Press Releases

5/13/2013 - Bethesda, MD Cutting-Edge Training Technology to Help Prevent Substance Abuse Released by MedRespond, Peer Assistance Services, Inc. and NORC at the University of Chicago

5/13/2013, Bethesda, MD.–In a collaborative effort to provide state of the art screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training for health care professionals, MedRespond, Peer Assistance Services, Inc., and NORC at the University of Chicago announced the launch of the SBIRT Substance Use NursingMentor™ software that prepares health care professionals to identify, intervene and recommend treatment for patients at-risk for substance abuse. The SBIRT Substance Use NursingMentor is an online training platform that uses computational linguistics, search and streaming media to teach SBIRT skills through engaging simulated interactions. This new program integrates MedRespond’s Synthetic Interview (SI) technology with Peer Assistance Services’ and NORC’s SBIRT training curriculum into a streamlined training experience that allows health care professionals to receive SBIRT training credits in a convenient and cost-effective manner.

4/24/2013 - Chicago, IL Long-term Care: Perceptions, Experiences, and Attitudes of Americans 40 or Older

Chicago, April 24, 2013—The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces the publication and availability of a major survey that provides a new baseline of understanding about what Americans 40 years or older  believe about their need for long-term care services, what such care would cost, and how such issues fit into their concerns about growing older.  The survey reveals that while there is widespread concern among this population about the need for long-term care, little is being done to plan for it.  Funding for the survey was provided by The SCAN Foundation.

3/20/2013 - Chicago, IL America’s Lower-Wage Workforce: Employer and Worker Perspectives


Chicago, March 20, 2013—The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces the publication and availability of a major two-part study designed to better understand how lower-wage workers and those who employ them view such jobs and the opportunities for advancing the careers of lower wage workers. Funding for the surveys was provided to the AP-NORC Center by the Joyce Foundation, the Hitachi Foundation, and NORC at the University of Chicago.

2/25/2013 - Chicago, IL International Surveys Show Environmental Issues Rank Low Among Most People’s Concerns

2/25/2013, Chicago, IL–A newly released international study reveals that the issue of climate change is not a priority for people in the United States and around the world. The surveys showed that when asked to rank priority worries, people were five times more likely to point to the economy over the environment. Additionally, when asked about climate change, people identified the issue as more of a national problem than a personal concern.

2/11/2013 - Bethesda, MD Access to Medicare Claims Data Increased With Release of the Data Entrepreneurs’ Synthetic Public Use File (DE-SynPUF) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

2/11/2013, Bethesda, MD. - Today, CMS released the Data Entrepreneurs’ Synthetic Public Use File (DE-SynPUF) to be used by data entrepreneurs for writing programs and developing applications or research protocols that can be applied to CMS claims data. This public release will aid entrepreneurs and researchers in understanding the complexity and abundance of information in these data. The DE-SynPUF was a joint project of NORC at the University of Chicago and IMPAQ International, a Maryland-based research, evaluation and technical assistance firm

2/6/2013 - Chicago, IL Associated Press Correspondent Matt Sedensky Awarded Year-Long Journalism Fellowship to Focus on the Economics of Aging and Work

Matt Sedensky, an award-winning correspondent for the Associated Press whose national beat includes issues of aging, has been named the first recipient of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Fellowship on the Economics of Aging and Work.

1/18/2013 - Bethesda, MD Americans’ Views on Entitlement Reform, Health Care, and Partisanship

1/18/2013, Bethesda, MD. – Today, the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago released the new report, 2012 NORC Presidential Election Study: American’s Views on Entitlement Reform and Health Care. Results from this survey suggest that substantial majorities of the American public prefer the status quo on most provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and on entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare. However, most Americans are not in favor of the status quo on partisanship and prefer that their own representatives work with others and make compromises, even those that include policies respondents dislike.
Final Report

1/4/2013 - Chicago, IL Obesity in the United States: Public Perception of Causes, Solutions, and Consequences

Chicago, January 4, 2013—The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces the publication and availability of a major survey that explores the American public’s understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity; the link between obesity and chronic health conditions including diabetes; and the role of government in addressing the nation’s obesity problems.

