Mission

The Center for Advancing Research and Solutions for Society (CARSS) was established in January, 2003 to extend and strengthen the intellectual and methodological foundations of social and behavioral science, and the degree to which that science is applied to addressing society's most pressing problems and abiding dilemmas.

CARSS is designed to operate at the intersection of the research university's mission to pioneer new knowledge, methods, and technologies, and society's need to understand and effectively address the big, vexing and urgent issues of our day - globalization and sustainable, equitable development; terrorism and international relations; climate change and human habitat; and genomics, proteomics, and the ethical extension of healthy lives. Addressing issues of this scope and complexity, effectively, requires the development and application of new knowledge and technology through collaborative research guided by, and grounded in, the real world.

For this reason, CARSS projects will draw upon all relevant disciplinary perspectives and methods, and involve, as full partners, practitioners and non-academic leaders from business, industry, government, and the non-profit sector. To accomplish this integration, the Center will emphasize problem-oriented, team-based projects that bridge disciplines, utilize multiple methods, and link research and its practical application. Interdisciplinary teams or networks, comprising a core of two or more University of Michigan faculty, scholars with complementary knowledge and expertise from other institutions around the world, and practice-oriented professionals, will be provided the time, space, and resources they need to expand the boundaries of what we know and of how that knowledge is applied.