Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

Journalism’s Role in Translating Social Science for Policy and the Public Join IPR and Medill experts for a panel discussion on journalism’s role in translating social science for policy and the public.

How do journalists turn research into stories that shape policy and public understanding? Join @medillschool.bsky.social and IPR experts Louise Kiernan, @natalieymoore.bsky.social, and Charles Whitaker for a discussion on bridging journalism and social science. spr.ly/63321B6DfrU

Making Water Insecurity Visible: Buffett Institute for Global Affairs - Northwestern University The Making Water Insecurity Visible group aims to address major gaps in the measurement and visibility of the underlying issues driving the global water crisis by using ethnographies, surveys and bios...

📖 Learn more about the Making Water Insecurity Visible Global Working Group's work: buffett.northwestern.edu/research/glo...

@ipratnu.bsky.social

@fox32chicago.bsky.social interviewed our Making Water Insecurity Visible group leads @profserayoung.bsky.social & Julius Lucks about their research piloting at-home water quality sensors as easy to use as at-home COVID tests to check for toxins in drinking water. 🎥: www.youtube.com/live/tc2J7cQ...

Journalism’s Role in Translating Social Science for Policy and the Public Join IPR and Medill experts for a panel discussion on journalism’s role in translating social science for policy and the public.

How do journalists turn research into stories that shape policy and public understanding? Join @medillschool.bsky.social and IPR experts Louise Kiernan, @natalieymoore.bsky.social, and Charles Whitaker for a discussion on bridging journalism and social science. spr.ly/63328h4ff0

Now out in the American Sociological Review

We present the first large-scale assessment of the structure and evolution of temporalities expressed in U.S. climate change news coverage (2000 to 2021). For this, we analyzed more than 23,000 statements about climate change effects and actions. 🧵 1/

Evidence into Impact: Research at the Policy Table - Health Policy Join us at Chambers Hall to dive deep into how research shapes health policy decisions - let's turn evidence into impact together!

How do officials use research to make tough public health and safety decisions? How can we bridge the gap between academia and policymaking? Join us on March 2 to hear local experts discuss how research is used (or not) in shaping public policy. Register: spr.ly/63320hvhd4

Why the mid-30s are a major turning point for men’s heart health | CNN Men face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease earlier than women, so heart health awareness, prevention and early detection are key decades sooner than many may think.

Men tend to develop heart disease earlier than women, according to research by @feinberg.northwestern.edu's Sadiya Khan and colleagues. She told CNN that everyone should track their cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar to stay on top of their heart health.
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Opinion | Americans Are Turning Against Gay People We seem to be in a new era of anti-gay prejudice.

After decades of progress, bias against gay people in the U.S. is rising—and fastest among young adults.

In a @nytimes.com op-ed, IPR's @elijfinkel.bsky.social and Tessa Charlesworth share new research on this alarming reversal and what might be driving it.
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Digital Redlining in College Recruitment: Location and College Search Results: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Lincoln Quillian on "Digital Redlining in College Recruitment: Location and College Search Results." spr.ly/63322hmnRp

Digital Redlining in College Recruitment: Location and College Search Results: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by Lincoln Quillian on "Digital Redlining in College Recruitment: Location and College Search Results." spr.ly/63320h9Iuy

Evidence into Impact: Research at the Policy Table - Health Policy Join us at Chambers Hall to dive deep into how research shapes health policy decisions.

How do officials use research to make tough public health and safety decisions? How can we bridge the gap between academia and policymaking? Join us on March 2 to hear local experts discuss how research is used (or not) in shaping public policy. Register now: spr.ly/63324hjPPk

Community Violence Intervention at the Crossroads: Old Questions, New Evidence, and the Future of Public Safety Date: February 16, 2026 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208 Contact: Patricia Reese, 847-491-3395, ipr@northwestern.edu Title: Community Violence Intervention at the Crossroads: Old Questions, New Evidence, and the Future of Public Safety By Andrew Papachristos, John G. Searle Professor of Sociology and IPR Director Abstract: Community violence intervention efforts have been on the rise over the last several years but now stands at a critical juncture. After unprecedented investment and expansion following the 2020 surge in gun violence, the field faces mounting pressure to demonstrate impact even as political headwinds threaten to dismantle progress. This talk draws on eight years of ongoing data collection on local and citywide efforts in Chicago, combining quasi-experimental analyses, participant surveys, systematic observation of outreach activities, and interviews with both workers and participants. The evidence reveals both promise and complexity. This talk will explore the critical lessons emerging from this work, how it informs both practice and science, and what it means for the future of place-based violence prevention efforts in America. This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Winter 2026 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research.

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by IPR director and sociologist Andrew V. Papachristos on "Community Violence Intervention at the Crossroads: Old Questions, New Evidence, and the Future of Public Safety." spr.ly/63321hZmnJ

Community Violence Intervention at the Crossroads: Old Questions, New Evidence, and the Future of Public Safety: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by @avpapachristos.bsky.social on "Community Violence Intervention at the Crossroads: Old Questions, New Evidence, and the Future of Public Safety." spr.ly/63322hr8jj

Universal Pre-K as Economic Stimulus: Evidence from Nine States and Large Cities in the U.S. (WP-25-25): Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University During the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations shifted to remote work. This shift in employment context occurred along with an increase in experiences of racism toward Asian Americans, as well as a continuation of racism toward other marginalized groups. In this research, the researchers explore the relationship between remote work, discrimination, and intra-minority solidarity.

