Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty, as well as our graduate students, conduct research and scholarly work to inform social policy and generate knowledge for the future of the profession. Research at the school spans a range of topics: child welfare, violence and trauma, mental health and substance misuse, political participation, and human rights at home and internationally. Utilizing state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative methods, faculty and graduate students investigate issues here in Connecticut, as well as elsewhere in the United States and abroad.

We recently welcomed to our School the Innovations Institute, an interdisciplinary, translational research center, which builds research-based, inclusive, culturally-responsive, and transformative child-, youth-and family-serving systems and services, and develops the capacity of the workforce within these systems.

In addition, the school works alongside various Connecticut state agencies including the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Office of Early Childhood to conduct research and evaluation projects to advance our community's response to some of the most pressing issues in social work today. Read more about our state partnerships. 

The UConn School of Social Work's Office of Research & Scholarship (ORS) aims to support faculty in the conduct of both basic and applied research. We also highlight recent research activity, active grant awards, and other updates on our Research News page.

Vision

The UConn School of Social Work’s Office of Research and Scholarship promotes the integration of research and scholarship with the core values of the school. ORS is committed to supporting research and scholarship that serves as an engine of growth for the State of Connecticut.  We foster research and scholarship that informs policy and practice and that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Goals

• Promote and expand research and scholarship activities in collaboration with School of Social Work students, faculty, and staff.
• Connect the school community with extramural support opportunities.
• Raise the UConn SSW research and scholarship profile.
• Assist members of the SSW community with the grants management process (both at submission and after awards are obtained).
• Foster engagement and collaborations between the SSW community members and other scholars, agencies, organizations, and communities.

Questions? Please contact the Office of Research & Scholarship at ssw-ors@uconn.edu.

Our expert faculty is committed to the generation and wide dissemination of cutting edge and impactful knowledge, informed by social justice and anti-oppressive lenses, through traditional and innovative research methodologies.