Welcome from the Director
Dear CSSI Community,
The social sciences have long been a cornerstone of excellence at the University of Iowa. Nearly a year ago, the Iowa Board of Regents approved the establishment of the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI), which is housed in the Office of the Vice President for Research. CSSI represents a strategic investment in the social sciences on campus, providing researchers with the infrastructure needed to accelerate discoveries that address complex issues in human welfare.
CSSI advances its mission through four core areas: Research Incubation, Multimethodology Research Services, Grant Development, and Communication and Dissemination. These areas empower CSSI to support rigorous social science research, secure external funding, and elevate the University of Iowa’s reputation as a leader in scholarship.
In its inaugural year, CSSI has launched new research incubation programming, hosted several methodological workshops, facilitated numerous grant submissions, and provided a variety of research design supports to faculty, staff, and students. CSSI has emerged as a community for interdisciplinary collaboration, connecting researchers across colleges and centers. With an expanding network of Researcher Affiliates, CSSI is building a vibrant university-wide hub dedicated to high-impact social science research.
CSSI is poised to build on this strong foundation and advance even greater innovation and collaboration in the coming year. We encourage you to review this report to learn more about our achievements and the resources available to the social science community.
Sincerely,
Director, Center for Social Science Innovation
To continue learning how we support and advance social science research, jump to a following section:
A Hub For Interdisciplinary Social Science Research
The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) is the University of Iowa’s central hub for social scientists—faculty, staff, and PhD students—seeking a collaborative research community and robust support. In 2024–2025, CSSI advanced innovative and high-impact social science research through the following initiatives.
Residency Programs
Inaugural CSSI Faculty Research Fellowship
Grant Writing Residency Program
Researcher-in-Residence Program
Writers' Circles
Write on Target
Grant Writers' Circle
"Write on Target fostered an encouraging environment that allowed me to break out of my shell and actually finish the manuscript on time. Just knowing that someone would serve as a 'second pair of eyes' for my project helped me let go of my perfectionist tendencies. Write on Target is one of the best opportunities I found after joining the University of Iowa."
"As a new professor, the Grant Writers' Circle enabled me to gain connections, a better understanding of processes, and have support for orienting myself to the university and the services needed for submitting grant proposals to multiple different funding mechanisms and organizations."
Workshops
Enhancing Peer Review Workshop
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| METHODOLOGICAL TOPIC | Presenter | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Geospatial Data Science | Caglar Koylu, PhD | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences |
| Causal Inference | Emily Roberts, PhD | Biostatistics |
| Introduction to Spatial Regression Using R* | Miah Boyle | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences |
| Introduction to Machine Learning Using Python* | Anindita Bandyopadhyay | Business Analytics |
| Introduction to Data Visualization Using R* | Nathan Timbs | Political Science |
| Introduction to Multilevel Modeling* | Erica Dorman | Educational Measurement and Statistics |
| Network Analysis | Yongren Shi, PhD | Sociology and Criminology |
| Introductory Time Series Analysis | Sara Mitchell, PhD | Political Science |
| Survival Analysis | Jon Davis, PhD | Occupational and Environmental Health |
| *Workshop offered in both fall and spring semesters | ||
Researcher Affiliate Network
This past year, 49 researchers joined CSSI's Researcher Affiliate Network. Affiliates have participated in CSSI’s research programming and events, engaged with CSSI’s research services and grant development support, led CSSI workshops, and have been key members of the social science research community on campus.
24
Are represented by CSSI researcher affiliates
9
Are represented by CSSI researcher affiliates
Affiliates pose for a group picture at CSSI's first ever researcher affiliate social in May 2025
A wall dedicated to CSSI's researcher affiliates in the Social Sciences Research Building
Affiliates chat over food at the May affiliate social
Advancing Social Science Research
CSSI provides strategic resources—research services and grant development—to advance social science research. CSSI advances research from different methodological and theoretical approaches, including empirical quantitative and qualitative research, evaluation science, and historical and comparative methods.
Research Services
Cassidy Branch
Lisa Halm-Werner
Dawn Bower
Mike Oie
Duhita Mahatmya
Duhita Mahatyma joined CSSI in January 2025!
Access to High Quality Survey Data
"I was impressed by Lisa's efforts to ensure what I wanted to accomplish was getting accomplished like I had in mind. The students [CSSI field staff] that did the interviews did a really good job in a way that spoke to their skills beyond what you would typically expect."
Surveying the Social World
“It was a more successful project because we didn’t have to deal with that additional administrative burden. I knew that Dawn had everything handled if I just shared the link to the survey with her.”