A working paper by @kirabojackson.bsky.social and colleagues finds that Universal Pre-K can deliver substantial economic benefits. In nine states and cities, UPK programs increased employment—especially among women—and raised earnings. #WorkingPaperWednesday spr.ly/63325hPxlJ

Sexual Harassment in Urban India: Prevalence and an Intervention: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Lori Beaman on "Sexual Harassment in Urban India: Prevalence and an Intervention." spr.ly/63321hMWxc

📢 Call for proposals: Replication + Novel political science survey experiments. Proposals must include a replication of a published survey experiment, a reanalysis of the original data, and a novel experimental design. Click here for details: spr.ly/63325hKtOV

Research Training Institute on Cluster-Randomized Trials: STEPP Center - Northwestern University 2026 Summer Research Training Institute on Cluster-Randomized Trials.

Applications are open for the Research Training Institute on Cluster-Randomized Trials (July 6–16). Organized by Larry Hedges and Elizabeth Tipton, it offers intensive training in cluster-randomized trials for education researchers. spr.ly/63322hHdY0

Gendered Disparities in Health: From Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

REMINDER: Join us at The Family Institute today at noon for a talk by Rebecca Seligman on “Gendered Disparities in Health: From Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder.” spr.ly/63326hG5ey

Opinion | The Popularity of ‘Heated Rivalry’ Masks a Darker Trend of Anti-Gay Bias We seem to be in a new era of anti-gay prejudice.

“The popularity of ‘Heated Rivalry,’ it seems, is a welcome burst of enthusiasm for gay life in a new era of anti-gay prejudice,” write the social scientists Tessa Charlesworth and Eli Finkel.

The Effect of Parental Income Supplements on Child Mental and Physical Health: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Robin Nusslock on "The Effect of Parental Income Supplements on Child Mental and Physical Health." spr.ly/63328h6PX4

A Psychological Approach to Living Wages (WP-24-02): Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University These findings suggest that people’s beliefs about economic conditions are grounded in their socioeconomic experiences and provide important psychological insights to the fundamental question of how much is enough to live on?

How much money is enough to live on?

In a working paper, IPR's @mwkraus.bsky.social and his colleagues explore what people think is a living wage and how income shapes their estimates and influences their support for policies. #WorkingPaperWednesday spr.ly/63325CfAVP

When school shooting headlines fade, the trauma doesn’t - The Boston Globe The scars of school shootings often endure for years, shaping mental health, educational trajectories, and economic futures.

School shooting headlines may fade, but the trauma doesn't.

In a @bostonglobe.com op-ed after the shooting at Brown University, Molly Schnell, Hannes Schwandt, and Maya Rossin-Slater draw on their research on the lasting effects and call for action. spr.ly/63323CFuFx

One platform to connect | Zoom Modernize workflows with Zoom's trusted collaboration tools: including video meetings, team chat, VoIP phone, webinars, whiteboard, contact center, and events.

Business leaders are using AI across hiring, operations, and marketing—but AI isn’t immune to bias. Join Tessa Charlesworth and William Brady for a Kellogg Insight webinar on Jan. 20 on how to recognize and minimize those biases. Register here: spr.ly/63321Cxw2H

Meta-Reanalysis: A Research Design for Generalized Social Scientific Inferences: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by @aecoppock.bsky.social on "Meta-Reanalysis: A Research Design for Generalized Social Scientific Inferences." spr.ly/63327CaJ0D

Making Chicago Safer in Heat Waves: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Chicago’s deadly 1995 heat wave showed how neighborhood conditions and social ties determine who stays safe in extreme weather. Now, IPR associate Dan Horton is leading a working group to map those risks through a Heat Vulnerability Index. Combining data like temperature, public health records, and residents’ on-the-ground insights, the index will pinpoint which Chicago communities face the greatest danger as climate change makes heat waves more common.

Can we make Chicago safer during heat waves?

A working group co-led by Daniel Horton is working with city and community partners to map who is most vulnerable and build tools that help save lives as temperatures rise. spr.ly/63324Cq8nG

Meta-Reanalysis: A Research Design for Generalized Social Scientific Inferences: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University Visiting Scholars and Policy Fellows Programs

Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by @aecoppock.bsky.social on "Meta-Reanalysis: A Research Design for Generalized Social Scientific Inferences." spr.ly/63321CoWJH

Title: Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention That Creates Enlightened Disagreements By Steven Franconeri, Professor of Psychology, Director of the Northwestern Cognitive Science Program, Professor of Design and of Management and Organizations (by courtesy), and IPR Associate

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Steven Franconeri on "Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention That Creates Enlightened Disagreements." spr.ly/63329CYvqW

Happy New Year 2026

Happy New Year from IPR faculty, staff, and students!

A woman operates a robot.

#1: AI quickly evolved from a futuristic concept to a daily reality. To better understand AI and the changes coming with it, we spoke to our faculty experts about how they’re studying AI, what they’re learning, and what’s ahead. Read more: spr.ly/63328CEmL8