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The University Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR) was established in 1972 to serve as a resource for researchers and educators interested in the basic and applied social and behavioral sciences.  As a hub for inter-disciplinary research and collaboration, UCSUR promotes a research agenda focused on the social, economic, and health issues most relevant to our society, including regional economic analysis and forecasting, the psychosocial impacts of adult development and aging, intergenerational relations, and environmental resource management.   In addition, UCSUR maintains a permanent research infrastructure available to faculty and the community with the capacity to:

1. conduct all types of survey research and data analysis
2. carry out regional econometric modeling
3. analyze qualitative data using state-of-the-art computer methods, including Web-based studies
4. obtain, format, and analyze spatial data
5. acquire, manage, and analyze large secondary and administrative data sets including Census data
6. design and carry out descriptive, evaluation, and intervention studies

UCSUR plays a critical role in the development of new research projects through consultation with faculty investigators.

The long-term goals of UCSUR fall into three broad domains:

1. provide state-of-the-art research and support services for investigators interested in interdisciplinary research in behavioral and social sciences
2. develop nationally recognized research programs within the center in a few selected areas
3. support the teaching mission of the University of Pittsburgh through graduate student, postdoctoral, and junor faculty mentoring, teaching courses on research methods in the social sciences, and providing research internships to undergraduate and graduate students

Achieving these goals requires that we continually upgrade and improve the research infrastructure of the center, and that we recurit, develop, and maintain a core staff of investigators capable of being leaders in ther fields.