At its core, the Institute serves as a hub for social policy research agendas that seek to reduce inequality in education, health, housing and household financial security. Resident researchers work with scholars across Washington University to field original research utilizing diverse methodologies—from qualitative exploratory studies to randomized controlled trials. Projects often involve collaborations with industry, government, and academic partners on research and development that apply insights from academic theory to program design and implementation. SPI also aims to expand the University’s capacity to apply data analytics to solve social policy challenges.