Vision Statement
We envision a future where regional priorities & strategic problem-solving are brought together with research as a natural & dynamic partnership, with Pitt serving as an authentic partner that is deeply connected with communities.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to connect community priorities with university expertise to advance high-quality, community-engaged research that strengthens our region. We cultivate trusted partnerships, data accessibility, collaborative inquiry, & create the systems that transform knowledge into lasting public impact.
UCSUR Planning and Budgeting Committee Bylaws.
About Us
UCSUR was established in 1972 to serve as a resource for researchers and educators interested in the basic and applied social and behavioral sciences. Today, UCSUR promotes and coordinates interdisciplinary community-engaged research most relevant to our region.
UCSUR maintains a permanent community-engaged research infrastructure with the capacity to:
- conduct all types of survey research and quantitative data analysis;
- acquire, manage, store, and analyze secondary and administrative data sets, including census data and data of unique local interest;
- obtain, format, and analyze spatial data;
- carry out regional econometric modeling;
- design and carry out descriptive, evaluation, and intervention studies; and
- conduct qualitative data collection and analysis.
Our research infrastructure is organized under three core programs
- the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center (WPRDC), which provides a shared technological and legal infrastructure to support research, analysis, decision making, and community engagement.
- the Survey & Qualitative Research team (SQR), which is responsible for all aspects of survey research and quantitative data analysis;
- the Community Impact Network, which supports teams of university and community partners to use research and action to address pressing regional issues.