NORC at the University of Chicago

Most teacher retention studies ask why teachers leave. NORC and IWERC asked rural Illinois science and math teachers why they stay. Support from leadership, shared values, and adequate pay and benefits were linked to plans to stay. Explore the findings: go.norc.org/3UfCsMU

NORC is in Mexico City this week for the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) 79th Annual Conference, presenting on cross-national views of AI, surveys in challenging settings, the association’s founding, and more. #WAPOR2026 Explore our sessions: go.norc.org/3W4IH6J

No single survey mode reliably reaches most target populations anymore. Ipek Bilgen explains how mixed-mode design makes participation more convenient, which is often the difference between a sample that represents the population and one that doesn’t. Read the full Expert View: go.norc.org/4ieZ1cl

Is AI a threat to traditional survey methods, or does the real risk lie in how it’s used? NORC’s Ting Yan outlines a framework for responsible AI where methodologists, not AI capabilities, decide when and how AI gets used. Explore her approach: go.norc.org/4kckVj5

Election results show how Americans voted, not why. In Poynter, NORC’s Jennifer Benz and Tom Rosenstiel explain how the Civic Health & Elections Project, a survey of 85,000+ registered voters in all 50 states, can help journalists fill that gap. Read the full article: go.norc.org/4BpUexK

This week, NORC’s Health Care Programs team is at the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) 2026 Fall Conference, sharing research and evaluation insights on evolving Medicaid priorities. Find out more about NORC at #NAMD: go.norc.org/4sg9nNI

Earlier this month, NORC researchers shared research on the role of power and partnership in evaluation at the Ninth International CREA Conference in Chicago. Check out photos from the conference below.

Strong reach doesn’t always mean a public health message is being shared. A new NORC study in Communications Health finds public health accounts kept posting about e-cigarette prevention on X/Twitter, but over time, far fewer accounts amplified their messages. View the study: go.norc.org/3WilmOR

From rural school districts to Chicago’s neighborhoods, our latest NORC in IL newsletter covers research on how Illinois residents work, connect, and experience the conditions shaping their daily lives. Explore the issue: go.norc.org/4eEwhZu

Who needs to be at the table to fully understand a health problem? In a new interview with Suraj Arshanapally for Communicator’s Guide to Social Impact, NORC’s Ashani Johnson-Turbes makes the case for transdisciplinary approaches to health communication research. go.norc.org/47o99e0

AI-generated “synthetic respondents” are speeding up survey research, but their reliability depends on the human data behind them. NORC’s Leah Christian explores the utility and challenges of synthetic respondents in her new Expert View. Find out more: go.norc.org/4B6MmRm

What’s driving the historic homicide decline—and how can we sustain it? CCJ convened four dozen crime scholars to assess nearly 50 possible explanations. 📅 Join our webinar on 10/21 at 3pm ET to explore what they found. ➡️ Register: events.zoom.us/ev/AvR-Uo8_t...

The groups most central to a survey’s research can often be the hardest to reach. NORC’s Big Data Classifier helped the Colorado Health Access Survey build a reflective sample of key subpopulations to analyze health access across the state. Find out more: go.norc.org/47QEPJ3

Why do economists and consumers often see different versions of the same economy? Brian Fabes, NORC senior fellow, explained how ChicagoSpeaks™, our representative panel of Chicago residents, captures what macro numbers can miss: residents’ lived experiences. Find out more: go.norc.org/3M8yyRA

NORC is a sponsor of the Ninth International CREA Conference in Chicago this week, where our experts are presenting research and approaches that center community partnerships and knowledge. Catch NORC’s presentations and visit our exhibit booth to find out more: go.norc.org/479wGPD

Just 6% of Chicagoans say they’re thriving financially, and 31% can’t pay every bill in full in a typical month. NORC’s Vince Welch digs into our June 2026 ChicagoSpeaks® findings in his latest Expert View. Find out more: go.norc.org/4yrCdfP

