Vision
The Ostrom Workshop will serve as a campus asset for all social scientists and help the social sciences play a more prominent role in the future of Indiana University.
To better understand and address major societal problems by researching governance best practices that help build trust and community.
What We Do
The Ostrom Workshop focuses on the study of governance as it relates to a variety of research areas. We have five established research programs: Commons Governance; Cybersecurity & Internet Governance; Data Management & Information Governance; Environment & Natural Resource Governance; and Political Economy. Over the years, we hope to add other programs as they fit into our ever-changing research agenda.
We seek to leverage the knowledge produced both within and across research programs in order to enhance educational opportunities for students at IU and worldwide, produce innovative and policy-relevant research, and increase the scope for multidisciplinary collaborations.
Our Goals
- Build multiple research programs, each headed by a Program Director recruited from the best scholars across the globe;
- Develop promising young scholars by supporting their graduate work while at IU (Ostrom Fellowships), funding their research (Graduate Research Awards), and connecting them with scholars outside IU (Visiting Scholars Program);
- Support senior scholars by providing help in writing grant proposals and connecting them with other scholars outside IU (Visiting Scholars Program).
Funding Sources/Endowment
The Ostrom Workshop relies on a three-pronged approach to funding: university funds, the Ostrom Workshop’s endowments, and external grants. These varied sources of funding enable the Ostrom Workshop to engage in a wide range of activities, and to sustain its research interests over time. On average, university funds make up roughly one-third of the Ostrom Workshop’s annual budget.
In addition to university funding, the Ostrom Workshop draws on its endowments, the largest of which is the "Tocqueville Fund for the Study of Human Institutions." The Ostrom Workshop also receives support from external granting agencies for research programs.
Contributions to the Ostrom Workshop can be made online via the Give Now button. Visit our Giving page to learn more about supporting the mission of the Ostrom Workshop.
