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NORC at the University Chicago
NORC leads the field in identifying and measuring the conditions of vulnerable populations, including victims of labor and sexual exploitation.

In the area of vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, there is a need for more high-quality rigorous research on prevalence estimation, victim identification, the effectiveness of anti-trafficking interventions, and strategies to prevent trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Building a solid evidence base on these topics is key to improving programs and investment decisions.

NORC draws on a cadre of in-house international experts and statisticians working on trafficking and exploitation to address the most important issues impacting at-risk populations. NORC is a member of the U.S. Department of State Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum, where we test emerging best practices and use innovative sampling techniques, such as social-network-based sampling, to measure trafficking and hard-to-reach populations. For the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as private foundations such as Freedom Fund and the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, NORC conducts innovative Intervention Design Research (IDR) to identify key factors that make interventions successful within a specific geographic and sectoral context. In Nigeria and Liberia, we are conducting IDR research on effective programming related to child domestic workers. In Brazil, our IDR research focuses on forced labor conditions in the mining and ranching sectors. NORC’s rapid ad-hoc studies on people in vulnerable situations—such as USAID-funded landscape analyses of trafficking patterns in DRC, Mali, and Timor Leste—provide real-time data on the types and locations of trafficking survivors that enable policy makers to make informed decisions in challenging environments.

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Research Divisions

Vulnerable & Hard-to-Reach Populations Experts

Highlighted Projects

Community Overdose Prevention Education: Project COPE

Evaluating the impact of training on behavior change, naloxone distribution, and overdose in New York state

Funder:

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

Anti-Racism Practices in Healthcare Settings

Identifying multi-level strategies to address implicit bias and institutional racism in health care settings

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NDWA Labs Methodology Review

Methodological consultation for one of the largest surveys of Spanish-speaking domestic workers in the U.S.

Funder:

NDWA Labs

Research on the Mayors Action Plan (MAP) in NYC

Evaluation results for the Mayor’s Action Plan (MAP) in NYC

Client:

New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ)

American Cancer Society Patient Navigation Capacity Building Initiative

Enhancing patient navigation services to reduce cancer health disparities

Client:

American Cancer Society

Evaluating CDC’s Approaches to Enhancing Adult Immunization Uptake

A culturally responsive evaluation of CDC’s efforts to boost adult immunization uptake and advance equity

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Network-Driven COVID-19 Prevention for Vulnerable Populations (RADx-UP)

Randomized control trials to evaluate network-based approaches to promote COVID-19 prevention

Client:

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Federal Cervical Cancer Collaborative

Developing resources to improve cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management in safety-net health care settings

Client:

Health Resources and Services Administration

COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors

Audience research to support tailored COVID-19 prevention messages and materials for people with disabilities

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

COVID-19 Vaccination Success Stories in Rural Communities

A qualitative study exploring lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccination efforts in rural communities

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Assessing Child Labor in West Africa Cocoa Farming

The largest-ever examination of child labor in the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana

Client:

Bureau of International Labor Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor

Improving HIV Health Outcomes for Black Men Who Have Sex with Men

Evaluating clinical care and behavioral health support services for Black MSM with HIV

Funder:

Health Resources and Services Administration

Community Health Toolkits for Rural America

Evidence-based approaches for building effective rural community health programs

Client:

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration

Research Technical Assistance Center

Leveraging expertise of academic institutions worldwide to inform USAID’s policies and programming

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

How Right Now / Qué Hacer Ahora

A communication initiative to increase people’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Foundation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Tracking Attitudes About COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccines

Bimonthly surveys to improve vaccine estimates and inform outreach strategies

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Using Social Media to Recruit Cancer Research Participants

Exploring the feasibility of using social media to recruit participants for surveys about cancer risk

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

A landscape analysis of technology-facilitated gender-based violence in the Asia-Pacific region

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Labor Exploitation of Kenyans in Gulf Countries

Study finds East African workers commonly mistreated in Gulf Cooperation Council member nations

Client:

Global Fund to End Modern Slavery

Bangladesh Apparel Industry Study

Supporting efforts to improve worker protections in the informal ready-made-garment sector

Client:

Global Fund to End Modern Slavery

Philippines Human Trafficking Survey

Exploring public attitudes and documenting victim stories in the Philippines

Client:

U.S. Department of State

Child Sex Exploitation in Kenya

Examining the prevalence of child sex exploitation and the effectiveness of programs to fight it.

