The American Institutes for Research has announced that it will invest more than $100 million over five years in behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address systemic inequity across the country.

The AIR Equity Initiative will fund research projects that support the goal of establishing bolder, more strategic, and sustained ways of advancing equity, especially in underinvested areas. By combining collaborative research and technical assistance, the initiative will help advance on-the-ground, grassroots efforts to address issues in education, workforce development, public safety and policing, and health. To that end, researchers and specialists will work with community partners, schools, employment training organizations, and others to ensure that the research and technical assistance reflect and benefit from diverse perspectives. The initiative also will create opportunities to generate and use research to address complex, overlooked, and challenging aspects of systemic inequity.

"Our nation is grappling with the consequences of systemic inequity in every state and in all areas of society," said AIR president and CEO David Myers. "The COVID-19 crisis further exposed the longstanding societal fault lines and the need for immediate and ongoing action. AIR believes research has a critical role to play in identifying solutions and informing policies to create a better, more equitable world."