Skip to main content

Making Connections Research Scholars

Male student in the book stacks at a library.
Providing analytical opportunities for early-career scholars and researchers of color
  • Funder
    The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • Dates
    2014 - 2020

Problem

The Annie E. Casey Foundation aimed to expand research opportunities for early-career scholars and researchers of color while leveraging a rich longitudinal dataset.

The Making Connections initiative, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (Casey), is a collaboration of local organizations and residents that sought to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children by strengthening their families, improving their neighborhoods, and raising the quality of local services. The Making Connections Survey gathered longitudinal data in low-income communities in 10 U.S. cities over a 10-year period. When data collection for Making Connections ended in 2011, the Foundation began to explore opportunities to promote secondary analysis using the survey data.

Solution

NORC used targeted methods to recruit diverse applicants and coordinate awards to two cohorts of researchers.

Between 2014 and 2020, NORC at the University of Chicago worked with the Foundation to offer external researchers opportunities to utilize Making Connections data sets to advance knowledge related to low-income families, their children and communities. NORC engaged an expert panel to select awards to two cohorts of researchers. These awards were made possible in part by the Foundation’s Emerging Scholars Initiative, which aims to offer researchers and evaluators of color opportunities to conduct a secondary analysis using a Casey-supported data set. NORC provided authorized Research Scholars access to the Making Connections data via the NORC Data Enclave® and provided technical assistance. The awards have resulted in 13 published journal articles, two working papers, and at least 14 conference presentations.

Result

Ten researchers produced analyses that advance understanding of families in low-income neighborhoods.

The Making Connections Research Scholar awards have resulted in 13 published journal articles, two working papers, and at least 14 conference presentations. 

Research Publications

Learn more about the papers and briefs that have been produced using Making Connections data.

 

Projects Leads

Explore NORC Society & Culture Projects

2019 Census of Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies (CTLEA)

Gathering data to inform tribal law enforcement policies and resource allocation

Client:

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Census of Public Defender Offices (2023)

Collecting national data on state and local public defender offices

Client:

Bureau of Justice Statistics