12/19/2012 - Bethesda, MD NORC Survey of Americans’ Views on Deficit

12/19/2012, Bethesda, MD. – Today, the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago released new survey results, 2012 NORC Presidential Election Survey: Americans’ Views on the Deficit. Results from the survey suggest that a large majority of Americans are more concerned about jobs and unemployment than they are about the budget deficit. And not surprisingly, Republicans and Democrats have somewhat different budget priorities, yet a clear majority of Americans (79 percent) want their representatives in Washington D.C. to work with others to get things done.

12/13/2012 - Philadelphia, PA University of Chicago's Norman Bradburn Named a Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

Philadelphia, December 13, 2012 – The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished learned societies, has selected Dr. Norman Bradburn as the 2013 Samuel A. Stouffer Fellow of the Academy. The AAPSS inducts a small group of Fellows each year, in recognition of their scholarly contributions to the social sciences, their efforts to communicate that scholarship to audiences beyond their own disciplines, and their commitment to improving public policy with research.

11/9/2012 - Bethesda, MD NORC Survey of the American People Reveals Party Affiliation Shapes Beliefs about Key Political and Non-Political Issues

11/9/2012, Washington – The independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a survey in the weeks prior to the 2012 Presidential election to measure the general public’s opinions about key issues and knowledge about responsibility for recent policies, such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Affordable Care Act.  The results suggest that party affiliation affects how people react to the political as well as non-political issues, and partisanship is often a substitute for knowledge.

10/23/2012 - Chicago, IL Metadata Technology Collaborating with NORC, ICPSR, and partners on improving researchers access to GSS and ANES surveys

Researchers will have access to improved metadata and new tools to search through and analyze the General Social Survey (GSS) and the American National Election Studies (ANES) under a new joint initiative launched by Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, and several partners.

9/24/2012 - Chicago, IL New Study Underscores the Potential of Aging Services Technologies (ASTs) to Improve Care and Quality of Life

Focused efforts to increase awareness and expand use of aging services technologies (ASTs) can help improve health outcomes, preserve individuals’ ability to live independently in their homes and communities, improve care coordination, and reduce the cost of care, concludes a study jointly authored by LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) and the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago.  

9/19/2012 - Chciago, IL The AP-NORC Journalism Fellowship on the Economics of Aging and Work

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, announces a 12-month residential fellowship for journalists that will focus on issues surrounding the aging workforce in the United States.

8/21/2012 - Chicago, IL NORC Awarded Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Contract to Conduct the National Immunization Survey

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a contract to NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct a major research effort, the National Immunization Survey.  The five-year award renews work NORC has done on the survey since 2005.

8/8/2012 - Washington, D.C. Horatio Alger Association Announces Important Youth Survey

The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., in collaboration with Hart Research Associates and NORC at the University of Chicago, announced the 2012-2013 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey results today at the Newseum.

6/28/2012 - Chicago, IL Careful planning and focus on audience crucial to success of new cultural facilities

​Civic leaders, arts organizations, donors and government officials can better plan new or expanded arts facilities by first focusing on the arts organizations’ missions and assessing demand for the projects, according to a new study from the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago.setinstone FINAL REPORT.pdf"Set in Stone."

6/22/2012 - Chicago, IL Minority Students See Increased Wages with STEM Education

Minority college students who major in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – earn at least 25 percent more than their peers who study humanities or education, according to the results of a new study.

6/7/2012 - Chicago, IL Energy Issues: How the Public Understands and Acts

“From the price of gas at the pump to action by the federal government on energy policy, energy is an issue that touches the lives of every American every day, said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center. “This survey represents an in-depth and up-to-the-minute look at how the American public feels about where responsibility for the nation’s energy problems lies, and who holds responsibility for addressing them.”

5/23/2012 - Bethesda, MD New Study Finds That 51 Percent Of Americans With Individual Health Insurance Will Improve Their Coverage In 2014 Through The Health Exchanges

More than 11 million Americans below the age of 65 are now covered by private individual health insurance plans. A new study, released today by Health Affairs as a Web First, measured the actuarial value of a sampling of 2010 health plans (the percentage of medical bills an insurance company pays) for both group and individual policies, and found that the majority of individual plans fell below the minimum standards and benefits required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

4/25/2012 - Chicago, IL Trevor Tompson Named Director of the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

Trevor Tompson, global director of polling for The Associated Press, has been named director of the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In his new position, Tompson will have overall responsibility for managing operations of the AP-NORC Center, which combines the journalistic strength of AP with the social science research power of NORC at the University of Chicago.

