UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy

What UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy does

The UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) is an academic research institute within the University of Illinois Chicago's College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. The institute promotes and coordinates engaged research on racial and ethnic justice in the United States, funding research on race and ethnicity, training scholars to participate in policy discussions, collaborating on social justice projects with community organizations, and hosting public events that explore the link between policy and racial and ethnic injustice. Its core outputs are the State of Racial Justice Reports series (analyzing economy, justice, education, housing, and health in Chicago and Illinois), the Faculty Fellows Program (awarding $150,000 to $200,000 annually to UIC scholars), the Policy & Social Engagement Fellows Program, and structured educational programs including the Annual Phillip J. Bowman Lecture, ARJS and LRCSI workshops, the Lunchtime Lecture Series, Policy 101, and WriteOut! writing workshops. The institute also conducts multi-year research collaborations with government agencies such as the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness and with a broad network of community organizations including the Chicago Teachers Union, Heartland Alliance, Chicago Urban League, Arab American Action Network, and Access Living.

IRRPP does not operate a commercial technology product; its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website (irrpp.uic.edu), an Emma email-marketing platform for its newsletter, and social media presence on Facebook, X, and YouTube. The institute has approximately 18 employees and is governed as part of the University of Illinois System, with no external shareholders or venture capital involvement.

Funding flows from three non-commercial streams: UIC institutional allocations as a college-level research institute, external research grants and the Faculty Fellows Program, and philanthropic donations accepted through an online giving portal. All research outputs, reports, and publications are distributed freely via direct website download, email newsletter, and earned media coverage in regional outlets such as the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reporter, and South Side Weekly. The institute is not a revenue-generating enterprise; rather, it is a publicly funded academic unit whose outputs are intentionally non-priced to maximize public, policymaker, and community access.

Name

UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy

Legal name

Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago

Website

https://irrpp.uic.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) is an academic research institute within the University of Illinois Chicago that funds and coordinates engaged research on racial and ethnic justice, trains scholars for policy engagement, and partners with community organizations on social justice projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: Core funding from University of Illinois Chicago as a college-level research institute within the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.
2. Research Grants and Fellowships: External funding through grants and the Faculty Fellows program, which awards $150,000 to $200,000 annually to UIC scholars for racial equity research.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Accepts online gifts to support IRRPP's work through their online giving portal.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IRRPP is an academic research institute that funds and coordinates engaged research on racial and ethnic justice in the U.S. It produces research reports (including the State of Racial Justice Reports series), runs faculty fellowship and policy engagement programs, delivers educational workshops and lectures, and collaborates with community organizations on social justice research projects. All research outputs are made freely available to the public, policymakers, and community stakeholders.

Product overview

The Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) is a university research institute offering a portfolio of research products, fellowship programs, and educational workshops focused on racial and ethnic justice. Its core offerings include the State of Racial Justice Reports series, collaborative Research Projects with community partners, Faculty Fellows and Policy & Social Engagement Fellows programs providing grants to UIC scholars, and structured Educational Programs including lectures, workshops, and writing development. The institute also conducts Research Collaborations with government agencies and community organizations on topics like homelessness and education equity. This is a research and academic service organization, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of Racial Justice Reports Comprehensive research reports analyzing racial inequities across key areas including economy, justice, education, housing, and health in Chicago and Illinois. Reports are freely available for download from the IRRPP website and include infographics and event presentations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-year research collaboration with Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness producing actionable reports on racialized homelessness

