Social Sciences Research Expenditures Lead at Georgia State University

ATLANTA — Georgia State’s expenditures in the social sciences accounted for nearly a fifth of the university’s record $215.9 million in total research expenditures in fiscal year 2022, with overall spending in this area higher than other leading research universities in the state, according to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey.

The HERD survey ranks Georgia State No. 1 in the state and No. 23 in the country for social sciences research and development expenditures. The focus areas of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS) measured in the survey — economics, government and social work — led the state in annual research expenditures with one exception, as seen in the table below.

Total R&D expenditures, by field: 2022 (Dollars in thousands)

Source: National Science Foundation HERD survey

Georgia State was also the state’s leading university for conferred doctorates in economics in 2022, with 12, and second in earned doctorates in political science and government, with eight.

“The data supports what we’ve always known,” AYSPS Interim Dean Ann-Margaret Esnard said. “Students who come to the Andrew Young School to further their education in the subject areas we embrace — economics, public management and policy, urban studies, criminal justice and criminology, and social work — benefit greatly from the value added by our research centers. Their ability to learn how to develop evidence-based policymaking from leading-edge researchers is unparalleled in the state.”

The research program at Georgia State also contributed to the university’s statewide economic impact, which totaled $2.9 billion in FY 2022, according to data from the University System of Georgia.

“Our university exemplifies the value of research in our state, contributing to both economic growth and the well-being of our residents,” said Donald Hamelberg, Georgia State’s interim vice president for research and economic development.

To learn more about Georgia State University research and its impact, visit research.gsu.edu.

*Political Science is taught in the College of Arts & Sciences, Public Management & Policy in the AYSPS.