Center for Public Policy and Social Research

The Center for Public Policy and Social Research (CPPSR), designated a Connecticut Higher Education Center of Excellence, is dedicated to enriching the quality of public policy, public service, University outreach, and applied research in Connecticut. CPPSR provides a wide range of informational resources, training, research, and consulting services to communities, municipal and state government, and nonprofit organizations. CPPSR develops, facilitates, and supports faculty and student projects, which provide a unique opportunity to advance scholarship, applied research, and real-life experiences.

The Center also serves the State of Connecticut by providing a neutral forum for the framing and debate of a myriad of contemporary public issues. The Center also conducts research and helps facilitate the development and implementation of innovative public policy initiatives.

The Center houses the Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics. The Chair’s programs include active archival and oral history projects, focusing on Connecticut’s modern public policy history, and a partnership with the History Department, Elihu Burritt Library, Media Services and the United States Library of Congress in the Veterans History Project. A visiting Distinguished Professorship of Public Policy has been established to link the O’Neill Chair to students and faculty. The position is filled by a public figure recognized for his or her outstanding contribution to the understanding and shaping of public affairs in Connecticut.

The Center’s applied social research function is maintained as an affordable resource for government, communities, and non-profit organizations that need assistance with survey research, program evaluation, project development, and training of government officials. Among the resources utilized are expert faculty and capable students from the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Professional Studies, and Technology. 

The Center for Public Policy and Social Research (and the Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair) is located in the Robert C. Vance Academic Center, with a satellite office for applied social research in DiLoreto Hall.