Center for Economic and Social Research

What Center for Economic and Social Research does

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is a non-profit academic research center housed within the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, founded in 2013 with 57 employees. CESR conducts in-depth empirical research on human behavior, economic decision-making, aging, health, education, and social dynamics, with the stated goal of informing public policy and improving social welfare. Its research is delivered through a portfolio of 12 specialized centers and programs, including the Behavioral Economics Studio, Behavioral and Health Genomics Center, Brain Health Observatory @ USC, Center for Applied Research in Education, Center for Health and Labor Economics, Center for Self-Report Science, Center for the Study of Human Capital, Food Systems Institute, IGEMS consortium, LABarometer, Program for Children and Families, Program on Global Aging, Health and Policy, and the SCRAP Lab.

CESR's core technical assets are its longitudinal panel datasets and data platforms, most notably the Understanding America Study (UAS) — a nationally representative, probability-based panel tracking American attitudes and behaviors — as well as the Gateway to Global Aging Repository, the Health and Retirement Study dataset, and the Yucatan Aging Data initiative. These are complemented by research infrastructure tools such as NubiS (a web-based survey sampling and weighting tool), the UAS Data Pages portal, and the LABarometer longitudinal survey of Los Angeles residents. Distribution of research occurs primarily through academic publications, conferences, the Evidence Base blog, and expert commentary in media, rather than through commercial channels.

CESR does not sell commercial products or services and operates as an internal research unit within USC's private non-profit structure. Its funding is derived from university allocations and external research grants rather than commercial revenue; no pricing model exists. The center's served audiences are academic and policy researchers (primary), and government and private-sector decision-makers (secondary), who consume its datasets and research findings to inform evidence-based policymaking.

Name

Center for Economic and Social Research

Legal name

University of Southern California

Website

https://cesr.usc.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is a USC Dornsife non-profit research center founded in 2013 that conducts empirical research on human behavior, aging, health, and economic decision-making, operating longitudinal panels and 12 specialized research programs that serve academic researchers and policy decision-makers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Curriculum, Standards & Assessment Policy Research (EDADADAH), Research, Evaluation & Program Effectiveness Reporting (EDADAIAM)

Keywords

• Economic research
• Social science research
• Behavioral economics
• Longitudinal panel studies
• Aging policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CESR conducts academic research on human behavior, aging, health, and economic decision-making through large-scale probability-based panel studies, longitudinal data repositories, and specialized research programs. It produces survey-based datasets and analytic tools (such as the Understanding America Study and the Gateway to Global Aging Repository) that are made available to academic researchers, policymakers, and government agencies to inform evidence-based decision-making and improve social welfare.

Product overview

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is an academic research center at USC Dornsife that operates as a portfolio of interconnected research centers, programs, data repositories, and survey instruments rather than a unified commercial product. Its core offerings include the Understanding America Study (UAS) — a nationally representative probability-based panel — and the Gateway to Global Aging Repository. These are supported by specialized research centers (Behavioral Economics Studio, Behavioral and Health Genomics Center, Center for Self-Report Science, Center for Health and Labor Economics, Center for the Study of Human Capital) and focused programs (LABarometer, IGEMS, SCRAP Lab, Food Systems Institute). Research data access is facilitated through tools like NubiS (survey sampling/weighting) and UAS Data Pages. CESR's mission is to improve social welfare through research on human behavior, aging, health, and economic decision-making, rather than to sell commercial products or software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Understanding America Study A nationally representative, probability-based panel that tracks American attitudes, behaviors, and characteristics over time through continuous survey research, designed for academic researchers and policy analysts.
• Gateway to Global Aging Repository A comprehensive data repository providing cross-national comparisons of aging-related studies and surveys from multiple countries, intended for academic researchers studying aging populations globally.
• NubiS A web-based survey sampling and weighting tool that enables researchers to design and analyze probability-based samples.
• UAS Data Pages A data portal providing access to survey datasets, documentation, and analysis tools from the Understanding America Study.
• Health and Retirement Study Data Access to the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal study of economic, health, and retirement data for Americans over age 50.
• Yucatan Aging Data A longitudinal dataset tracking aging processes and health outcomes in the Yucatan Peninsula population.
• CESR Education Project A research project examining educational outcomes, attitudes toward education, and learning processes among American populations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pew Research Center: Nonpartisan research organization producing public opinion polling and social research using large-scale survey panels. Directly comparable to CESR's panel-based research on attitudes, behaviors, and demographic trends.
• Brookings Institution: Think tank producing economic, social, and public policy research aimed at informing government and private-sector decision-making. Comparable to CESR in producing evidence-based insights on economic behavior and social welfare for policy audiences.
• RAND Corporation: Nonprofit research institution producing rigorous social, economic, and behavioral research for government and policy clients. Highly comparable to CESR in mission, methods (large-scale survey and panel work), and customer base of public-sector decision-makers.
• RTI International: Independent nonprofit research institute conducting social, behavioral, and health research with substantial survey and panel operations. Comparable to CESR in interdisciplinary research portfolio and use of probability-based survey panels.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: University-affiliated, independent research organization conducting large-scale survey-based social science research, including major longitudinal panels (e.g., the General Social Survey). Closely parallels CESR's university-embedded structure, panel methodology, and academic research orientation.
• The Conference Board: Nonprofit business research organization producing economic indicators, consumer research, and labor market analytics. Comparable to CESR's economic research output and its audience of public- and private-sector decision-makers.
• NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research): Network of academic economists producing research on economic behavior, labor, aging, and health economics. Directly comparable to CESR's economic and behavioral research agenda and its academic/non-commercial dissemination model.
• Resources for the Future: Independent nonprofit research institution studying environmental, energy, and natural resource economics with rigorous quantitative methods. Comparable to CESR in nonprofit academic research orientation and economic/behavioral research focus.
• Urban Institute: Nonprofit research organization focused on social and economic policy, including health, retirement, and economic mobility, with strong emphasis on survey-based evidence. Comparable to CESR in policy-relevant social and economic research mission and stakeholder base.
• Mathematica: Nonpartisan research and data analytics firm conducting policy research using rigorous quantitative and survey methods. Comparable to CESR in applying large-scale data and evidence-based methods to inform social and economic program and policy decisions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-economic-and-social-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Economic and Social Research