The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity is a nationally recognized research center with a 21-year record of impact. Our research team is committed to advancing research on race and ethnicity through foci on community engaged research, innovation, muti-sector collaborations, and policy impact. We specialize in pairing data-informed analysis and community engagement to diagnose the structural conditions that drive inequity as well as identify strategic intervention points for advocacy and policy. To date Kirwan has collaborated with policy makers in over 400 jurisdictions across the U. S. and worked with national and community-based partners to create innovative policy that effects change through applied research and strategy development. Our expertise crosses multiple domains of interest – poverty, maternal and infant health, education, criminal justice, and housing. Community engagement is a critical component of the Kirwan research process. The Kirwan Institute remains a trusted community and university partner on a range of initiatives, from revitalization to data-driven assessments for community-led change. Join us in fostering equitable research that empowers communities and drives actionable solutions for a better future.
State of the Science: Implicit Bias 2018-2020
The Kirwan Institute has a long history of aggregating and disseminating the latest research developments regarding implicit racial bias. We remain steadfast in our commitment to rigorously curating and making this work accessible as part of our land grant mission. In honor of Kirwan’s 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the first Kirwan State of the Science, we are releasing three (3) State of the Science reports simultaneously (2018, 2019, and 2020) in a new virtual format. We will chronicle research developments in three general domains: education, healthcare, and law/criminal justice over this three-year period. Prior State of the Science reports are cited and linked where applicable throughout this page.
Towards equitable investments for addressing challenges and needs of older African Americans in the State of Ohio
In partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Kirwan Institute conducted a study based on our prior research, which created an Older Ohioan Vulnerability Index. This report found that 44% of census tracts in Ohio are in neighborhoods where older African Americans are experiencing multiple complex needs.
Toward a Better Governed City of Los Angeles: The Final Recommendations of the LA Governance Reform Project
The Los Angeles Governance Reform Project, co-chaired by Kirwan Executive Director Ange-Marie Hancock, responded to the need for better local governance through a year-long effort to understand the research and the desires of Angelenos for a more representative government. Together with academics from eight institutions, the project presented recommendations based on 12 focus groups, a bilingual poll of registered voters, and 18 informational briefs summarizing social science research on three topics: independent redistricting, council size and format, and ethics reform.