4/18/2012 - Chicago, IL International Perspectives on Theism

International surveys about the depth of people’s belief in God reveal vast differences among nations, ranging from 94 percent of people in the Philippines who said they always believed in God, compared to only 13 percent of people in the former East Germany. Yet the surveys found one constant—belief in God is higher among older people, regardless of where they live.

4/11/2012 - Chciago, IL Larry L. Bye Appointed NORC Senior Fellow

NORC at the University of Chicago announced today the appointment of Larry L. Bye as Senior Fellow in NORC’s Public Health Research department.  “We are excited to welcome Larry Bye as our newest Senior Fellow, “ said Mike Davern, Senior Vice President and Director of NORC’S Public Health Research department.

3/27/2012 - Bethesda, MD Over 20 Million Individuals Infected with Hepatitis E in Asia and Africa

New research funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 20.1 million individuals were infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 1 and 2 across 9 world regions in 2005.   According to findings available in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, there were 3.4 million symptomatic cases, 70,000 deaths, and 3,000 stillbirths from HEV that year in countries throughout Asia and Africa.  

3/15/2012 - Atlanta, GA NORC Opens New Offices in Atlanta

The social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago has announced the opening of its new regional office in Atlanta, Georgia. “This new office allows us to better serve our clients and partners in Atlanta and the surrounding region,” said John Thompson, President and CEO of NORC at the University of Chicago. “It allows on-the-ground support and easy access to specialized expertise, enabling us to collaborate more effectively with local and regional academic and research communities. There has been an increase in demand for NORC’s research and analysis services and we are confident that this expansion will allow us to better meet that demand.”

2/24/2012 - Chicago, IL Clifford Zinnes Named NORC Senior Fellow

NORC at the University of Chicago today announced the appointment of Clifford Zinnes, Ph.D. as Senior Fellow in NORC’s International Projects (INPRO) department.

2/21/2012 - Chicago, IL NORC Opens New Offices

Today NORC the University of Chicago announced the official opening of two new office locations in Atlanta, Georgia and in Boston, Massachusetts. 

2/6/2012 - Chicago, IL Odds of Living a Very Long Life Lower than Formerly Predicted

The chances to reach extreme old age are much lower than previously thought, new research shows.

Research just published by a team of demographers at the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago contradicts a long-held belief that the mortality rate of Americans flattens out above age 80. 

12/8/2011 - Chicago, IL Joseph S. Broz, Ph.D., Appointed NORC Senior Fellow

​​NORC at the University of Chicago today announced the appointment of Joseph S. Broz, Ph.D. as Senior Fellow in NORC’s Security, Energy, and Environment department.

11/4/2011 - Philadelphia, PA Birth Cohort Screening for Hepatitis C is Cost Effective

According to a new study being published early online in Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians, birth cohort screening for hepatitis C is cost effective in the primary care setting. A proactive screening strategy could identify over 800,000 currently unidentified cases, which could save many thousands of lives each year.

11/2/2011 - Chicago, IL Robert T. Michael Research Prize Winners Announced

The faculty selection committee of the Robert T. Michael Research Prize has awarded the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 prizes to the Chicago Initiative for Economic Development and Early Childhood (CEDEC), an initiative by Harris School doctoral students to explore early childhood development in developing countries. The Harris School doctoral students comprising CEDEC are Pedro Bernal, Guadalupe Bedoya, Elise Chor, Ana Sofia Leon, Javaeria Qureshi, Maria Fernandez Rosales, Patricia Ritter and Arianna Zanolini. Pietro Biroli, a doctoral student from the department of economics, is also a member of CEDEC.​

9/28/2011 - Chicago ​Americans Move Dramatically Toward Acceptance of Homosexuality Finds GSS Report

​In addition to a plurality who now approve of same-sex marriage, Americans overwhelmingly support basic civil liberties and freedom of expression for gays and lesbians, in contrast to sharp division on such issues in the 1970s.

