What Newcomb Institute does

Newcomb Institute is an academic research institute at Tulane University dedicated to gender equity research, interdisciplinary scholarship, and student engagement. Established in 2021 as the successor to H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College (itself founded in the late 19th century), the institute operates four core platforms: the Violence Experiences (VEX) survey series spanning Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and California; the EMERGE gender equality measurement platform tied to UN Sustainable Development Goal 5; student-facing programs including internships, scholars, and peer mentors; and the Newcomb Alumnae Association, which connects a 30,000-member network of alumnae. The institute is staffed by approximately 80 employees and reaches roughly 40,000 people annually through research, programs, and community engagement.

The institute's core technical assets are its survey instruments and the EMERGE measurement platform, which produce longitudinal, cross-state data on gender-based violence and equality indicators. Recent product releases include the LaVEX 2025 statewide survey and two new instruments, TexVEX and MsVEX, with CaVEX extending coverage to California. The institute also publishes policy-oriented research, including the Maternity Care Report (2026) and the 50 Years of Lawmaking Report (2026). Notable institutional partnerships include NORC at the University of Chicago, UC San Diego, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, expanding methodological and clinical-research reach.

As a non-profit academic unit, Newcomb Institute does not operate a commercial revenue model. Its operating budget is funded through Tulane University institutional support, external faculty grants ($345,818 recorded in 2024-25), and philanthropic donations, including a $3 million gift from Donna and Richard Esteves. Distribution is through academic publications, state-level survey reports, policy briefings, student programs, and community partnerships rather than paid customer channels.

Name

Newcomb Institute

Legal name

Newcomb Institute, Tulane University

Website

https://newcomb.tulane.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Newcomb Institute is a Tulane University research and policy institute that advances gender equity through the multi-state Violence Experiences (VEX) survey series, the EMERGE measurement platform, student programs, and a 30,000-member alumnae network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Institute (Gender Equity)

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Gender equity research
• Population-level surveys
• Violence prevention studies
• Academic research institute
• Women's health policy

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Funding from Tulane University as part of the university's academic structure. The institute receives endowment support including the Nancy Reeves Dreux Endowed Chair.
2. Faculty Grant Funding: Research grants awarded to faculty affiliates, with $345,818 in faculty grant funding awarded in the 2024-25 academic year.
3. Philanthropic Donations: The institute accepts donations through Tulane's giving platform, including named funds like the Christopher F. and Andrea S. Richardson Vanguard Fund for Excellence in Tropical Medicine.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Newcomb Institute is an academic research institute at Tulane University that conducts multidisciplinary research on gender equity and gender-based violence, generates open-access population-level survey datasets (the VEX studies), supports student training through internships, scholarships, and peer mentoring, and engages a 30,000-member alumnae association. Its research is delivered to state agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions to inform policy and prevention programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VEX (Violence EXperiences) Survey: State-level population-based surveys collecting data on violence, discrimination, and mental health across U.S. states including California, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
• EMERGE

