International Research Hub

Leveraging strengths and partnerships across the Institute for Social Research (ISR), the International Research Hub is a resource that will support and expand social research collaboration and training worldwide.

Overview

The Survey Research Center (SRC) and Population Studies Center (PSC) at ISR are launching the International Research Hub to support University of Michigan faculty and staff working on international research, with an emphasis on data collection and representative studies of general populations.

SRC and PSC are leaders in data collection operations, longitudinal research, and population science.

William Axinn is the co-director of the Chitwan Valley Family Study, a former director of SRC, and the current director of the ISR’s Society, Population, and Environment Program, which spans both SRC and PSC. He will serve as the inaugural Ronald and Deborah Freedman Director of the International Research Hub, a role that begins with the launch of the Hub on July 1, 2025. The directorship is named for Deborah and PSC founder Ron Freedman, whose work, beginning in Taiwan in the 1960s, became synonymous with international studies of fertility and family planning.

Objectives

The International Research Hub will build on ISR’s expertise and infrastructure to advance global research, while contributing to ISR’s core aim of training the next generation of social scientists. The Hub will support four key objectives:

• To create long-term research partnerships in multiple settings
• To build research capacity at international partner organizations
• To promote data creation and data sharing to advance science and public policy
• To conduct population research designed to improve health and wellbeing

The International Research Hub will work to launch new international research collaborations, assist in identifying potential funding sources, and help researchers navigating project-specific solutions to changing policies on work outside of the U.S. when feasible.

Building on ISR’s Existing Strengths in International Research

Examples of key resources supporting international research at ISR:

• The SRC International Unit focuses on building global social science research capacity through training, consultation, and direct data collection support.
• The HCAP Network, designed by the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) team, supports harmonization of international studies data resources for the study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).
• A small grants program offers funds to support pilot projects, methods development, project development, and other needs. Seed funding comes via endowments funded by generous donors interested in international research and collaboration, including the Ronald and Deborah Freedman Fund for International Population Activities, the Albert and Jolene Hermalin Fund, and the Eva L. Mueller New Directions in Economics and Demography Fund, which have historically supported international research and collaborations.
• The vibrant program of international projects at ISR’s Center for Political Studies, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Population Studies Center, and Survey Research Center connects ISR to many other countries and global researchers who share ISR’s goals of high-quality, impactful data collection.
• The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) maintains an extensive collection of international public-use data resources.

Contact Us

If you want to work with ISR on international research, we want to hear from you.