Client:

Global Fund to End Modern Slavery

USAID PRO-IP Policy: Research Supporting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

Assessing and measuring the involvement of Indigenous Peoples in USAID programming

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Buffalo Network Evaluability Assessment

Determining the evaluation readiness of a metropolitan network service delivery model for trafficked persons

Funder:

National Institute of Justice

Maternal and Child Health Jurisdictional Survey

A survey to provide data on the health and wellbeing of mothers and children in eight U.S. jurisdictions

Client:

Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Providing research, monitoring, and evaluation services to support CDC’s legacy Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS)

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Community-Engaged Research on Gambling in Massachusetts

Understanding the impacts of gambling and sports betting on communities in Massachusetts

Client:

Massachussetts Gaming Commission

Evaluation of the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network

Evaluation of multi-racial/ethnic and multi-sectoral network addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on priority populations

Client:

DHHS Office of Minority Health

HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence

Updating the federal government’s strategy for addressing and responding to intimate partner violence

Client:

Health Resources and Services Administration

Binational Bus Travel: An Innovation for Public Health Action

Improving disease prevention via public health management of cross-border bus travel

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Provider Resiliency Evaluation

Rigorous evaluation of three programs addressing health care workforce burnout and mental health

Client:

Health Resources & Services Administration

ERASE Maternal Mortality Evaluation Plan Development

Planning for the evaluation of the U.S.’s primary source for review of pregnancy-associated deaths

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Recruitment and Community Engagement Support for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease Project

Parkinson’s disease research among adults in Black and African American communities

Funder:

This project was supported by the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2). GP2 is funded by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative and implemented by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Gender-Based Violence Portfolio Performance Evaluation

Making gender-based violence prevention, protection, and accountability programs more effective

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Recruitment and Community Engagement Support for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease Project

Recruitment Support for the BLAAC PD Study

Recruitment and Community Engagement Support for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease Project

Funder:

This project was supported by the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2). GP2 is funded by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative and implemented by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

LEO Friends of the Children Follow-up Interviews

Conducting post-intervention follow-up interviews with caregivers of children living in poverty

Client:

Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity (LEO)

LEO Maternity Homes Follow-Up Interviews

Conducting post-intervention follow-up interviews with unhoused pregnant women

Client:

Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity (LEO)

Tackling Exploitative Child Domestic Work in West Africa

A comprehensive assessment of child domestic work in Nigeria and Liberia to inform program design

Client:

U.S. Department of State

Gender-Based Violence Impunity in Latin America & Caribbean

Elevating survivor perspectives to promote meaningful accountability for gender-based violence

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

US-Colombia Child Protection Compact Partnership Study

A comprehensive examination of four types of child trafficking

Client:

U.S. Department of State

LEO Catholic Charities Los Angeles Follow-up Interviews

Post-intervention follow-up interviews with youth facing barriers to employment

Client:

Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity (LEO)

Trauma-Informed Unaccompanied Children Workforce Initiative

Evaluation of a trauma-informed training initiative for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Children Bureau workforce

Client:

Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Environments Promoting Wellness & Resilience (EmPWR) Evaluation

Exploring the influence of the built environment on mental health and well-being within domestic violence shelters

Funder:

New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity)

J-RISE: Eliminating Barriers to HIV Services Among BMSM

Evaluating status neutral interventions for Black justice-involved adults to improve HIV and employment outcomes

Client:

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Reproductive Health Experiences & Access

Tracking reproductive health experiences and access in the U.S.

Oral Health and Dental Care Experiences among Children with Special Health Care Needs

A mixed-methods study of dental care needs and disparities among children with special health care needs.

Client:

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

Evaluation of Minnesota’s Home and Community-Based Services Assessment Process

Community-engaged evaluation to understand disparities in Minnesota's home and community-based services (HCBS) assessment process

Client:

Minnesota Department of Human Services

Evaluation and Learning Partner for the Corporate Coalition

Using inclusive and equitable research methods to inform community-building investment initiatives

Client:

The Corporate Coalition of Chicago

Evaluating USAID’s Counter-Trafficking Efforts in Cambodia

NORC assesses whether job programs can reduce labor trafficking

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Harms After a Victimization: Experience & Needs (HAVEN)

A comprehensive update to the costs and consequences of criminal victimization

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Support for the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network

Building the evidence base for addressing opioid use disorder (OUD) stigma and access to OUD treatment

Client:

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Democracy, Human Rights & Governance: Learning, Evaluation & Research Activity

Generating and promoting the use of data, evidence, and learning to inform DRG programming worldwide

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

BLAAC PD Study Recruitment and Engagement Support

Technical assistance for efforts to transform the understanding of Parkinson’s genetics

Funder:

Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP)

Study of Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Collecting new data for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations for the first time in 20 years

Funder:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

Evaluation of the Administration of Aging’s Program to Prevent Elder Abuse

Evaluation of pilot interventions to prevent elder mistreatment

Client:

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

UCLA Data Equity Center Technical Assistance

Supporting collection, imputation, weighting, analysis, and dissemination of data to promote health equity

Client:

University of California, Los Angeles, Data Equity Center

ONC LEAP: Aligning Housing and Health Care Project

Evaluating a shared care plan to enhance communication and coordination for individuals experiencing homelessness

Client:

AllianceChicago

Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Data Support

Collaboration, data sharing, and data infrastructure activities for an innovative opioid and pain research initiative

Client:

National Institutes of Health (NIH)