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since 2022, IRRPP has conducted multi-year research collaboration with OPEH on racialized forms of homelessness in Illinois, food insecurity among the unhoused, and disability-homelessness relationships. Produces reports with action plans for the state.
• Chicago Teachers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with CPS and Chicago Teachers Union on REACH Report studying schools with high trust between principals and teachers, examining administrator-teacher relationships and instructional performance.
• Arab American Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Arab American Chicagoland Report, addressing racial justice for Arab Americans and the problem of federal classification as 'Caucasian/white' while facing systems of racial profiling.
• Heartland AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based anti-poverty organization working throughout the US and abroad providing comprehensive services in health, housing, jobs and justice, and leading state and national policy efforts.
• Chicago Urban LeaguemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric civil rights organization working for economic, educational, and social progress for African Americans in employment, housing, education, and justice.
• Great Cities Institute (UIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIC college conducting research, policy analysis, and program development to tackle multi-dimensional challenges of changing socio-political economy of cities.
• Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (UIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIC institute creating research and programming opportunities for scholars, citizens, students, and government officials to transform democracy through engaged citizenship.
• Jane Addams College of Social Work (UIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIC college educating professional social workers, developing knowledge, and providing leadership on policies for poor, oppressed, and at-risk urban populations.
• Access LivingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading force in disability community challenging stereotypes, protecting civil rights, and championing social reforms for people with disabilities.
• Chicago Torture Justice CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center addressing traumas of police violence and institutionalized racism through healing services, trauma-informed resources, and community connection.
• Urban InstitutemajorOthersWashington D.C.-based research organization dedicated to addressing urban problems and evaluating effectiveness of social and economic policies.
• Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights PolicymajorOthersHarvard center offering policy-relevant knowledge to international organizations, governments, and policymakers, conducting research on human rights policy and practice.
• Mikva ChallengemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces civic engagement curriculum and programming developing youth as empowered, informed, active citizens for just and equitable democracy.
• Middle Eastern Immigrant and Refugee AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Arab American Report, fostering well-being of resettled refugees and immigrants from the Middle East using multilingual and multicultural expertise.
• La Casa NortecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting Latine Homelessness Report launch event on May 18, 2026, serving Humboldt Park community.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Urban Institute: Major DC-based research organization evaluating social and economic policies, including dedicated work on racial equity and disparities. Already a listed partner of IRRPP, and shares its evidence-based policy research model targeting government and community stakeholders.
• UC Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute: University-based research institute producing engaged research on racial inequity and structural inclusion. Highly comparable to IRRPP in mission (academic research on race), institutional structure (university-hosted center), and community-partnered methodology.
• Stanford Center for Racial Justice: University-based research center at Stanford Law School focused on racial justice scholarship and policy translation. Directly comparable to IRRPP in its university-hosted structure, academic-community engagement, and racial-equity research mission.
• Race Forward: National racial justice organization that combines applied research, policy analysis, and movement support. Directly comparable to IRRPP in its racial-equity focus and bridging of academic research with community advocacy.
• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-based anti-poverty organization conducting research and direct services in housing, health, and justice with a racial-equity lens. Already a listed IRRPP partner and comparable in its community-anchored research and policy work.

Regional players

• Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research: University-based policy research institute at Northwestern in the Chicago region producing research on urban inequality, race, and social policy. Highly comparable institutionally (university-based, Chicago-area, policy-focused) and a direct regional counterpart to IRRPP.

Broad incumbents

• Center for American Progress: Large national policy organization producing racial-justice and equity research alongside broader policy work. Competes for the same philanthropic and policy audiences as IRRPP but operates at significantly greater scale and across all policy domains.
• Aspen Institute: Nonpartisan policy and research organization operating multiple programs on racial equity, economic opportunity, and inclusive growth. Comparable in its nonprofit research-and-convening model targeting policymakers and practitioners.
• Brookings Institution: Premier public policy research organization covering racial inequality, economic mobility, and urban policy. Comparable in its research-to-policy translation model, though vastly larger in budget and scope than IRRPP.
• RAND Corporation: Large research institution conducting policy analysis across health, education, housing, and social welfare — including dedicated equity research. Comparable in its evidence-based policy research model and multi-stakeholder dissemination approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irrppuic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UICIRRPP
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRRPPUIC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irrppuic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy