Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

What Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University does

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern University is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary social science research institute founded in 1968 and based on Northwestern's Evanston, Illinois campus. It brings together faculty fellows and associates from over 20 fields — including economics, education, health, sociology, and anthropology — to conduct policy-relevant research on issues such as health inequalities, race and poverty, education and human development, immigration, policing and violence, and policy discourse. IPR's core products are research publications (policy briefs, working papers, journal articles, books, rapid research reports, explainer videos) and programs (over 40 policy-relevant events annually, Visiting Scholars Program, Policy Fellows Program, and undergraduate/graduate/postdoctoral research opportunities). Its most notable proprietary research instrument is the Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales, a globally validated measurement tool used by over 100 organizations in more than 90 countries including the World Bank, Gallup, and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, with endorsement from WHO and UNICEF. IPR also develops novel biomarker methodologies, including the first SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing method using finger-stick dried blood spots and intensive biosocial measurement techniques combining wearable-device data with reconstructed daily diaries.

IPR's revenue model is non-commercial: it does not sell products or services, and all research outputs are freely available. The institute is funded through Northwestern University institutional support, federal research grants (NIH, NSF), private foundation grants (Russell Sage Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, BBVA Foundation), and philanthropic donations. Its go-to-market is a stakeholder-engagement model that connects faculty experts directly with policymakers at city, state, federal, and international levels, with journalists, and with the broader scholarly community, supplemented by an active social media presence across X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Bluesky.

Name

Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

Legal name

Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

Website

https://ipr.northwestern.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University is an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan social science research institute that produces policy briefs, working papers, and validated measurement tools — including the globally adopted WISE Scales — for policymakers, journalists, scholars, and students, funded by university support and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Social Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAD

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAGAFAI

Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYEDADADAI

Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

Keywords

• Social science research
• Policy research institute
• Interdisciplinary research
• Public policy analysis
• Academic research center

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University Research Funding: As a research institute at Northwestern University, IPR operates through university funding, external research grants from federal agencies (NIH, NSF, etc.), foundation grants, and philanthropic donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IPR conducts rigorous, nonpartisan interdisciplinary social science research across economics, education, health, sociology, and anthropology, and disseminates findings through policy briefs, working papers, journal articles, books, and rapid research reports. It also produces validated research instruments such as the WISE Scales (used by 100+ organizations in 90+ countries), runs more than 40 policy-relevant events per academic year, and operates visiting scholars, policy fellows, and student research programs.

Product overview

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern University is an interdisciplinary social science research institute, not a commercial product company. IPR's offerings consist of research publications (Policy Briefs, Working Papers, Journal Articles, Books, Rapid Research Reports), media content (Explainer Videos, Newsletters), and programs (Events with over 40 annual policy-relevant gatherings, Visiting Scholars Program, Policy Fellows Program, and student research opportunities). IPR also produces research tools and instruments, most notably the Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales, a globally validated measurement tool used by over 100 organizations worldwide. The institute organizes its work through research centers including Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Inequalities and Health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WISE Scales (Water InSecurity Experiences): Global water insecurity measurement scales developed by IPR researchers, used in over 90 countries by organizations including Gallup, World Bank, and U.N. FAO
• Cells to Society (C2S) Biomarker Institute

Products and services

• Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales
• Policy Research Briefings, Public Policy Lectures, Colloquia, and Special Events
• Visiting Scholars Program
• Policy Fellows Program
• Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant Program
• Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Opportunities
• Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Inequalities and Health
• Center for Water at Northwestern

Quantifiable outcome

• Vaccination rates among public housing residents increased from 39% to 98%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Russell Sage FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Russell Sage Foundation awarded Sheldon Danziger Pipeline Grants to IPR faculty Chika Okafor and Martin Naunov to support emerging faculty research on economic mobility and access to opportunity.
• Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPR partners with Northwestern's Medill School for joint events, panels, and collaborations between researchers and journalists. Notable collaborations include journalism panels on how researchers and journalists can work together to produce reliable information.
• University of Texas at AustincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPR collaborates with UT Austin sociologist Bridget Goosby through its Visiting Scholars Program. Goosby co-directs the LifeHD Health Disparities Research Lab and collaborates with IPR faculty Thomas McDade and Greg Miller on biosocial research.
• University of Illinois at Chicago - Natalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community ImprovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBEZ, led by IPR associate Natalie Moore, partnered with UIC's Voorhees Center to develop a Gentrification Index examining neighborhood change across Chicago from 1970 to 2010.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe World Bank uses IPR's Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales globally to understand how water insecurity experiences vary by age, gender, and Sustainable Development Goal 6.
• GallupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallup incorporates IPR's Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales in their global surveys to measure water insecurity experiences.
• U.N. Food and Agriculture OrganizationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO uses IPR's Water InSecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales in their global assessments.
• WHO and UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO and UNICEF have recommended that organizations use the WISE Scales to understand how water insecurity experiences vary by age and gender or SDG 6.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Brookings is a leading public policy research organization producing policy briefs, working papers, and books across economics, education, and social policy. It is highly comparable to IPR's model of combining rigorous scholarship with active policy engagement and media presence.
• RAND Corporation: RAND is a large, established nonprofit research institution that conducts policy-relevant research across social sciences, economics, health, and education. Like IPR, it bridges academic rigor with direct engagement of policymakers, though it operates as an independent organization rather than a university center.
• Harvard Kennedy School - Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government: The Mossavar-Rahmani Center is a university-based policy research entity that produces interdisciplinary research on business, government, and social policy. It is comparable to IPR as a Harvard-based hub combining academic depth with policy engagement.

Others

• Russell Sage Foundation: Russell Sage Foundation is a major funder of social science research on economic mobility, inequality, and immigration, and is also an active IPR partner via the Sheldon Danziger Pipeline Grants. It is a funder-and-thematic peer rather than a direct research competitor.

Direct peers

• NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC is an independent research organization affiliated with the University of Chicago that conducts social science research on health, education, and policy. Like IPR, it operates at the university-research interface, employs interdisciplinary methods, and serves government and academic clients.
• Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization focused on social and economic policy, with deep work on inequality, health, education, and housing. Its mix of social science research, evidence-based policy analysis, and free publication of findings closely mirrors IPR's operating model.
• J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab) at MIT: J-PAL is a global research center based at MIT that conducts rigorous randomized evaluations on poverty, education, and health in low- and middle-income countries. It shares IPR's evidence-driven, internationally oriented social policy research model and is closely tied to academic faculty.
• National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): NBER is a private, nonprofit research organization that brings together academic economists to conduct rigorous economic research and disseminate findings through working papers. IPR faculty like Chika Okafor have held affiliations there, and NBER's working-paper-based research model is structurally similar to IPR's.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs: Princeton SPIA is a university-based policy school that combines social science research, graduate education, and engagement with U.S. and international policymakers. Its research-and-policy mission is structurally aligned with IPR's interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research focus.
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR): SIEPR is a university-based economic policy research institute that convenes faculty from multiple disciplines, publishes policy briefs and working papers, and connects research to policymakers. Its mission and structure closely parallel IPR's, though narrower in disciplinary focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IPRatNU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcds1JWaamPRMi4wCCaauWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/IPRatNU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ipr-at-nu
• Instagraminstagram.com/ipratnu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University