CSSI Staff Spotlight: Mike Oie
Examples of Faculty Supported Projects in 2024-2025
Project NAME | Department and College | Research Support Provided |
|---|---|---|
Building Political Voice for Latino Health: Strategies for Overcoming Voter Suppression in Iowa
| Political Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) and Community and Behavioral Health (College of Public Health) | Data Entry |
Entrepreneurs and Investors: Ethical Decisions | College of Law, and Management and Entrepreneurship (Tippie College of Business) | Transcription |
Infertility and Impact on Women’s Work Lives | Sociology and Criminology (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey |
Facilitated Community Discussion Groups: Immigrant and Refugee Communities in Polk County to Assess Tap Water Awareness and Test Messaging Strategies | Planning and Public Affairs (Graduate College) | Focus Group, Transcription & Coding |
Focus Group Study of Iowa Farming Parents on Their Attitudes Regarding Firearm Storage in Homes and Firearm Injury Prevention Efforts | PA Studies and Service (Carver College of Medicine) | Focus Group, Transcription & Analysis |
Strategic Information Operations Focus Groups | Journalism and Mass Communication (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey, Focus Group & Transcription |
Dementia-Alzheimer | Community and Behavioral Health (College of Public Health) | Phone Survey |
Partnership in Healthcare | Political Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey |
Discharge Community Preferences | Pediatrics (Carver College of Medicine) | Transcription |
Hawkeye Poll Spring 2025 | Political Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey |
Where Have All the Subjects Gone?: A Focus Group Analysis of Experimental Research Participation | Sociology and Criminology (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Focus Group Moderation |
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Self-Measured Blood Pressure | Occupational and Environmental Health (College of Public Health) | Phone Survey |
Emerging Technologies | Computer Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey |
Improving Behavioral Healthcare | Social Work (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) | Web Survey |
Grant Development
Kris Ackerson
Katherine Gloer
102
In 2024
$ 53
In 2024
"My colleagues at other institutions often say ‘wait, you have a what?’ Kris is on top of it, his budgets are flawless. We landed a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant on our first try, which is apparently unusual, and a lot of it was Kris’s materials. He gave us outlines and we just went through and did everything he asked and then we won."
CSSI Staff Spotlight: Kris Ackerson
Funding Opportunities by Russell Sage Foundation
Creating Student Research Experiences and Training
CSSI provides opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students to grow the necessary skills to conduct social science research. These experiences allow students, particularly graduate students, to develop their own research programs.
Graduate Student Support
Dissertation Completion Program
"DCP is an extraordinary campus resource. Writing a dissertation can be daunting, and it felt great to have a whole team at the CSSI who were interested in my development as a scholar and cheered me on. I'll always be grateful for the quiet space, the warmth and laughter, and the conversations that deepened my connection with my work."
Analytical Expertise from CSSI Graduate Consultants
Anindita Bandyopadhyay
Erica Dorman
Miah Boyle
Nathan Timbs
Undergraduate Student Support
Field Staff: Fuel for our Research Projects
Partnerships with Office of the Undergraduate Research
Serving Needs of Iowa Communities
CSSI provides research support services and topical expertise to external partners in Iowa’s communities and governmental organizations. These collaborations allow CSSI to help assess community needs and solve local challenges.
CSSI assists Johnson County Board of Supervisors in assessing public opinion about the Sheriff's Office and Jail building
CSSI and Tippie's Social Impact Community Host Successful Event About Changing Behaviors for Social Impact
Case Processing Data Management
Ethan Rogers, CSSI associate director, provided assistance with the management of JCAO's new case processing data system. This will allow JCAO to better track characteristics and trends in caseload.
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Program Evaluation
Cassidy Branch developed and distributed a needs assessment survey to individuals affected by community violence, informing JCAO about the services needed in their budding CVI program. Next, CSSI will use focus groups to determine the effectiveness of the CVI program.
Traffic Stop Report
Ethan Rogers, Mark Berg, and Yi-Fang Lu, post-doctoral research scholar, analyzed traffic enforcement patterns in Iowa City from 2012 to 2022. The CSSI team will now extend the project to include 2023 and 2024 traffic stop data.
Sharing Social Science Research Successes
CSSI develops stories about our researcher affiliates and their scholarly achievements, cultivating a strong, respected culture of social science research.
Gabriella Snyder
Gabriella joined CSSI in November 2024!
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Research Spotlight Series
A showcase of CSSI researcher affiliates' publications.
Sara Mitchell and Elise Pizzi investigate the link between the Peruvian government’s response to natural disasters and violence
Amy Colbert connects employee mood and significance of job duties
Nicholas Bowman investigates how introductory STEM courses affect academic success
Amber Joy Powell investigates sexual violence towards incarcerated youth
David Cassels Johnson studies equity in high school Spanish classrooms across Iowa
Researcher Affiliate Feature Series
Spotlights of CSSI researcher affiliates’ personal and academic trajectories and what they love about conducting research.
James Wo
"In the 90s, James Wo found himself glued to the electric video game SimCity, creating his own sprawling and vibrant metropolis. Today, Wo explores cities offline – examining how the design of communities impacts the level of crime."
Bogdan Kapatsila
Bingbing Zhang
Brian Ekdale
Patrick Barlow
Samantha Zuhlke
Katharine Broton
Sarah Nash
Elizabeth Menninga
"Elizabeth Menninga’s life trajectory changed after a passing, impromptu conversation on a bus with a stranger. Menninga recalls the stranger remarking on her unusual combination of textbooks: one for calculus and one for political philosophy."
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