Methods Centers Enhance Analytic Innovation

June 16, 2017

RAND and Pardee RAND Graduate School are building on a history of innovation with the growth of six new analytic methods centers. The methods centers address the increasing need that public policy recommendations and impact require continued investment in a diverse set of innovative and multi-disciplinary methodologies and tools. The Centers build on RAND’s pioneering expertise and research in the development of new analytic areas over its 70-year history and establish “communities of practice” to enhance the quality and rigor of our research and capabilities. The Centers became a part of Pardee RAND earlier this year. The six Methods Centers focus on:

• Applied Network Analysis and System Science
• Causal Inference
• Decision Making under Uncertainty
• Gaming
• Qualitative and Mixed Methods and
• Scalable Computing and Analysis

The Methods Centers at the Pardee RAND Graduate School are an investment in the analytic expertise of our research staff, faculty, and students through mentoring, training, and professional development activities. Drawing on the expertise of more than 1,000 world-class researchers, faculty, and students, the Methods Centers organize RAND's diverse base of expertise around a set of interlocking and leading-edge analytic domains to create the next generation of research methods and tools.

The Centers can also profoundly shape the experience of individual students at Pardee RAND. For example, Ellie Bartels (cohort '15) said that even before she came to Pardee RAND, she was encouraged to contact the directors of the Center for Gaming. They provided her with a clear picture of the opportunities for work and dissertation support. “Knowing there was a dedicated center made a big difference in my decision to attend” Bartels said. “The center has helped connect me with interested researchers, provided support to early stage research, and given me the opportunity to help teach my fellow students more about gaming.”