RESEARCH
Cutting-edge research leads to innovation and impact
Research at SP2 is led by renowned faculty who are highly respected practitioners, educators, and mentors. Together with a worldwide network of global collaborators, they are advancing knowledge that drives social good and social innovation in a range of critical areas such as homelessness, health, philanthropy, and more.
Research Areas
CHILDREN, WOMEN & FAMILY WELL-BEING
A focus on critical reform to the child welfare system, improving the lives of children and women who are victims of abuse, and advocating for policy and practice reform
Committed to addressing climate justice through mitigation, anticipation, adaptation, and community action
Data-Driven Policy Analysis & Evidence-Based Practice
Using administrative data, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis to inform the future of social innovation and social policy
Expertise in income inequality, economic mobility, universal basic income, and the labor market impact of public policies
Health Equity, Mental Health & Aging
Understanding diverse social and environmental factors affecting health and well-being within underserved populations, geriatric patients, individuals with mental illness, and those at elevated risk for disease
Identity, Immigration & Racism
Understanding how personal, cultural, and social factors impact important issues concerning inclusion, economic injustices, and policy within marginalized communities
Mass Incarceration, Homelessness & Substance Use
Applied research, psychosocial services, and person-centered approaches to better understand how to recover and provide service to vulnerable populations
Social Innovation, Philanthropy & Nonprofit Management
Educating individuals on the economics of giving through grantmaking strategies, identifying donors, social entrepreneurship, and the resulting social impact
Research Centers & Projects
Students, faculty, and collaborators connect in SP2’s research centers, special projects, and initiatives to further groundbreaking scholarship.
Events
03/10
Call for Spring 2026 Art Exhibition Submissions Deadline
SP2 is holding our annual art exhibition and we’re hoping to receive a submission from you! We encourage you to submit work that visually responds to your personal connection to […]
Events
03/18
Brown Bag Lunch Series – Demarcus Jenkins
SP2 Faculty present the Brown Bag Lunch series! Bring your lunch & join the informal conversation to learn what interests your colleagues and professors at SP2. Faculty members will present […]
Events
03/19
CASI presents Nandita Das: My Journey from Social Work to Cinema
The Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is pleased to invite you to the Spring 2026 Saluja Global Fellow Lecture by Nandita Das, […]
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