Research
Making an Impact

ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well- informed dialogue and decision-making.

American Muslim Poll 2025

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Our Research

Our work makes impact in the following areas:

Developing Community

Researching family and wellness and building community capacity

Building Understanding

Protecting American pluralism and quantifying Muslim contributions

Providing Thought Leadership

Offering platforms for discussion and informing national conversations

How We Create Impact

Discover
We conduct rigorous, objective research on issues impacting American Muslims using a variety of methods.
Educate

We translate research into accessible resources, toolkits, and educational materials for diverse audiences.

Equip

Our strategy of equipping leaders multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who catalyze change.

ISPU in the News

From national outlets to local reporting, journalists rely on ISPU research and experts
to inform stories about Muslim communities in the United States.

Our Impact

I remember the first time I learned ISPU’s facts and data about American Muslims and anti-Muslim discrimination, and the impact it had on my own understanding of the ways that anti-Muslim bigotry shows up in our country. It completely shifted my paradigm of what it means to love my Muslim neighbors from one of charity to mutual solidarity. It helped me to see the role that I have to play from where I’m situated, understanding that my own sense of freedom and dignity is tied to that of my Muslim neighbors.

- Becca Tyvoll, Partnerships and Program Coordinator, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
A man wearing a graduation cap and gown smiles at the camera while sitting outdoors. Another person in a cap and gown is visible beside him. Trees and sunlight can be seen in the background.

Challenges We Address

Misinformation & Bias

Addressing misconceptions and providing factual data about American Muslim communities.

Policy Gaps
Identifying areas where evidence-based policy recommendations are needed.
Community Needs

Understanding and articulating the diverse needs of American Muslim families.

Upcoming Events

Choose To Power Research

ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making. This work is made possible in part through the support of generous individuals.

Featured Toolkit​

COUNTERING AND DISMANTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
A Comprehensive Guide for Individuals and Organizations.

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

RESEARCH MAKING AN IMPACT

ISPU Scholars

Expert

Faiqa Mahmood is a researcher at the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), whose efforts have been instrumental on the Reimagining Muslim Spaces (RMS) study. Ms. Mahmood

Expert

Dr. Ayaz Hyder is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health and Core Faculty in the Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University. Dr.

Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Politics, and Social Justice at Winston-Salem State University. She was an ISPU Fellow and the

Expert

Dalia Mogahed is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Mogahed is the former Director of Research at ISPU, where she led the organization’s pioneering

Expert

Lance D. Laird is Assistant Professor in the Family Medicine Department and the Graduate Division of Religious Studies at Boston University. He began studying the Islamic tradition as

Nancy A. Khalil completed her PhD in Anthropology at Harvard University and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale’s Center on Race, Indigeneity and Transnational Migration. Her research

Quaiser Abdullah, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Communication and Social Influence Department in Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. He primarily teaches courses

Expert

Dr. Ifrah Magan currently serves as a faculty fellow/assistant professor at New York University (2018–2020). A qualitative researcher and social worker, Dr. Magan incorporates storytelling as a method

Expert

Dr. Sahar Khamis is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an expert on Arab and Muslim media,

Expert

Sameera Ahmed, PhD, is the executive director of The Family and Youth Institute, a leading research and education organization dedicated to strengthening and empowering individuals, families, and communities.

Kathleen E. Foley is the founder and principal of Mirador Consulting, LLC. Mirador draws on the diversity of Dr. Foley’s professional training and experience, offering clients services from

Expert

John O. Voll is Professor Emeritus of Islamic History and past Associate Director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Expert

Dr. Sana Malik is an Assistant Professor at the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare and an expert in disparities research. She has served as a consultant

Precious Rasheeda Muhammad, a.k.a. “The History Detective,” is an independent scholar, author, lecturer, and researcher widely recognized for her original research contributions to the study of Islam in

Fellow

Rania Awaad, MD, is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the chief of the Diversity Section, director of

Expert

Rebecca Karam is a doctoral candidate in sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. She received her BA in sociology from University of Michigan-Dearborn. Rebecca

What Can You Do?

ISPU is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individual donors to keep our research free and accessible to everyone who needs it. You can help us keep it that way.

What Can You Do?

ISPU is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individual donors to keep our research free and accessible to everyone who needs it. You can help us keep it that way.

Toolkits for Practitioners

ISPU enables changemakers across sectors with effective, implementable resources

Policymakers

Evidence-based policy and recommendations

Educators

Teaching tools and educational materials

Faith Leaders

Community capacity building resources

Journalists

Data, methodologies, and collaboration opportunities

Policymakers
Evidence-based policy and recommendations
Educators
Teaching tools and educational materials
Community Leaders
Community capacity building resources
Journalists
Data, methodologies, and collaboration opportunities

Explore More Recent Reports

Hindu Nationalism in America: Assessing the Influence of Hindutva Ideology in the U.S.

A new report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) examines the extent to which Hindu nationalism, or Hindutva, resonates among U.S.

Substance Use, Addiction, and Recovery: Exploring Patterns and Perspectives Among American Muslims

Conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in partnership with Stanford’s Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab, this qualitative study