CSSI researcher affiliate Haelim Jeong, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, studies suicide prevention, including suicidal ambivalence—the co-occurring desire to live and to die—among suicide attempt survivors. Jeong was also recently selected to be part of a research collaboration supported by CSSI’s Research Convergence Residency Program to explore loneliness, sleep disruption, and the use of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT for mental health support.

Two University of Iowa faculty members have been awarded proposal-development support through the Center for Social Science Innovation’s (CSSI) Grant Writing Residency Program (GWRP), a competitive initiative designed to help advance high-quality, externally funded research in the social sciences.

David Greenwood-Sanchez, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, is working on a series of nationally representative surveys that aim to capture the practices and motivations of front yard gardeners. He wants to know where the line is between plants that are acceptable and unacceptable so he can inform change.

The Center for Social Science Innovation and the Office of the Vice President for Research are exploring the renewal of an institutional membership with the Central Plains Federal Statistical Research Data Center. The membership would provide UI researchers access to a wide range of restricted-use federal datasets at the Iowa Federal Statistical Research Data Center in Ames. Learn more about the membership and submit an interest form by Jan. 31, 2026.

The Center for Social Science Innovation seeks tenure-track faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to apply for its Faculty Research Fellowship. Fellows receive one course buyout, a $1000 credit toward CSSI research services, and an office at the Social Sciences Research Building to collaborate closely with CSSI staff. Apply by January 12, 2026.

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.