About Us

The Center for Social Policy is a collaborative project within the University of New Mexico. The purpose of the Center is to increase the diversity of those with formal training in the fields of economics, political science and sociology who engage in health services and health policy research. Particularly, the Center seeks to become a nationally recognized locus for health policy research that will support work to inform health policy debates at multiple levels.

Our nation’s social policies can only be improved through insightful identification of issues, innovative interdisciplinary analysis of solutions and careful evaluation of policy implementation. Center scholars are trained to help decision-makers develop more effective health policies by offering a broader view of critical issues and expanding the knowledge base for potential solutions. Scholars from underrepresented communities provide unique observations on our increasingly multicultural society that will enrich analytic frameworks, redefine issues and offer different perspectives. We continue to focus on:

  • Conducting research and policy analyses that addresses the many social, political and economic factors that contribute to the inequities we observe in health and health care in our society.
  • Supporting leadership development activities that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars in the social, behavioral and health sciences.
  • Building stronger and richer connections with our communities so that they can share their knowledge and teach us how best to improve the health and well-being of the individuals living in their environment.