At #AWSImagine, NORC’s Amelia Burke-Garcia and Mehmet Celepkolu presented on the Trusted Health Information Assistant (THIA), a research-backed AI platform that delivers reliable health information and allows researchers to study how audiences engage with it. Find out more: go.norc.org/4utZ1e4

As AI takes a bigger role in shaping policy, how do we ensure community voices remain central to the conversation? NORC’s Ashani Johnson-Turbes explored that question on a panel at the HEI Summit in Washington, D.C. See our related work: go.norc.org/4rL8vjW

Why do economic indicators often tell a different story than people’s everyday experience? NORC and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago recently brought together economists, business leaders, and residents to explore this gap and examine how consumer sentiment has changed over time.

Long-running surveys face growing demands, from small-area estimates to emerging policy questions, all while maintaining data quality. NORC developed three sample design solutions to help flagship surveys keep pace. Explore the brief: go.norc.org/3TaAAEJ

New NORC research finds Latino arts organizations anchor cultural life in neighborhoods across the country and examines their reach, resource constraints, and how they connect communities to youth development, health, and immigration services. Find out more: go.norc.org/4yO2rto

When residents are treated as partners and help shape the research, the findings reflect what they actually need. That idea guided NORC’s work with the Obama Foundation (@obamafoundation.bsky.social) on Home Court, a new community space within the Obama Center. Watch our research in action.

NORC researchers are attending the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2026 conference this week, presenting on assessment, teacher retention, civic education, and evaluation standards. Explore the full program: go.norc.org/4hntRPw

New from NORC’s Center for Public Safety & Justice (CPSJ): our September newsletter is out now and dives into what it takes to make public safety systems work better in real time. Find out more in the full newsletter: go.norc.org/3UNdJzt

Slover Linett at NORC is now Arts & Culture at NORC. The new name brings together Slover Linett’s 25 years of community-based audience research with NORC’s decades of national studies on arts participation. Explore Arts & Culture at NORC: go.norc.org/4yK6KWI

NORC is hiring a Senior Vice President for Statistics & Data Science to lead a department of 60+ professionals advancing survey statistics, data integration, and AI and machine learning. This is a hybrid role based in Chicago or Washington, DC. Apply now: go.norc.org/4h6Qjwa

Thirty-six percent of Chicago households lack consistent access to enough food, according to the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s new 2026 Hunger in Chicago Report on food access and assistance use, developed in partnership with NORC. Explore the project: go.norc.org/4r7C3rD

As the 2026 midterms approach, U.S. adults’ trust in federal information has fallen across the board, according to new research from AP-NORC and USAFacts. Their confidence in information about elections and politics also fell from 22% to 13% since 2024. Explore the full report: go.norc.org/4ymj27a

NORC is at the 2026 DC-AAPOR & WSS Review/Preview Conference in Washington, D.C. Visit our exhibit booth and catch sessions on machine learning for survey adjustment, generative AI for synthetic respondents, and panel methodology. Find out more: go.norc.org/4cD6ct0

NORC has earned FedRAMP® certification for the NORC Data Enclave Gov, a data management platform that lets agencies securely share sensitive data with researchers. This milestone reinforces our commitment to supporting federal data research for the public good. Learn more: go.norc.org/3UzvqlZ

How can statewide survey data help make sure every community is represented? Although the 2025 Colorado Health Access Survey was only built to measure 21 regions, NORC produced reliable health estimates for all 64 counties using small area estimation. Find out more: go.norc.org/4ypxgUU

DNA databases are known for helping solve crimes after they happen. New NORC research finds they may also help prevent future crimes, particularly among younger offenders and those early in their criminal histories. View the full Expert View on DNA databases and public safety: go.norc.org/4xEgSA4

NORC is at APSA 2026 in Boston from September 3-6. Connect with our AmeriSpeak and Public Affairs & Media Research teams at booth #515 and catch sessions on civic education partnerships, partisan leadership psychology, and political research sampling. #APSA2026 Find out more: go.norc.org/3UvOz8e

