for research. “Under Professor Berg’s leadership, the refocused Center for Social Science Innovation will provide the research infrastructure needed to support social scientists as they explore 21st century issues affecting human welfare.”
The center’s restructuring was guided by an independent internal review committee and a transition team staffed by four faculty, including two associate deans for research.
“The reviewers identified several opportunities to reduce redundancies with other campus units and provide end-to-end resources for scholars to address longstanding and emerging societal challenges,” said Berg. “This new structure allows us to focus our energy, and deploy strategic resources to advance, support, and celebrate interdisciplinary social science research across our campus.”
As part of its mission to function as a dynamic community for social scientists, the center will implement a faculty affiliate program to create a diverse network of social science scholars on campus.
Four new core priority areas support the center’s mission: research incubation, survey and multimethodology research services, grant development, and dissemination.
Research Incubation
The center will host several major fellowships, consortium groups, workshops, and residency programs to catalyze research ideas. The programs are open to faculty, scientific staff, and graduate students.
A Researcher-in-Residence Program provides dedicated time and support for faculty and scientific staff to research topics of significant public interest. Participants in each cohort meet regularly to share updates, discuss roadblocks and resources, and give and receive feedback.
Megan Gilster, associate professor in the School of Social Work, participated in the program in summer 2024. “I think external accountability is always super helpful for faculty, and the structure that’s been created here in the program is fabulous for really making sure that we get the work done that we’re trying to do.”
Through a new Dissertation Completion Program, the center provides space and structure for doctoral students to complete their dissertation projects among a community of scholars. A Grant Writing Residency Program helps scholars advance their research projects through dedicated time to apply for and secure external funding. A new Summer Fellowship for Qualitative Research provides support to faculty and scientific staff developing qualitative research projects, including ethnography, historical and archival research, content analysis, case studies, action research, and mixed-method designs.
The center will also host research incubation workshops on topics such as the process of developing research questions, manuscript writing, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Survey Data Collection, Methodology, and Grant Services
As a part of its mission to serve the needs of campus, the center will continue to provide a full suite of research services. This includes survey and multimethodology research services and free workshops, grant development support, and for the first time, an in-house IRB liaison to help researchers navigate the complex regulatory environment.
“Our team is excited support clients on campus and beyond with a variety of high-quality services that include survey data collection and focus group moderation,” said Cassidy Branch, interim manager of research services. “We’re particularly looking forward to rolling out new data collection initiatives, one of which will offer faculty, research staff, and students access to a nationally representative survey panel on a recurring basis.”
A team led by Kristopher Ackerson, grant development manager, is available to review and edit grant proposals, provide budget management, host grant writing groups, and coordinate the submission of proposals with other institutional offices such as the Division of Sponsored Programs.
A fourth priority of CSSI is to communicate and disseminate the practical knowledge of social science research to the wider community which will be accomplished through a variety of mechanisms, including research symposiums, regular newsletters, collaborative connections to peer universities and outreach events. “These resources are strategically designed to cultivate a vibrant community for social scientists at the University of Iowa,” said Berg.
For more information about the Center for Social Science Innovation’s programs, visit their new website, cssi.research.uiowa.edu and sign up for their newsletter. The center reports to the Office of the Vice President for Research.