9/21/2011 - Chicago, IL Teaching Artists Found Critical to the Future of Arts Education

​Teaching artists (TAs)—artists who make teaching a part of their professional practice as artists—are critical to the future of arts education and to improving the quality of schools. These are two of the conclusions of the Teaching Artists Research Project, a three-year study by NORC at the University of Chicago that is the most comprehensive examination of the work and world of teaching artists.

9/6/2011 - Chicago Civil Liberties and Security: 10 Years After 9/11

​CHICAGO, Sept. 6, 2011-- The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces publication and availability of its inaugural project: "Civil Liberties and National Security: 10 Years After 9/11."

9/1/2011 - Highest Percentage of Americans In Four Decades Say Financial Situation Has Gotten Worse

​Chicago, April 14, 2011— A recently released report of the General Social Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, shows that for the first time since 1972, more Americans say that their financial situation has gotten worse in recent years rather than better. Understandably, also for the first time since 1972, the percentage of Americans saying that they are "not at all" satisfied with their financial situation (31.5%) notably exceeds those saying they are "pretty well" satisfied (23.4%).

9/1/2011 - John H. Thompson Appointed to the Committee on National Statistics

​​John H. Thompson, President and CEO of NORC at the University of Chicago, has been appointed to the Committee on National Statistics.

9/1/2011 - Tom W. Smith Awarded the 2011 Warren E. Miller Award for Meritorious Service to the Social Sciences

​​CHICAGO, August 2, 2011 - The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) announced today that Tom W. Smith has been awarded the 2011 Warren E. Miller Award for Meritorious Service to the Social Sciences. Smith is a NORC Senior Fellow, Director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Society, and since 1980 has served as Director of the General Social Survey (GSS), one of NORC's most visible projects and one fo the nation's most heavily utilized datasets.

9/1/2011 - Tolerance Grows for a Wide Variety of Groups, Except for Muslim Extremists

​Although Americans are increasingly tolerant of the open expression of a variety of views, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 have made most Americans reluctant to extend those freedoms to Muslim extremists, research released Aug. 25 by NORC at the University of Chicago shows.

9/1/2011 - Robert T. Michael Named Senior Fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago

​CHICAGO, September 1, 2011—Robert  T. Michael, renowned scholar, teacher, and founding dean of the Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago has been named Senior Fellow by NORC at the University of Chicago.
 
Michael is currently the Eliakim Hastings Moore Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Harris School and teaches courses on economics of child and family policy, leadership in Chicago, and co-teaches a course on "science, technology, and policy."

8/31/2011 - The Associated Press, NORC at the University of Chicago, Establish New Center for Public Affairs Research

​CHICAGO, August 31, 2011—The Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago announced today the formation of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The Center will combine the expertise of NORC, one of the world’s premier social science research organizations, with AP, the essential global news network whose news is seen every day over all media platforms and formats by more than half of the world’s population.

8/30/2011 - Eric Goplerud to Run NORC's Department of Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Criminal Justice Studies

​​​CHICAGO, March 21, 2011—NORC at the University of Chicago today announced the appointment of Eric Goplerud, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President of NORC’s Department of Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Criminal Justice Studies.

8/30/2011 - Helen H. Suh Joins NORC as Program Area Director in Environmental Health

​CHICAGO, January 5, 2011—NORC at the University of Chicago announced the appointment of Helen H. Suh, Sc.D. as the new Program Area Director for Environmental Health in the Public Health Research Department.

8/30/2011 - Sheila Nataraj Kirby, Ph.D., Appointed NORC Senior Fellow

​​CHICAGO, May 2, 2011—NORC at the University of Chicago today announced the appointment of Sheila Nataraj Kirby as Senior Fellow in NORC’s Education and Child Development Studies department.

8/30/2011 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Team Receives 2011 Mary Tyler Moore and Robert S. Levine, M.D., Excellence in Clinical Research Award

​On April 13th, Michael O’Grady was notified by The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation that he and the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) team had been honored with the 2011 Mary Tyler Moore and S. Robert Levine, M.D., Excellence in Clinical Research Award.