NORC at the University of Chicago

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News and relevant research findings from NORC at the University of Chicago. Posts and reposts do not indicate endorsement.

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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

Photo of Ashani Johnson-Turbes in front of a blue banner displaying her name. The Communicators Guide to Social Impact logo is at the bottom right.
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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

Head shot of Leah Christian, NORC Senior Vice President. Below is a quote, "Synthetic respondents represent a promising area of research, but one that requires the same scientific rigor, transparency, and evaluation that we would expect of any new methodology." At the bottom, the NORC at the University of Chicago logo is displayed.
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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

Infographic titled "How NORC’s Big Data Classifier Helped the Colorado Health Access Survey." It lists three points: "Helped the survey reach enough uninsured residents and other key subpopulations" "Used targeted oversampling to enable analysis of health access by population group across Colorado" and "Matched results to state and regional benchmarks to provide the Colorado Health Institute and county health departments with reliable data on health access for hard-to-reach groups." The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the bottom.
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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

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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

Image showing a graphic for NORC's attendance at the Ninth International CREA Conference, happening October 6-9, 2026, in Chicago, IL. The text reads, "We're attending Ninth International CREA Conference. Oct 6-9, 2026, Chicago, IL. Meet you there!" The logo for NORC at the University of Chicago is at the top. The background features abstract orange and white wave patterns.
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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

The image contains a headshot of Vince Welch, associate director of The Bridge at NORC. Below is a quote: “ChicagoSpeaks makes it possible to see both the local cost environment and residents’ lived experience rather than assuming they are interchangeable.” The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the bottom.
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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

Three people are seated on stage in front of a purple curtain. Mehmet Celepkolu is speaking into a microphone. He is seated beside Amelia Burke-Garcia and the session moderator. A group of five people is standing together, smiling at the camera at a conference. They are indoors, with a sign in the background that reads "AI-Ready Data Track."
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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

Three individuals are standing in front of a poster that reads "Health Equity in Action Summit: Collective Power for Community Health." The poster includes logos for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Multicultural Health Equity Collective, and NEHCSL. The background shows a cityscape through large windows.A panel of three individuals is seated on high chairs in a conference room. The person on the left is holding papers and wearing a white top. The person in the middle, dressed in a red blazer, is speaking, while the person on the right, wearing a blue suit, listens attentively. The setting includes a whiteboard and several seated attendees in the foreground.A group of individuals is seated around tables in a conference room setting. Three people are seated at the front, engaged in a discussion. A banner with the World Bank logo and diverse faces is visible in the background. The room has blue chairs and round tables with papers and nameplates on them.
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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.

Brian Fabes speaks at a podium addresses an audience in a conference room. A panel of people is seated on the stage. A large banner with the NORC at the University of Chicago logo is visible on a display board. The room is filled with attendees seated and listening.Dan Gaylin stands at a podium speaking to an audience in a conference room. The backdrop features a blue curtain with a logo, and there's an orange banner with the NORC at the University of Chicago logo. Audience members are seated and listening.Ashani Johnson-Turbes is speaking at a podium in front of an audience. The background has a blue curtain with the NORC at the University of Chicago logo. Attendees are seated, facing the speaker in a conference room setting.A panel of six individuals is seated on a stage before an audience, engaged in a discussion. The backdrop displays the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo repeatedly against a blue background. The audience is attentively focused on the speakers.
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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

Two people are looking at a document together in an office setting. Text on the image reads: "How Sample Design Innovation Helps Long-Running Surveys Evolve & Improve. NORC redesigned sampling approaches to help three flagship surveys meet evolving research demands."The image is an informational graphic about NORC Customized Survey Sample Design. It highlights three surveys in bullet points marked with an orange arrow. The first reads, "Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey: Helped support estimates for all 50 states and D.C., without weakening national data," the second, "General Social Survey: Optimized nonresponse follows-ups with cost and precision modeling while preserving data quality," and the third, "National Survey of Early Care and Education: Coordinated sampling to link households, providers, and the workforce to produce childcare data at both the local and national level." The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the bottom right corner.
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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

A headshot of Gwendolyn Rugg, Senior Research Scientist is above a quote: “Latino arts and culture organizations are clearly positioned to do more, even well outside of their original scope. Our data show real demand and real capacity. What’s needed is sustained, flexible investment to meet both.” The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the bottom.
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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.

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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

An announcement from NORC about their attendance at the 2026 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Conference, happening September 23-26, 2026, in Baltimore, MD. The message concludes with "Meet you there!" on an abstract patterned background.
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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

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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

The logo for Arts & Culture at NORC is at the top. Three bullet points marked with an orange arrow are below: "Celebrates 25 years of community-based audience research with NORC's national studies on arts participation." The second is "Partners with museums, theaters, and cultural nonprofits, integrating insights with national research." And the third is "Employs culturally responsive methods shaped through community collaboration." The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the bottom right.
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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

The image is a job advertisement from NORC at the University of Chicago for the position of Senior Vice President for Statistics & Data Science. It lists responsibilities such as leading a team of 60+ statisticians and data scientists, shaping NORC's AI and data science strategy, and mentions the position is hybrid, based in Chicago or Washington D.C. It provides a website for applications: careers.norc.org.
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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

Bar chart titled "Food insecurity by population type" compares "Food insecure" (red) and "Food secure" (green) percentages across various household types. Categories include Black households (61% insecure, 39% secure), Hispanic households (43% insecure, 57% secure), Asian-Pacific Islander households (31% insecure, 69% secure), White households (14% insecure, 86% secure), households with a child (47% insecure, 53% secure), households without a child (30% insecure, 70% secure), households with an adult age 65+ (36% insecure, 64% secure), and households without an adult age 65+ (37% insecure, 63% secure). Overall insecurity is at 36% and security at 64%. Source: U.S. Household Food Security Survey, Research Services, USDA.
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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

Stacked bar chart comparing how much U.S. adults trust information from the federal government in 2026 versus 2024 across nine topics. In 2026, the share expressing “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of trust is lower than in 2024 for every topic: inflation and cost of living, 18% versus 26%; health care, 16% versus 26%; immigration, 15% versus 20%; jobs and unemployment, 15% versus 25%; the federal budget, 14% versus 23%; education, 13% versus 21%; foreign affairs, 13% versus 19%; elections and politics, 13% versus 22%; and abortion, 11% versus 21%. Across topics, roughly half or more of adults report trusting federal information only “a little” or “not at all” in 2026.Stacked bar chart comparing how easy or difficult U.S. adults find it to navigate factual information about the upcoming midterm elections in 2026 versus 2024. The share finding each task “very” or “somewhat easy” declined for every measure. In 2026 versus 2024, it was 63% versus 71% for finding factual information about how to register to vote; 54% versus 63% for finding factual information about how to cast a ballot; 48% versus 57% for understanding the difference between fact and opinion; 37% versus 45% for finding factual information about candidates and their positions; 30% versus 38% for knowing if information is true or not; and 25% versus 36% for knowing whether candidates’ statements are true or not. The share finding each task difficult increased correspondingly.
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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

Conference attendance graphic that reads "We're attending 2026 DC-AAPOR & WSS Review/Preview Conference, September 9, 2026, Washington, D.C. Meet you there!" The background features abstract patterns. The NORC at the University of Chicago logo is at the top left.
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