Global forces are dramatically changing the environments of children, youth and adults both in the United States and throughout the world. First- and second-generation immigrant children are on their way to becoming the majority of children in the U.S., bringing linguistic and cultural diversity to the institutions with which they come in contact. Technological developments will proceed at a pace that may outstrip school systems' capacity to adequately prepare children. The homes of children, youth and adults will increasingly be concentrated in mega-cities of unprecedented size and potentially unprecedented poverty.

How does human development unfold in the context of these rapidly changing social forces? The Institute of Human Development and Social Change at New York University will address these urgent societal questions. The Institute aims to break new intellectual ground through its support for interdisciplinary research and training across social, behavioral, health and policy sciences. In the spirit of the common enterprise university, the Institute brings together faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students from professional schools and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Mission Statement

The Institute's mission is to stimulate research on children, youth, and families in the context of a rapidly changing social world.  The Institute aims to break new intellectual ground through its support for rigorous, interdisciplinary research and training across social, behavioral, and health sciences.  

Institute priorities include research on basic change processes in human development, and how these processes are affected by social, economic, historical, political, cultural, and physical contexts.  The Institute also focuses on research that informs educational, health, and social policies and other intentional change strategies.  The Institute brings together over 40 faculty members from across multiple units within New York University, including the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, Human Development, the Wagner School of Public Service, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.  In addition, the Institute actively promotes interdisciplinary undergraduate, pre-doctoral, and post-doctoral research training.