On January 23, 2024, the University of Notre Dame announced a groundbreaking academic research program to address and combat poverty in the United States (U.S.) and worldwide. Supported by a historic $100 million donation from an alumni couple, the program “The Notre Dame Poverty Initiative” focuses on three key areas: Research, student formation and impact. The university hopes to deepen its understanding of the challenges faced by people living in poverty while also seeking to identify and explore potential solutions for this global issue.

Addressing a Global Challenge

Poverty affects around 700 million people worldwide. Breaking the cycle of poverty has proven to be a complex challenge despite many well-intentioned efforts already underway. The University of Notre Dame’s poverty initiative aims to make significant strides in poverty research, seeking to understand and unravel its root causes and consequences. Guided by the university’s profound mission, this initiative offers a beacon of hope in the ongoing battle against poverty across the globe.

Leadership and Vision

The Director of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), Jim Sullivan, will lead the University of Notre Dame’s poverty initiative. Sullivan and the research group hope to provide undeniable evidence of effective and promising research. They hope that, with provided evidence, policymakers and service providers will strive toward systemic changes. In addition to this, the initiative hopes to increase involvement at the university level to not only inspire students to engage with anti-poverty work but to support opportunities for more nonprofit research at the school.

Building on Success

The University of Notre Dame hopes to continue building on the successful poverty research already being conducted. Through the university, the LEO and the Pulte Institute for Global Development have grown strong partnerships with providers across the U.S., including Goodwill Industries, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The new initiative plans to expand these existing efforts through a “local-to-global” approach, translating the already successful plans to a broader global scale.

The Three Areas of Focus

Research: The poverty initiative will support and invest in research addressing poverty’s causes through informing policy, guiding philanthropic endeavors and practicing evidence-based solutions.

Student Formation: The initiative will invest in programs focused on student formation, including learning expansions and curriculum development. Graduates will be equipped to address the challenges of poverty in their personal and professional lives.

Impact: The initiative also aims to make an impact by directly using research to spark action. Collaborating with partners in government, nonprofits and the corporate sector, it seeks to expand on pre-existing successful programs and contribute to poverty alleviation efforts.

Conclusion

The University of Notre Dame’s poverty initiative represents a transformative step in eliminating worldwide poverty. An issue as complex as this requires extensive and evidence-based research and implementation, which is what this program aims to provide. With Jim Sullivan’s and other staff’s strong leadership, this multifaceted approach intertwines diligent research, student involvement and measurable impacts to tackle an issue as compound as generational global poverty. The University of Notre Dame is dedicated to being a force for good, setting a transformative example for other programs and research institutions.

– Katherine Barrows
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