NORC is helping the World Bank track business conditions through the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, which reach firms in 160 nations. In the past two years, NORC completed nearly 6,500 interviews across nine countries, including the first-ever U.S. survey. Explore our work: go.norc.org/461yFou

NORC’s third annual report from the evaluation of CMS’ ACO REACH model found that accountable care organizations (ACOs) reduced gross Medicare spending and improved quality in 2023. Explore the full evaluation report: go.norc.org/4zfSENN

Grocery costs are a growing worry for Americans. A new AP-NORC poll finds 41% of adults are now extremely or very concerned about affording groceries in the coming months, up from 24% in April. NORC’s Jennifer Benz breaks down the numbers with ABC News: go.norc.org/4zl5pqu

Nearly 6 in 10 U.S. teens say something they saw on social media changed how they eat, exercise, or use supplements and 44% turned to AI chatbots for health information, according to new NORC data. Explore the full findings: go.norc.org/4hzamFH

Nielsen’s ratings shape what stays on air and where ad money goes. NORC evaluated and modernized its sampling methodology with a new integrated cross-platform sample that cut costs and preserved data quality. Explore the full Innovation Brief: go.norc.org/4wsJdb7

People on Medicare remained satisfied with their health care in 2023, with 94.7% reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied. Explore NORC’s Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Interactives data tools, newly refreshed with 2022 and 2023 MCBS data: go.norc.org/4fVzWSw

How can transdisciplinary partnerships strengthen health communications research and practice? NORC’s Ashani Johnson-Turbes will moderate a panel discussion exploring this question at the Annual National Summit for Health Communication on August 11. Full agenda: go.norc.org/4fMHRDa

NORC’s refreshed MCBS Interactives tools show people on Medicare and not dually eligible for Medicaid were far more likely to have stocks or mutual funds than people who were dually eligible in 2023 (38.5% vs. 2.2%). Check out NORC’s MCBS Interactives for more: go.norc.org/3RrUaeL

Ninety percent of the food and beverage ads in Americans’ social media feeds are for unhealthy products, according to NORC’s data donation work, which pairs representative panels with people’s own social media data to surface who sees what and how often. Explore the research: go.norc.org/4fShdaw

NORC is at the American Statistical Association’s 2026 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Boston. Researchers will present new work on small area estimation, generative AI, data integration, and more. #JSM2026 Explore NORC at JSM: go.norc.org/45Clryl

Sixty-nine percent of U.S. Veterans say their military service helped them land a civilian job, but just 44% say it built skills directly applicable to their current work, according to new NORC research using the Veterans Insight Panel. View the full findings: go.norc.org/4wBdfd

Regional Education Labs (RELs) and Comprehensive Centers (CCs) are designed to be complementary: RELs build evidence, CCs provide technical assistance. NORC’s Matthew Linick explores how coordination between the two boosts outcomes and less burden on states. View the article: go.norc.org/3TwsUfJ

A Stronger Approach to Supporting States & Districts: Intentional Collaboration Between RELs and CCs | NORC at the University of Chicago

In light of the announcement on June 2, 2026, that the Comprehensive Centers (CC) Program will be moving to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and housed in the same division as the Regional Ed...

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Ready to level up your survey research skills? NORC experts lead two new, self-paced online courses on mixed-mode survey design and applied generative AI. Explore the courses: go.norc.org/4x8yu6h

Children's health holds steady after aging out of Peru's Cuna Más childcare program, but mothers reported significantly higher rates of depression. New research co-authored by NORC’s Angelo Cozzubo points to a need for transitional support for caretakers. View the full study: go.norc.org/4fsySXz

Motherly Care: The Impacts of Exiting a Childcare Program on Child and Maternal Health

We investigate the unintended impacts of exiting Peru’s Cuna Más public childcare program on child and maternal health. With increased public childcare use in developing countries, understanding th...

