From data collection and analysis to grant development, the Iowa Social Science Research Center is supporting researchers in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Monday, October 10, 2022

For over a decade, the Iowa Social Science Research Center (ISRC) has been a key resource for advancing social science research at the University of Iowa through grant development, data collection, and educational workshops.    

More than fifty researchers in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have used the ISRC for grant development—resulting in more than 600 CLAS-specific proposals in the last ten years, Frederick Boehmke, ISRC director, professor, and Marvin and Rose Lee Pomerantz Chair in Political Science, says.  

“The ISRC is the primary point of contact for pre-award grant development services for a dozen social science-related units on campus, most of which are in CLAS,” Boehmke explains. “Our two grant development experts assist with identifying opportunities and all aspects of the proposal preparation and submission process.” 

These efforts support more than 80 submissions for $20 million in grant funding per year, including a $269,000 grant from the National Science Foundation awarded in July to Elizabeth Menninga, associate professor of political science, to study the evolution of cooperation within and across government-rebel group dyads in multi-dyadic civil conflicts.  

In addition to grant support, the ISRC assists with data collection and analysis and has supported more than 30 data collection projects for CLAS researchers over the last five years.  

“Our professional staff manages nearly two-dozen survey data collection projects per year on behalf of researchers across campus, including surveys conducted by telephone, web, mail, and in-person interviews or focus groups,” Boehmke says. “We also employ dozens of undergraduates, primarily in our on-campus call center.” 

Hundreds of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students have also attended statistical and survey-related workshops or taken advantage of the center’s free one-hour consultations.  

The UI Public Policy Center is the home unit of the ISRC. It is supported by the Public Policy Center, UI Office of the Vice President for Research, and CLAS.

To learn more, visit the ISRC website or email isrc-info@uiowa.edu.