Our new NORC Now issue explores how tailored survey methods raised response rates for the World Bank’s global business surveys, plus new insights on veterans’ civilian employment prospects, innovative media measurement sampling, and more. Explore the full issue: go.norc.org/3Um3zW9

Better outcomes for students start with strengthening the systems, policies and people behind them. NORC’s support of the Central Comprehensive Center does just that, partnering with education agencies in seven central region states. Watch and explore: go.norc.org/4hNaZvo

Federal leaders say women’s health is expanding beyond pregnancy and reproductive care alone. NORC’s Meghan Woo outlines three challenges agencies face as priorities expand to menopause, aging, and chronic disease prevention. go.norc.org/46dd5xq

Out now: NORC’s Education newsletter dives into what it takes to keep classrooms staffed and students supported, from multi-state partnerships to a Wisconsin study on the rural teacher pipeline, and more. Explore the full issue: go.norc.org/4zA1YfI

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hasreleased the 2024 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (#MCBS) Survey File! Learn more about this Limited Data Set and download the Survey File documentation at: go.norc.org/4949Fhc

NORC is at the 2026 PAPOR Conference in San Francisco, August 20-21, where our AmeriSpeak solution also serves as a Benefactor Sponsor. Catch sessions on building team success from Anna Wiencrot and how identity and health shape public opinion from Jennifer Benz. Find out more: go.norc.org/4qsEEMv

NORC's THRIVE survey features prominently in a new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences article on lessons from behavioral science in financial markets, part of a larger special feature on behavioral science across federal agencies. View the findings: go.norc.org/4bZENB9

Sports betting is increasingly accessible to young adults, but little is known about how they experience and engage with it. Explore new NORC research findings and implications for prevention, education, and harm reduction in our upcoming webinar. Register: go.norc.org/4wEp0z8

Nearly half of older adults with multiple chronic conditions would consider a clinical drug trial, but participation often comes down to trial design. Explore new research using NORC and @aarp.org's Foresight 50+ panel: - go.norc.org/4xeZQrZ - go.norc.org/4g3R4ai

NORC is helping the World Bank track business conditions through the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, which reach firms in 160 nations. In the past two years, NORC completed nearly 6,500 interviews across nine countries, including the first-ever U.S. survey. Explore our work: go.norc.org/461yFou

NORC’s third annual report from the evaluation of CMS’ ACO REACH model found that accountable care organizations (ACOs) reduced gross Medicare spending and improved quality in 2023. Explore the full evaluation report: go.norc.org/4zfSENN

Grocery costs are a growing worry for Americans. A new AP-NORC poll finds 41% of adults are now extremely or very concerned about affording groceries in the coming months, up from 24% in April. NORC’s Jennifer Benz breaks down the numbers with ABC News: go.norc.org/4zl5pqu

Nearly 6 in 10 U.S. teens say something they saw on social media changed how they eat, exercise, or use supplements and 44% turned to AI chatbots for health information, according to new NORC data. Explore the full findings: go.norc.org/4hzamFH

Nielsen’s ratings shape what stays on air and where ad money goes. NORC evaluated and modernized its sampling methodology with a new integrated cross-platform sample that cut costs and preserved data quality. Explore the full Innovation Brief: go.norc.org/4wsJdb7

People on Medicare remained satisfied with their health care in 2023, with 94.7% reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied. Explore NORC’s Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Interactives data tools, newly refreshed with 2022 and 2023 MCBS data: go.norc.org/4fVzWSw

How can transdisciplinary partnerships strengthen health communications research and practice? NORC’s Ashani Johnson-Turbes will moderate a panel discussion exploring this question at the Annual National Summit for Health Communication on August 11. Full agenda: go.norc.org/4fMHRDa

NORC’s refreshed MCBS Interactives tools show people on Medicare and not dually eligible for Medicaid were far more likely to have stocks or mutual funds than people who were dually eligible in 2023 (38.5% vs. 2.2%). Check out NORC’s MCBS Interactives for more: go.norc.org/3RrUaeL