The fall 2026 calendar for CSSI's Workshop in Methods series has been announced! The semester will kick off with a workshop on implementation science with Dr. Heather Reisinger. Other workshop topics include network analysis, programming using python, spatial data science and GeoAI, directed acyclic graphs, and data visualization in Stata. Take a look at the full workshop lineup.  

Three University of Iowa faculty members used this summer at the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) to make significant progress on projects related to diabetes management, suicide loss survivors and perceptions of low-quality AI-generated images. They participated in CSSI's Summer Researcher-in-Residence program, which provides dedicated time, space and resources to advance high-impact social science research.

A new federally funded research initiative will explore how therapeutic group singing can improve communication, well-being, and quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Read the story from CLAS.

Colin Case, assistant professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a CSSI researcher affiliate, co-leads CampaignView, a free, publicly available database and research tool that sheds light on how primary candidates seeking seats in the U.S. Congress communicate with voters through their campaign websites. CampaignView includes more than 43,400 individual policy positions from more than 5,000 primary candidates, enabling researchers to compare candidates' positions on a wide range of issues like health care, immigration, and climate change. Read Colin Case’s researcher affiliate feature.

The Center for Social Science Innovation's (CSSI) Dissertation Completion Program provides structured accountability and dedicated workspace to help participants advance their dissertation research. Currently enrolled PhD students who have completed all required coursework and passed their comprehensive examinations are eligible to apply.

Artificial Intelligence is not just for work. In the The Academic Minute, Kenneth G. Brown, CSSI researcher affiliate, says AI is becoming a go-to technology for home use as well as the office. Listen to the podcast episode.

Elizabeth Menninga, associate professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and CSSI researcher affiliate, used her year in residence at CSSI to take her research on government-rebel group cooperation from hypothesis to manuscript. As CSSI’s inaugural Faculty Research Fellow, Menninga received dedicated time, office space, and staff support for her research project, “Rebel Group Similarity and Cooperation in Multi-Dyadic Civil Wars.”

DeShauna Jones, assistant director of engagement, integration, and implementation at the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science and CSSI researcher affiliate, recently published a study that sheds light on how a hospital program – aimed at improving outpatient antibiotic prescribing – functions in real-world settings. The findings can help hospitals successfully implement an antibiotic stewardship program that is designed to prevent antibiotic overuse by reviewing prescriptions and making recommendations as patients prepare to leave the hospital.

A recent survey found that most Americans believe social science research helps policymakers and community leaders make informed decisions and that investing in this research improves quality of life in the United States. “The survey findings indicate strong public recognition of the value of social science research,” said Mark Berg, director of CSSI. “They reinforce our mission to elevate social scientists and cultivate interdisciplinary innovation.”

The University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) selected three faculty members as 2026 awardees of its Summer Researcher-in-Residence program, which supports impactful, social science research addressing pressing social, civic, and health-related challenges.