Evidence-based research on regional culture, identity, and economic mobility.
The Halverson Institute for Applied Social Research is an independent, nonpartisan research organization established in 1987 by the sociologist Eric L. Halverson and a small group of colleagues at Northwestern University. Operating from Evanston, Illinois, the institute supports a permanent research staff and a rotating cohort of visiting fellows whose work centers on the cultural, demographic, and economic life of the American Heartland.
Our research is organized around three durable programs: Regional Identity and Economic Mobility; Civic Institutions and Local Governance; and Longitudinal Methods. We are best known for the Upper Midwest Cohort Study, a multi-state prospective survey first fielded in 2003 and now in its sixth wave.
The institute is governed by an independent board of directors and supported by program-restricted grants from major United States foundations and federal funders. We do not accept contributions from political organizations or candidates and publish a detailed annual transparency report.
Working Paper No. 2026-34
Academic Advisory Board
The board provides scholarly oversight of institute research and meets twice annually. Members serve in their individual capacity.
- Helena M. Voss, Ph.D.Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Daniel R. Okonkwo, Ph.D.Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan
- Susan Park-Ortiz, Ph.D., M.P.A.Senior Scholar, Russell Sage Foundation
- Robert J. Kowalski, Ph.D.Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota
- Margaret S. Lindgren, Ph.D.Professor of Demography, University of Chicago
- Theodore P. Aronson, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Northwestern University
- Joyce A. Vandenberg, Ph.D.Professor of Statistics, Marquette University
- Hiroshi Tanaka, Ph.D.Visiting Scholar, Halverson Institute
How our research is supported.
The Halverson Institute is supported through program-restricted grants from private foundations and federal funders, individual contributions from former research participants and friends of the institute, and modest revenue from continuing-education programs. In fiscal year 2025, the institute received no single gift accounting for more than 11.4% of its operating budget.
Principal current funders include the Carnegie Corporation, the Russell Sage Foundation, the National Science Foundation (Sociology and Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics Programs), the Spencer Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. A complete audited statement is published in our annual report.
The institute does not accept contributions from political campaigns, party committees, or organizations whose primary purpose is electoral advocacy. Researchers are required to disclose external funding for any work produced under the institute's imprint.
Evanston, Illinois 60201
United States
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