Research Centers Affiliated with Our Department

There are many research institutes that our department collaborates with.  Below is a list, with information about these institutes:

Odum Institute

The Institute houses the Louis Harris Data Archive, serves as a clearinghouse for social science activity, publishes a series of research reports, provides technical assistance on matters of research design, sampling and analysis, and orchestrates a series of colloquia.  Three interdisciplinary working groups headed by sociologists currently receive assistance from Odum:  social theory and cross-cultural studies, applied statistics, and qualitative research.

Carolina Population Center (CPC)

The Carolina Population Center involves graduate students in the projects of some 50 fellows from social science and health disciplines across the campus and provides valuable research services, from proposal development to word processing and programming assistance.

Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center (FPG)

FPG scientists study important issues facing young children and their families and use this information to enhance policy and improve practice.  Researchers focus on parent and family support; early care and education; child health and development; early identification and intervention; equity, access and inclusion; and early childhood policy.  FPG consists of more than 200 researchers, students and staff working on projects dealing with parent and family support; early care and education; child health and development; early identification and intervention; equity, access and inclusion; and early childhood policy. Our work crosses many disciplines—anthropology, audiology, biostatistics, education, epidemiology, nursing, occupational therapy, pediatrics, physical therapy, psychiatry, psychology, public health, social work, sociology, and speech and hearing sciences.

Sheps Center for Health Research

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research seeks to improve the health of individuals, families, and populations by understanding the problems, issues and alternatives in the design and delivery of health care services. This is accomplished through an interdisciplinary program of research, consultation, technical assistance and training that focuses on timely and policy-relevant questions concerning the accessibility, adequacy, organization, cost and effectiveness of health care services and the dissemination of this information to policy makers and the general public. The staff is composed of faculty-level research fellows, research assistants, programmers and data entry personnel, librarians, business office and other support staff, as well as graduate assistants, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars, visiting international research fellows and pre- and post-doctoral fellows.  Also affiliated with the Center are 150 research fellows representing more than 20 disciplines at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina State University in Raleigh and several private and public agencies throughout North Carolina, the United States and other countries.

Center for Developmental Science (CDS)

The Center for Developmental Science (CDS) is an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary center that serves as a catalyst for scholarship by providing a cooperative mechanism for research and training applications and initiatives.  The CDS transcends the usual boundaries of disciplines and institutions to facilitate training and research across disciplines and across the 6 participating universities (UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, Duke University, and Meredith College). The focus is on critical issues related to the development of our nation’s youth, such as rural education, school failure, early child care, and the health and well-being of the nation’s children, especially those growing up in disadvantaged settings. In fulfilling this mission, the CDS provides training and research opportunities to undergraduates, graduate students, recent PhDs, mid-career researchers, and senior scientists.

Research Triangle Institute (RTI)

RTI International is one of the world’s leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Their staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical services to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory testing and chemical analysis.

Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise was founded in 1985 and brought to global prominence under the leadership of sociologist Dr. John D. Kasarda.  The Kenan Institute promotes a wide range of research projects on businesses and is a fast-growing source of opportunities for sociologists to interact with business leaders.

Institute on Aging

The Institute’s mission is to enhance the well-being of older people in North Carolina by fostering state-wide collaboration in research, education, and service. Its mandate is to:

1. Promote collaborative applied and basic gerontological research
2. Develop innovative programs of interdisciplinary gerontological education and practice
3. Provide state-of-the-art information to policy makers, program managers, service providers, clinicians, and the general public.