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NORC has extensive experience creating and evaluating communication and outreach programs.

NORC conducts comprehensive assessments of the effectiveness of communication and outreach campaigns through formative studies, audience research, message testing, and other methods. With our partners, we also develop special-purpose communication campaigns of our own. NORC was selected to conduct a rigorous evaluation of the communications campaign for the 2010 Census, with applications for the 2020 Census. Working with the California Department of Public Health, NORC has collected data to inform the messaging and assess the ongoing effectiveness of a statewide obesity prevention campaign targeted at low‑income families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked closely with the CDD Foundation on How Right Now, a communications campaign designed to promote and strengthen the emotional well-being and resiliency of populations adversely affected by COVID-19.

Communication & Outreach

Highlighted Projects

Communicating Safe Behavior Practices to Vulnerable Road Users

Helping Virginia Tech address risky behavior for vulnerable road users through communication support

Funder:

National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine

ND HOPES Suicide Prevention Initiative

Implementing a multi-tiered approach to suicide prevention in western North Dakota

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Effective Traffic Safety Messaging

Developing an evaluation framework for traffic safety campaigns

Client:

Traffic Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine

Census of Public Defender Offices (2023)

Collecting national data on state and local public defender offices

Client:

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Developing a National Database on Police Use of Force

The nation’s first police database that combines police data across multiple cities

Client:

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Advancing Research & Communications in STEM

Raising the nation’s learning curve on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Client:

National Science Foundation

HPV Vaccine Perceptions: Young Adults & TikTok Influencers

Engaging non-college 18- to 26-year-olds and TikTok influencers to explore perceptions of the HPV vaccine and health messaging

Client:

Merck

Clinical Decision Support Innovation Collaborative

Translating patient-centered outcomes research into effective practice

Client:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Partnering with Social Media Influencers as Messengers to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy

Engaging mommy bloggers to help understand HPV vaccine hesitancy communities of color

Client:

Merck

Research on Asian American & Pacific Islander Survey Participation

Research on barriers to survey participation faced by AAPI and strategies to increase participation

Funder:

AARP Research

How Right Now / Qué Hacer Ahora

A communication initiative to increase people’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Foundation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Development of an Interactive Fall Prevention Planning Tool

Online comprehensive tool to increase awareness of fall risk and prevent falls among older adults

Client:

CDC Foundation

Engaging Online Influencers to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

An intervention to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents of color through online influencers of color

Client:

Pfizer

Network-Driven COVID-19 Prevention for Vulnerable Populations (RADx-UP)

Randomized control trials to evaluate network-based approaches to promote COVID-19 prevention

Client:

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Access to Justice Design & Testing Program

A new data collection effort measuring and reporting access to justice for civil legal needs

Client:

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Providing research, monitoring, and evaluation services to support CDC’s legacy Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS)

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Network for Community-Engaged Primary Care Research

Evaluating primary care interventions to decrease health inequities

Client:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Federal Cervical Cancer Collaborative

Developing resources to improve cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management in safety-net health care settings

Client:

Health Resources and Services Administration

Evaluation of Pennsylvania Community Violence Intervention Programs

Evaluating Pennsylvania’s community efforts to intervene and prevent violence across the state

Client:

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors

Audience research to support tailored COVID-19 prevention messages and materials for people with disabilities

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention