THE HARRIS SCHOOL

Faculty and student research at the Harris School is guided not only by theoretical interests, but also by a strong commitment to solving enduring public policy problems and applying skills learned in the classroom. Learn more about research conducted on children and families, cultural policy, poverty, and social programs, as well as opportunities for students to practice what they have learned.

The Harris School works with affiliated centers and programs across campus.

Center for Human Potential and Public Policy

The Center for Human Potential and Public Policy, which was founded in 1998 with an endowment from the Irving B. Harris Foundation, is a university-based center that promotes trans-disciplinary research and training on achievement, health, and well-being across the lifespan. The Center is located within the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. In the University of Chicago tradition, the Center encourages innovative research on human potential and public policy that transcends the academic disciplines. The Center thus has three cross-cutting program areas cultivating student and faculty research across a broad spectrum of interests at the Harris School and the University. The Center also has an active training program for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The research and training activities of the Center are motivated by the goal of understanding the human condition from pre-birth to old age and identifying the public policies and technologies that support achievement, health, and well-being across the lifespan.

Center for Policy Practice

Housed at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, the Center for Policy Practice bridges studentsÕ classroom experience with the policy experience of the real-world, and connects the larger policymaking community with the SchoolÕs programs and activities. The Harris School believes that practical application of skills is an essential aspect of public policy training, enabling students to become effective leaders and to make a difference in the world around them.

Center for Social Program Evaluation

The Center for Social Program Evaluation is directed by James J. Heckman, 2000 Nobel Laureate in Economics and the University of Chicago's Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics. Heckman’s research deals with such issues as evaluation of social programs, econometric models of discrete choice and longitudinal data, the economics of the labor market, and alternative models of the distribution of income.

Cultural Policy Center

The Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago is a nationally recognized interdisciplinary research center dedicated to informing policies that affect the arts, humanities, and cultural heritage. It is a joint initiative of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Since 1999, the Cultural Policy Center has served as an incubator for new ways of understanding arts and culture, how they work, and how they are informed and affected by policies in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. The Center draws its strength from collaborations with faculty and students throughout the University of Chicago and with researchers and cultural sector leaders across the globe.

The Program on Political Institutions

The Program on Political Institutions (PPI) is the newest programmatic initiative at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies. PPI focuses on the domestic and international institutions that create and implement public policy. Through the support of workshops, conferences, student training, and scholarship, PPI establishes an intellectual hub at the University of Chicago for faculty and graduate students who are interested in the political economy of institutions.

Affiliated Centers

The interdisciplinary nature of the centers allows for broad participation by students and faculty. The School works closely with other research centers and programs throughout the University, including: