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

Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of the critically acclaimed How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America (Penguin), which won an American

Abdulkader Sinno is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. He received his PhD from UCLA in 2002, was a CISAC

Louise Cainkar is a sociologist and Associate Professor of Social Welfare and Justice at Marquette University in Milwaukee. She currently serves as president of the Arab American Studies

Expert

Laila Alawa is the Founder and CEO of The Tempest, the global tech and media company changing the narrative of diverse millennial women in the world. Previously, Laila

Kameelah Mu’Min Oseguera, PsyD is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healing and emotional well-being in the American Muslim

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

Abbas Barzegar is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. He is also an Assistant Professor of Islam at Georgia State University. His scholarly research

Cyra Akila Choudhury is a professor of law at FIU College of Law in Miami, Florida. Her scholarship focuses on religion and property, international and comparative gender, human

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. 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

Engy Abdelkader is an award-winning attorney and scholar who has worked with Muslims, Arabs and South Asians since 9/11 to address Islamophobia. Her research and writing explores religious

Expert

Dr. Nadia Ansary received her BA in Psychology (and Biology) from Rutgers University and her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her background is in

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.

Elisabeth Becker is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at Yale University, where she is a junior fellow in cultural sociology and religion and politics. Elisabeth graduated wth a

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

Brennan McDaniel is a PhD student in the Department of American Studies at Yale University. Drawing from Native American studies, Islamic studies, postcolonialism, and psychoanalysis, his research concentrates

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

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