Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

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

A pregnant woman lies in a hospital bed.

#2: Why are Black women more likely to have C-sections than White women? IPR economist Molly Schnell spoke to IPR about her research examining this disparity and possible ways to reduce unnecessary C-sections and the complications that can come with them. Read more: spr.ly/6180FaDu2

Graphic of stock images of teens scrolling on social media.

#3: American teenagers are not all right.

Growing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicides point to an alarming trend. IPR spoke with four of its experts on teen mental health about what their research says about why teens are suffering and how we can help them. spr.ly/6186L9O5y

Steven Chu during lecture

#4: During a lecture on April 2, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu outlined the urgent steps needed to achieve net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions and avoid climate change’s major consequences. spr.ly/63321CEmRX

2025: A Year in IPR Headlines: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University In 2025, IPR’s researchers examined some of the most pressing social issues, including the real-world implications of artificial intelligence and the persistent racial disparities in maternal health.  IPR research continued to inform policy nationally and locally, contributing evidence to debates on young-adult sentencing reform and wage theft among fast-food workers. Our faculty’s work also helped guide global conversations about water insecurity and highlighted the effectiveness of community-based strategies to reduce gun violence in Chicago.

Revisit IPR’s top headlines of 2025—from AI’s real-world impacts and maternal health disparities to youth mental health, wage theft, and political violence. spr.ly/63323CElMT

Fast-food workers hands order to customer through drive-thru window.

#5: Thousands of L.A. fast food workers are victims of wage theft, losing more than $44 million in combined wages per year. A report by @djgalvin.bsky.social and Jake Barnes points to educating workers about their rights as a solution. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/wa...

Structural Racism in Chicago Is Tied to Premature Births: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University New research shows that Black women living in Chicago neighborhoods with discriminatory law enforcement practices and unequal schools that lacked resources were more likely to give birth preterm compared to Black women in neighborhoods without these characteristics. These findings may help explain why Black women experience disproportionately high rates of preterm birth and identify those most at risk for delivering their babies early.

#6: Black women in the United States are roughly 50% more likely than White women to give birth prematurely. A new study by IPR researchers shows how discriminatory policing and unequal schools in Chicago neighborhoods can negatively impact pregnancy. spr.ly/63323CEYJW

Title: Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention for More Enlightened Policy 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 on January 5 for a talk by Steven Franconeri on "Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention for More Enlightened Policy Disagreements." spr.ly/63325CESsS

Upcoming Events: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University IPR organizes a wide variety of events across the year from academic talks and distinguished lectures to workshops and trainings.

IPR events bring together researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to examine and discuss today’s most pressing social issues. Join us at one (or all!) of our events this winter! ❄️ spr.ly/63323CEIU7

Stefanie DeLuca gives her lecture.

Stefanie DeLuca gives her lecture.

Stefanie DeLuca gives her lecture.

#7: In May, @jhu.edu sociologist @stefanie-deluca.bsky.social returned to Northwestern as IPR's first visiting scholar, sharing her latest research and insights into communicating research findings to policymakers. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/ho...

Memorial for Melissa Hortman

#8: Political violence is on the rise in the U.S. @polisciatnu.bsky.sociall's Laurel Harbridge-Yong spoke to IPR about how elected officials say threats & violence have changed the way they approach their jobs & how the public thinks about political violence. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...

Efforts to Measure Water Insecurity Scale Up in Mexico and Latin America : Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University On March 4, 2025, IPR anthropologist Sera Young accepted the inaugural “Champions of Health” Award on behalf of the WISE Scales. This prestigious award was given by the Director of Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health (INSP) at the Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It was established to recognize “leadership, commitment, and humanitarian contributions to health in the Americas and beyond.”

#9: @profserayoung.bsky.social accepted the “Champions of Health” Award on behalf of the Water Insecurity Experience (WISE) Scales. Presented by Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health, the award honors the WISE Scales’ humanitarian contributions. spr.ly/63326C8ACA

From Northwestern to the White House: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University IPR economist shares lessons learned serving on the Council of Economic Advisers IPR economist never imagined he'd end up advising the president of the United States on economic policy. "The idea that I'd be working in a policy situation is not actually that surprising.

We’re counting down our top stories of 2025! Stay tuned as we recap the stories that stood out this year.

#10: @kirabojackson.bsky.social shared the lessons he learned during his time on the White House CEA, like how research shapes policy over time. spr.ly/63324CBPRq

Research Impact: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University For more than 50 years, researchers at the Institute for Policy Research have pursued a singular focus: providing the evidence that policymakers need to make people's lives better. Our scholars tackle urgent challenges-from unsafe drinking water to gun violence to the toll discrimination takes on the body-through rigorous, policy-relevant research.

For more than 50 years, researchers at IPR have pursued a singular focus: providing the evidence that policymakers need to make people’s lives better. Learn how our research is making an impact beyond NorthwesternU. spr.ly/633247fHX6

Can We Fix 2020 Election Misinformation? : Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University IPR Visiting Scholar Brendan Nyhan explains that fact-checking can change minds—but only if people see it.

Millions still maintain, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.”
Research by IPR visiting scholar @brendannyhan.bsky.social finds that fact-checking articles can change minds—but many Americans never see them. Read the full story: spr.ly/633277aMRH

Gathering with friends and family this week? Disagreements are normal. IPR’s @elijfinkel.bsky.social says they can even be healthy when handled with care. Click here to learn more about Finkel's work helping us lean into our disagreements: spr.ly/633257UqnU

Examining the One Laptop Per Child program in Peruvian rural primary schools finds no significant effects on academic performance but some evidence of negative ones on grade progression, from Cueto, Beuermann, Cristia, Malamud, and Pardo www.nber.org/papers/w34495