The Institute for Families in Society was created in the early 1990s through the efforts of an interdisciplinary task force commissioned by the University of South Carolina. By 1992, the Institute was securely grounded by a generous donation from Cindy and Evan Nord. As an interdisciplinary research team, the Institute has worked with a variety of partners to strengthen families and communities.
The mission of the Institute today is to use interdisciplinary research and leadership as a platform to advance the science and practice of helping families thrive at community, state, regional, national, and international levels. We foster the discovery of pathways for reducing disparities, promoting social justice, and accelerating the translation of research to promote the health and well-being of families; we serve as a catalyst for expanding the University of South Carolina's portfolio of translational action research to meet the needs of vulnerable population groups; and we disseminate research findings to inform researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and the public about effective, culturally sensitive policies and programs.
