CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 – NORC at the University of Chicago is pleased to announce The Bridge at NORC, the new name for the Academic Research Centers (ARC). Researchers at The Bridge design and execute studies that increasingly integrate both academic and community partners into the process, delivering trustworthy evidence and actionable insights that align with the Bridge’s mission of producing in-depth research with real-world impact.

The Bridge will remain on the University of Chicago campus and continue to build on NORC’s 80 years of experience conducting research with UChicago faculty on a wide range of grant-funded projects. While the department’s location and culture remain the same, its focus and priorities have broadened.

“Our department has long been a ‘bridge’ between NORC and the University of Chicago, and we hope to maintain and expand that connection while building new partnerships and relationships to ensure that our research is as useful and impactful as possible,” said Michael J. Reynolds, NORC senior vice president and director of The Bridge. “Historically, we have collaborated with UChicago faculty to conduct high-quality scientific research. We are now also focused on developing actionable, nonpartisan solutions to societal problems from complex data for them, ourselves, and others.”

Bridge researchers will continue to foster their unique, long-standing ties to the University of Chicago faculty while developing new partnerships with other experts both in and outside academia.

“It’s important to note that The Bridge spans more than just the divide between the department and academia,” said Kevin L. Brown, vice president of The Bridge. “We also benefit our clients by linking them to expert researchers across NORC as well as helping create connections to local practitioners such as the physicians, educators, and community members we both study and serve.”

The Bridge’s goal is to become the go-to research partner for any client seeking to combine academic rigor with on-the-ground experience in the pursuit of answers to tough questions across the lifespan, from early childhood to older adult, and in a variety of domains, including health, education, and arts and culture.