The #2022APPAM Fall Research Conference will feature some fantastic sponsors from across the policy research spectrum. Today we're shining a spotlight on NORC at the University of Chicago.
What is the mission of your organization?
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, nonpartisan, research organization that delivers insights and analysis decision-makers trust.
What are your strongest areas of work?
As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. NORC conducts research in five main areas: Economics, Markets, and the Workforce; Education, Training, and Learning; Global Development; Health and Well-Being; and Society, Media, and Public Affairs. While NORC’s reputation has been built on the deep expertise in survey research, we provide comprehensive and integrated services that span the research cycle, and offer solutions that anticipate and address critical needs in research and data science. We approach all work with deep technical expertise, a spirit of collaboration, and a commitment to scientific integrity.
In the past year, what has been the most influential work from your researchers?
In the past 12 months, NORC researchers have revealed racial and ethnic disparities in employer-sponsored health insurance, highlighted food insecurity among Washington DC residents, illuminated the connection between anti-immigrant sentiment and a belief in “replacement theory,” developed an antibiotic stewardship program for long-term care facilities, laid a research foundation for combatting tech-driven gender-based violence, and worked to create a nationwide data infrastructure to address gun violence, among many other projects.
If you are hiring, what makes your organization a great place to work?
Our employees will tell you that it is their colleagues and the meaningful work that attract them to NORC in the first place. Great benefits, a collegial environment, a commitment to transparency, professional development, and career growth, along with flexible work arrangements is why many of our staff members stay and build successful careers at NORC. Equally important is the organization’s dedication to increasing diversity, racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility within NORC and in our client work.
Where do you see your organization in 50 years?
Over the past 80 years, NORC has evolved and expanded to meet the ever-changing needs of decision-makers and society. In 50 years, with our core values as our guide stars, we will have adapted and evolved to deliver reliable insights and data that policymakers, governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities can trust to help better understand and improve society and our world.