Overview

The Center's mission is to conduct research that makes a difference in women's lives. While our research agenda is designed to be responsive to the circumstances and needs of women in Massachusetts and New England, many of the policy issues that guide our work have national significance. The Center’s primary areas of expertise focus on the political representation of women and a range of public policy issues that are important to women. Our research directly addresses the intersectionality of gender, race/ethnicity, and social class by examining issues that are relevant to diverse communities of women. Recently completed and current research projects are discussed in more detail on our Research Projects page.

The Center’s research agenda is shaped by input from various constituencies including the Massachusetts Legislature, state agencies, community-based groups, affiliated academic centers and institutes, and not-for-profit organizations. The Center frequently works with stakeholders in defining research goals, methods of data collection, analysis and dissemination.

Opportunities for Collaboration

There are many opportunities for collaboration with the Center, including commissioned and contracted research and evaluation projects, visiting scholar and other affiliated positions, and research internships. Click for specific information on how to:

• Contract with the Center to complete a research project on a topic of interest of your agency or organization.
• Have the Center produce an evaluation needed by your agency or organization.
• Serve as a Visiting Scholar at the Center.
• Explore the possibility of a Research Internship.

Publications

Our publications range from comprehensive reports to fact sheets and policy briefs; a categorized listing of all of our publications is available by clicking here.

Women’s Research Forum

Each spring and fall we host a Women’s Research Forum to highlight the work of female scholars from the University of Massachusetts Boston community. Click here for information on past and upcoming forums.