
In the fall of 2024, CSBS launched a campus policy research survey open to all faculty and research staff at the Urbana-Champaign campus. The primary goal of this survey was to understand the current landscape of policy research and interests at Illinois. Through this effort, CSBS aims to foster a more integrated and supportive environment for policy research and identify opportunities for cross campus collaboration on research, programming, and administrative support in the University of Illinois System.
A total of 92 researchers representing 16 colleges and other units on the Urbana-Champaign campus responded to the survey. Of the 62% of respondents actively engaged in policy research on campus, most are working in the fields of environmental, health, or education policy. The majority of policy researchers on campus use quantitative methods and receive support for the work from federal and foundation funding sources.
This survey and its large response from all areas of campus demonstrate an active body of policy researchers, and many more individuals who are interested in engaging in public policy research. There is ample opportunity to support these researchers and build collaborations both across campus and with public partners.
This effort aligns with the university’s land grant mission to address societal needs and translate research into solutions that benefit our communities. In the future, CSBS will work to develop programming that responds to the interests and needs expressed by survey respondents and to build partnerships with policymakers and other stakeholders.