In a nation confronting one the highest rates of traffic accidents in Europe, the simple act of crossing the street is a critical public health challenge. This issue is the driving force behind the work of Patricia Marga, a PhD Student in public health from Romania. Marga's research brought her to the University of Iowa this fall as an Obermann International Fellow in the Social Sciences. The fellowship was co-sponsored by CSSI.

A newly selected interdisciplinary team at the University of Iowa is launching a research collaboration to better understand how social isolation and disrupted sleep patterns contribute to reliance on AI chatbots—and how these interactions may pose risks to mental health. The project is supported by the Research Convergence Residency Program at the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI).

The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) at the University of Iowa has selected four exceptional doctoral candidates for its 2025-2026 Dissertation Completion Program (DCP). This program supports graduate students as they complete their dissertations and prepare for impactful careers in research, policy, and public service.

This article is part of a series that features CSSI researcher affiliates. Continue reading to learn about Katherine Britt, assistant professor in the College of Nursing.

The Center for Social Science Innovation seeks faculty and scientific staff from across disciplines to take part in its annual Grant Writing Residency Program (GWRP). GWRP participants work in residence at our center and collaborate closely with the center's grant development staff to create polished, competitive proposals. Apply by December 1st, 2025.

CSSI released its 2024-2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year of innovation, collaboration, and measurable impact across numerous initiatives. Explore how CSSI's work continues to advance its mission and shape the future of UI-sponsored social science research.

The Center for Social Science Innovation seeks graduate students from across disciplines to take part in its Dissertation Completion Program. Participants receive dedicated workspaces to focus on their projects, direct support from CSSI staff, opportunities for professional development, and more.

The fall 2025 calendar for CSSI's Social Science Methods Series has been announced! The semester will kick off with a workshop on geospatial data analysis from Caglar Koylu, PhD, associate professor in the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability. Other workshop topics this semester include facial emotion recognition, workflow in Stata, ArcGIS, multilevel modeling, and Python.

The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) seeks questions for the new SurveyHarvest platform, which enables UI faculty, staff, and students to purchase questions ($200 per question) to be added to a nationally fielded survey.

The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) seeks researchers from across disciplines to take part in the first-of-its-kind Research Convergence Residency Program (RCRP) at the University of Iowa.