Products and services

• Louisiana Study on Violence Experiences Across the Lifespan (LaVEX) Population-level survey capturing how Louisiana residents experience and are affected by different forms of violence, from harassment to weapon-related assault. Findings are used by state agencies, nonprofits, and academic researchers to inform policy and prevention efforts.
• Mississippi Violence Experiences Survey (MsVEX) State-specific population-based assessment of Mississippians' experiences with physical violence, sexual violence, and intimate partner violence across the lifespan. Produced with the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
• Texas Violence Experiences Survey (TexVEX) Statewide, population-based survey measuring violence experiences among Texas adults, capturing data that often does not appear in police reports or hospital data.
• EMERGE Platform Open-access platform providing evidence-based measures of gender equality and empowerment. Its indicators are used in national surveys for global tracking of UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.
• Violence EXperiences (VEX) Study Multi-state initiative collecting state-level data on violence, discrimination, and mental health to inform policy and prevention efforts across California, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
• Newcomb Internship Program Program placing Tulane students with nonprofit, government, and international organizations for experiential learning in gender equity-related work. 69 students were placed with 33 organizations in fall 2025.
• Newcomb Scholars Program Scholarly program supporting Newcomb-identified students with research and academic opportunities tied to the institute's gender equity mission.
• Newcomb Alumnae Association (NAA) Alumnae association supporting personal, collegiate, and professional connections among approximately 30,000 Newcomb College alumnae and Newcomb Institute alumni globally through networking events, book clubs, the Town Mom program, Networking Night, Homecoming/Wave Weekend, and alumnae awards.
• 50 Years of Lawmaking Report Research report analyzing 50 years of representation in the Louisiana Legislature from 1976 to 2026, including the gender composition of State Senate and State House seats.
• Maternity Care Report 2026 2026 analysis of maternal health outcomes in Louisiana, documenting that 30% of parishes lack maternity care and 47% lack obstetric physicians, with rural areas most affected.

Quantifiable outcome

• 122 faculty affiliates engaged in gender equity research with $345,818 in grants awarded
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Mississippi Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Faculty collaboration on the Mississippi Violence Experiences Survey (MsVEX), providing medical and public health expertise for research on violence across the lifespan in Mississippi.
• University of California San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UC San Diego collaboration on Violence Experience (VEX) surveys and EMERGE platform development. Executive Director Anita Raj maintains her connection to UC San Diego while leading Newcomb Institute, enabling ongoing research collaboration on gender equity measurement and violence prevention studies.
• National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NORC administers the population-level VEX surveys, providing methodological expertise and data collection infrastructure for generating representative statewide estimates of violence experiences across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and California.
• Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouisiana nonprofit supporting survivors of sexual trauma. STAR validates and utilizes LaVEX research findings to strengthen community prevention efforts and improve services for survivors.
• The Water InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlyssa Dausman, NAA board member, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist at The Water Institute, a nonprofit focused on coastal and water research. Connection facilitates potential future research collaboration on environmental justice and gender equity intersections.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellesley Centers for Women: Women-focused interdisciplinary research and action center at Wellesley College, conducting population-level research on gender equity, violence, and women's leadership. Directly comparable mission, university-based model, and research-to-policy orientation.
• Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR): Independent nonprofit that produces population-level gender equity research and policy analysis used by state and federal stakeholders. Comparable research methodology, policy focus, and commitment to open-access data.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): Global research organization focused on gender equity, women's empowerment, and violence prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable global orientation and research-to-policy model, especially given Newcomb's SDG 5 work.
• UC San Diego Center for Gender Equity: Gender equity research center where Executive Director Anita Raj was previously based. Directly comparable research portfolio (gender equity, violence, EMERGE origins) and institutional partnership with Newcomb Institute.
• Guttmacher Institute: Research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health, including state-level data on maternal care and access. Comparable research-to-policy model, especially relevant for Newcomb's maternal health and violence work.
• Vanderbilt Center for Research on Inequality and Gender: University-based research center focused on gender inequality and social policy. Comparable university-anchored research model, gender focus, and policy translation ambitions.
• Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP): University-based research center producing data on women's political representation and civic engagement. Directly comparable to Newcomb's 50 Years of Lawmaking report and feminist civic engagement focus.

Regional players

• Emory Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE): Reproductive health research center at Emory University focused on the U.S. Southeast. Comparable regional focus on reproductive health, maternal care, and state-level population research in the same geography as Newcomb.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies: University-based research center producing population-level studies on health, gender, and social inequality. Comparable population-survey methodology and policy translation, with broader reach and substantially larger funding base.
• Carolina Population Center (University of North Carolina): Major NIH-funded population research center at UNC producing large-scale survey and longitudinal data on health, gender, and inequality. Comparable population-research methodology and academic-institute model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NCITulane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncitu
• Instagraminstagram.com/newcombinstitute

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 Newcomb Institute