Surveying the Social World (SSW) is a research incubation initiative designed to provide UI faculty with high quality nationally representative survey data tailored to their own social science research questions. The data are to be used to develop proposals for submission to extramural funding agencies or to publish peer-reviewed journal articles, books, or book chapters.
SSW awardees receive end-to-end survey support from our CSSI research services team, which includes survey administration, programming, testing, deployment, and IRB compliance. Survey data on the awardees’ research topics will be collected from nationally representative panel samples of 1000 adult respondents. Applicants may not restrict their proposed samples to subpopulations (e.g., only men, only the elderly, or only hospital workers). Awardees will be given the opportunity to submit up to 35 survey questions to the panel. See below for additional details regarding survey specifications.
Awardees are anticipated to receive their survey data no later than June 30, 2026 (timeline is dependent on awardees complying with intermediary deadlines noted below).
Surveying the Social World News
CSSI invites UI faculty to apply for Surveying the Social World
Meet the awardees of CSSI’s inaugural Surveying the Social World initiative
How to Apply
Expectations
Principal investigators are expected to acknowledge CSSI in any publications or presentations supported by Surveying the Social World, and to notify CSSI of all publications, presentations, and gras, related to data collected through Surveying the Social World.
Eligibility
Principal investigators must be UI faculty from UI departments or units (tenure, clinical, or research faculty track) at time of application and throughout development and deployment of the survey. Surveys will not be deployed if the principal investigator is no longer affiliated with the University of Iowa.
Applicants to SSW who are active CSSI researcher affiliates will be given priority. Cross-department and cross-college collaborations are encouraged but not required. Collaborations with faculty outside of the University of Iowa are allowed.
Deadlines
Applications are due Monday, March 2, 2025 by 5 pm.
Proposal Process
Proposals must be submitted through our application portal below. Proposal requirements include:
Cover Page
Title of Proposal
Principal investigator full name, title, department, college
5-6 descriptive keywords
Abstract (100-200 words). Provide a succinct overview of the proposed survey project. State the research question(s). The abstract should be written for someone who is not an expert in the area. Assume the reviewers do not have technical knowledge in a specific field of study. Please avoid technical jargon, field-specific terminology, or acronyms.
Proposal Narrative
The proposal narrative should be no more than three pages (size 11 Times New Roman font; double spaced) and include all subheadings below. The proposal narrative should be uploaded as a pdf in the application portal. Note: Applicants are welcome to propose using the survey for multiple projects under a single funding cycle. If so, be sure to describe each project within the proposal.
Significance. Provide a brief explanation of the human/social/behavioral problem(s) being addressed, explain why it is important, and describe its relevance to the CSSI’s mission. State the research question(s).
Description of Survey Design and Analysis. Summarize the survey design, including a brief overview of the intended survey questions and measures, and proposed analyses that align with the research question(s). Note: Each survey question does not need to be fully developed at the time of application. If awarded, principal investigators will have until April 30, 2026 to submit the full list of survey questions.
Future Potential. Describe the anticipated outcomes in operational terms. For example, explain how the survey design is expected to lead to a proposal for external funding or journal article.
Timeline. Provide the anticipated timeline for accomplishing the project’s goals. The survey must be ready for deployment no later than May 31, 2026.
Investigator Information. Describe the roles of the principal investigator(s), collaborating investigator(s), and any other personnel included in the proposal. For key personnel, include titles and brief descriptions of their expertise.
Reference List. Not included in the three-page maximum requirement.
CVs or Biosketches
Attach CVs or biosketches for all collaborators on this project.
Proposal Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated on (1) contribution to social science research and applicant’s discipline or field of study, (2) adherence to proposal structure, and (3) relevance to the mission of CSSI.
CSSI administration will review the SSW proposals and provide a decision within three weeks from the date of submission. If further information is required regarding the proposal, CSSI administration may request a revise and resubmit from applicants. Please note that proposals receiving a revise and resubmit may take longer for a final decision on funding.
Once approved, awardees will have until April 30, 2026 to submit their initial draft of survey questions to the CSSI research services team for review and consultation.
Survey Design Information
Survey data for SSW are collected through Verasight. Additional details regarding Verasight’s methodology are available here.
Sample Size
Survey data are collected from a nationally representative panel sample of adult respondents. Applicants may not restrict proposed samples to subpopulations (e.g., only men, only the elderly, or only hospital workers). Awardees will receive 1000 completed and validated responses.
Data Weights
Weights are calculated for the following adult population benchmarks, using an iterative raking method: age, race/Hispanic ethnicity, education, household income, metropolitan/non-metropolitan status, census region, partisanship, and 2020 presidential general election vote.
Standard Demographic Information
Measures include gender, age, education, Hispanic ethnicity, race, income, zip code, political identification, and 2020 presidential general election vote. Additional details regarding the wording of the demographic questions are available upon request.
Survey Questions
Awardee may submit up to 35 “question units” using the following rubric:
Multiple choice questions: 1 question unit
Grid or matrix survey items: 0.33 question units
Short-form open-ended questions (single word or short phrase): 2 question units
Maximum of three long-form open-ended questions (maximum of 3 sentences each): 3 question units
Additional Notes: (1) questions must be compatible with the Qualtrics platform, and (2) attention checks are not an allowable question type.
Codebook and methods reports are provided following data collection.
SSW Awards
Characterizing Awareness of, Participation in, and Attitudes toward Temporary Alcohol Abstinence Challenges
Exploring Public Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Health, Healthcare, and Public Health
It’s a Dark and Lonely World Out There: Social Isolation, Political Influencers, and Conspiratorial Mentality
Partisan, MD: How Politics Infects the Doctor's Office
Assessing Externalizing Behavior with Absolute Frequency versus Vague Quantifiers
Cassidy and the CSSI research services team were very helpful in helping us get the study up-and-running. Cassidy provided helpful consultation. The team coordinated the development of a study that included leading the development, submission, and revision of an IRB proposal, facilitating the implementation and programming of surveys in Qualtrics, and serving as the point of contact with Verasight for data collection. The whole process was smooth thanks to the CSSI research services team! I thoroughly enjoyed working with them and look forward to working with them in the future.
