
About
About
IQSS develops the social science tools that lead researchers from observing the world to changing it.

Gary King
Director, Institute for Quantitative Social Science
Albert J Weatherhead III University Professor
The goal of IQSS is to transform social science research from the art of studying the greatest problems that affect human societies to the science of understanding and solving these problems. After generations of trial and error, social scientists in this generation have finally figured out how to collect unprecedented privacy-preserving information about people, groups, firms, and countries and to invent the statistical methods, data science approaches, theories, and technologies necessary to make this data actionable.
Our History
We founded IQSS on March 1st, 2005, replacing the Center for Basic Research in the Social Sciences. Fourteen months later, IQSS was formally designated as a Harvard University-wide institute.
Over the next two years, IQSS incorporated within it the Harvard-MIT Data Center, the Henry A. Murray Research Archive, the Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA), the RWJ Scholars in Health Policy Program, and others.
Since then, IQSS has helped create numerous programs, centers, and initiatives that are now part of the Institute; elements of other Harvard units; ongoing collaborative efforts between IQSS and other Harvard groups; separate organizations within Harvard; and independent nonprofits and commercial firms outside of Harvard.
IQSS is now the University's largest social science research center and an integral part of the Harvard administration.
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Programs & Products
IQSS houses and develops many faculty-led scientific programs, as well as software and systems tools designed to facilitate research and the use of large datasets.
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Research Resources
IQSS offers access for social scientists to technological resources, and we’re ready to help you learn how to use them so you can focus on your research.
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Our Impact
IQSS has encouraged and allowed researchers to think more expansively and take on projects that would have been impossible otherwise.
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Become an Affiliate
IQSS welcomes requests from scholars to become affiliated with our institution. Affiliation allows graduate students and faculty to apply for funding or access IQSS-based services, such as Sponsored Research Services.