About

Overview

The Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP) is Columbia University's research institute dedicated to the social sciences. ISERP pioneers research and integrates knowledge and methods across the social sciences.

Our Mission

To bring ideas into the world, ISERP supports researchers, faculty, students, and  social science research through research development, education and training programs, centers, workshops and administrative support. 

ISERP achieves its mission by:

  • fostering a dynamic intellectual community for the social science community at Columbia University;
  • strategically investing in research development;
  • educating the next generation of researchers;
  • translating social science research for the broader public and policymaking worlds.

Participation in ISERP’s core activities spans the departments of African American and African Diaspora Studies, Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics, as well as of Barnard College, the Earth Institute, Teachers College, the Mailman School of Public Health and the Schools of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Business, International and Public Affairs, Law, and Social Work.

Research

ISERP works within the intellectual community of Columbia University to generate, find external support for, and publicize innovative basic and applied social science research. Our general programming coupled with the services and resources of our Research Development Office provide an ideal environment for making innovative and collaborative research possible.

Education

ISERP's stimulating intellectual environment and innovative social science and policy research are predicated on substantive and ongoing education and training. ISERP is distinguished by the breadth of its programming, which addresses the needs of doctoral students, as well as of faculty, masters students and postdoctoral fellows.

QMSS Master's Program

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) is an innovative, flexible, interdisciplinary social science Master of Arts degree program at Columbia University that focuses on quantitative research techniques and strategies. The program integrates the perspectives and research methods of six social science disciplines: Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics.