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Founded in 2004, Stanford’s Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS) seeks to ensure Stanford’s national and international leadership role in social science research. The Institute’s aim is to ensure that Stanford social  scientists  produce  high-quality, impactful research, and that the Stanford continues to rank among the foremost research institutions for anthropology, communication, economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and interdisciplinary research for the social sciences. Maintaining the strength of the social sciences is a key component of Stanford’s strategic vision. IRiSS is well-positioned to lead that charge in a new era of Stanford excellence.

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Your gift of any size is an important investment that supports the Institute’s highest priorities, which include: 

• Bringing predoctoral researchers to Stanford. The Predoctoral Researchers Program at IRiSS provides early-career scholars an opportunity to work directly with a faculty mentor to contribute to cutting-edge social science research. During the program year, participants will develop research skills, explore academic research careers, and network with a multidisciplinary community of scholars.
• Launching a new institute for survey research. The Stanford Institute for Excellence in Survey Research (SIESR) strives to help Stanford researchers understand human behavior and gauge public opinion by facilitating survey research and securing grants; to advance survey methodology with the aim of producing more accurate and reliable surveys; and to inform policy debates by disseminating findings not only to academics, but also to media, policymakers, and industry.
• Providing restricted-use data for Stanford researchers In partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, IRiSS hosts one of roughly 30 Federal Statistical Research Data Centers in the country, providing social scientists with access to restricted data from federal agencies and departments. IRiSS facilitates this access to scholars across Stanford University, which can dramatically enlarge the scope of questions researchers can tackle, and in turn, expand the pool of evidence-based research available to policymakers. Demand for data access has increased dramatically across the entire University, but the cost of data is an obstacle for researchers from certain departments.