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NORC is at The Quirk's Event in New York, July 29-30. Catch Alex Chew's presentation on AI-enabled research and sample quality or visit booth #803 to connect with our AmeriSpeak team on strengthening data quality and reaching representative audiences. #QuirksEvent Find out more: go.norc.org/4wtmj44

Program evaluations are often treated like a final score at the end of a program to determine if funding continues. NORC senior fellow Matthew Stagner makes the case for continuous learning: testing, adapting, and improving programs in real time. Explore the full brief: go.norc.org/44zP5nu

New this month: NORC's Research Science newsletter explores what trustworthy data mean in the age of AI, from the launch of our Center on AI & Data Quality to AI systems that connect users to evidence and the impact of small area estimation. View the full issue: go.norc.org/4gUzZQX

NORC Research Science • July 2026

The Center on AI & Data Quality develops tools, standards, and guidelines for making AI use in government and business more trustworthy.

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NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis marks 30 years of partnering with rural communities and federal, Tribal, state, and local leaders to strengthen health care systems, workforce development, and public health. Explore three decades of impact: go.norc.org/4wjrMdG

New NORC ChicagoSpeaks data find Chicagoans grappling with two concerns: perceived safety and affordability. Forty-four percent of Chicagoans believe violent crime has risen city-wide and 67% call their area unaffordable, well above the national rate. Explore the full findings: go.norc.org/4fNIvjr

Today, NORC convened civic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and public safety leaders for a ChicagoSpeaks roundtable on perceptions of safety in Chicago, reflecting the initiative's mission to elevate resident perspectives in data-informed conversations about Chicago communities.

Men now make up less than a quarter of the K-12 teaching workforce, down from 30% in the 1980s. What draws the ones who do enter? New NORC survey data, mainly from Wisconsin, show 78% cited a desire to help kids and 86% were encouraged by their own teacher. View the blog post: go.norc.org/4gPMAF0

Men now make up less than a quarter of the K-12 teaching workforce, down from 30% in the 1980s. What draws the ones who do enter? New NORC survey data, mainly from Wisconsin, show 78% cited a desire to help kids and 86% were encouraged by their own teacher. View the findings: go.norc.org/4gPMAF0

Survey costs are rising and response rates are declining. So, what actually gets people to participate? A new NORC innovation brief tests six incentive strategies and shares what works, what doesn't, and what it means for survey design. View the findings: go.norc.org/4yLg4ue

Eight in 10 custodial parents in Colorado experienced a sudden drop in child support payments. New NORC research with the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab explores how this instability affects child welfare system contact. Explore the study: go.norc.org/4w3NzWP

As America turns 250, a recent WSJ-NORC poll finds just 48% think capitalism is working well, down from 60% a decade ago, and only 12% say the same about democracy. Read the full WSJ article: go.norc.org/4vDp2H0

New NORC research finds 6% of U.S. adults trust health information from AI more than their own health care provider. Another 15% trust it just as much. NORC’s Amelia Burke-Garcia on who fills the gap when trust erodes, at Aspen Ideas: Health. Watch her insights from the panel.

NORC has named Prashila Dullabh and John Roman distinguished senior fellows, our highest distinction. The honor recognizes their enduring contributions to NORC's mission, growth, and thought leadership. Explore the announcement: go.norc.org/4vDdKmk

Public health communicators face a challenge: nearly 40% of U.S. adults don't know that alcohol increases their cancer risk. New NORC research shows what works to raise awareness and motivate people to drink less: warning labels and simple guidance. View the findings: go.norc.org/4bB3Ji1

AI chatbots can sound right even when they're not. NORC principal data scientist Mehmet Celepkolu explains how building in source transparency and human oversight from the start is what makes conversational AI trustworthy. Find out more: go.norc.org/4f9weVe

How are Americans using federal data? A new NORC study finds nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults are regular users, from tracking neighborhood crime rates, to monitoring inflation to fact-checking arguments. Find out more: go.norc.org/44aU8KW