The Center for Social Science Innovation is committed to advancing, supporting, and celebrating interdisciplinary social science research. Under the Office of the Vice President for Research, CSSI:

  • Serves as a central hub at the University of Iowa where social scientists, including faculty, staff, and PhD students, can find a community of research support and resources.
  • Provides strategic resources to support innovative and high impact social science research, including but not limited to quantitative and qualitative empirical research, theory development, evaluation science, and historical and comparative approaches.
  • Fosters interdisciplinary collaboration enabling scholars to address topics of significant public interest spanning human behavior, health, community, culture, and institutional functioning.
  • Maintains strong partnerships with research offices, centers, and institutes across campus to collectively leverage different resources from the university and funding agencies, facilitating training, scholarship, and co-sponsoring collaborative ventures. 
  • Seeks to improve the lives of Iowans by supporting research into how human behavior, civic engagement, and social interaction is affected by people’s physical and social environment.
  • Collaborates with external partners from Iowa’s communities and government organizations providing research support services and topical expertise to help assess needs and solve local challenges.

Our Core Priorities

CSSI provides researchers across campus and within our communities the tools, resources, and support they need to investigate the most pressing issues of our society through four core priorities:  

CSSI staff and select faculty sitting in a U formation and taking notes.

Research Incubation

CSSI stimulates and supports innovative research projects through reoccurring residency program opportunities, tailored workshops, and more. 

Student Employee with headset sits at cubicle with other students.

Survey & Multimethodology Research Services

Our team provides a comprehensive suite of research services and support to researchers in all disciplines and at all stages of project development.

A woman writes in a notebook, surrounded by a keyboard, mouse, and coffee cup.

Grant Development Programming

From identifying grant and fellowship opportunities to assisting with the development of competitive proposals, CSSI supports researchers looking to obtain suitable funding for their projects. 

Drone view of the University of Iowa Old Capitol Museum.

Communication & Dissemination

CSSI engages communities and celebrates scholarly achievements to build a strong, respected culture of social science research.