Our Story

A New Approach to Old Challenges

Stanford Impact Labs (SIL) is a university-wide initiative that supports scholars and their collaborators across the public, private, and social sectors to conduct research that addresses pressing social challenges. Since our founding in 2019, SIL's ambition has been to put social science to work for society by catalyzing actionable research that improves lives.

We advance our mission by funding a portfolio of research that has a clear and direct path to impact, including through research on specific solutions; generating knowledge that can shape markets or policy; and other targeted responses to pressing societal needs. We support scholars to work closely with communities, institutions, and decision-makers beyond the university to shape research questions, generate insights, and translate findings into action.

Why Now?

Social science can do more for society than ever before

The tools available to social scientists to address social problems are becoming exponentially more powerful. Core tasks that once took weeks or months can now happen in minutes or seconds, as AI rapidly expands both the capacity and velocity of research tools. Researchers can measure human behavior and institutions better than ever before and deploy cutting-edge computational tools to analyze vast datasets, process unstructured information, and extract practical findings. 

As the social sciences increasingly embrace collaborative team structures and approaches akin to those in the natural and health sciences, the potential for public impact accelerates. The urgent task before us is to direct this incredible scientific potential toward tangible improvements in people's lives.

Working in partnership strengthens both evidence and impact

Policy makers, practitioners, and community members in the public, private, and social sectors need evidence to inform their decisions and seek support in developing and testing new practices and innovations. By partnering with social scientists, they can ensure their policy and program decisions are grounded in rigorous research. Similarly, partnership beyond the university broadens scholars’ perspectives, deepens research relevance, and informs more effective and sustainable solutions.

Robust funding for impact-focused research can serve the public good now and in the future

Breakthroughs in medicine and engineering reshape the world because we invest in cutting-edge research that responds directly to pressing social needs. Current challenges in areas such as education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and democracy deserve the same level of commitment. With sustained funding and support for a new generation of data-driven problem-solvers, we can help social scientists put their research to work—transforming frontier science into real-world impact.