Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies

The Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) at Yale University advances interdisciplinary research in the social sciences that aims to shape public policy and inform democratic deliberation. Recognizing that important social problems cannot be studied adequately by a single discipline, the Yale Corporation established the Institution for Social and Policy Studies in 1968 in order to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration within the university. In our 44 year history, ISPS has produced research driven by faculty interests and expertise that breaks methodological and theoretical boundaries to illuminate new frontiers of knowledge. Where university centers tend to be inward looking, our community of students and scholars makes a point of not only contributing to academic discourse but also engaging directly with policymakers and participating in public debates. Through this work, we strive to both identify and elaborate particular areas of concern and, more broadly, to en...