The Policy Lab supports a rich, multidisciplinary, and cooperative research program.

Like a research center, The Policy Lab is staffed by scholars and practitioners researching vital challenges of social importance and contributing to the academic record and public debate. Our work regularly appears in peer reviewed journals and books, and is presented at academic conferences (such as ISA, NCA, and others).

Like a design firm, The Policy Lab applies knowledge to the design of solutions through strategy building, modeling, prototyping, co-creation, and facilitated dialogue. This approach to linking knowledge to action through design practices places The Policy Lab at the innovation vanguard of public policy.

Our research program centers on the generation of relevant knowledge to the design of local action, through policy, programming and fieldwork.

We work to improve our approaches, conceptual frameworks, data generation techniques, interpretive methods, design solutions, ethical approaches, and outreach efforts. We learn to act. And we learn through action.

Key research areas now include:

• Cooperative risk management
• Strategic design
• Local strategies research
• Strategic engagement
• Security needs assessments
• Service design for peace and security
• Cooperative ethics

Learn more about our people and their work - read more...