The Center for Computational Insights on Inequality and Society at Rice (CIISR) is as an intellectual hub for computationally intensive social sciences research at Rice University. Computational social science fosters research innovation by combining computing power, large-scale data, and advanced methods together, which enables us to answer big questions, reveal new insights, and radically transform graduate training in the social sciences.

The work of the center focuses on wide-ranging topics relevant to understanding inequality. Inequality is one of the most pressing issues of our time, manifesting in economic disparities, social injustices, and unequal access to opportunities. Traditional approaches to studying inequality have provided valuable insights, yet the scale and complexity of these problems demand more sophisticated methodologies provided by computational social sciences, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, network analysis, spatial analysis, and simulation models.

CIISR encourages collaboration among the many social science faculty and students who study social problems and solutions related to inequality. These collaborations enhance intellectual diversity, extend theoretical questions to be asked, advance computational methods, and increase educational and career opportunities for students.