About Us
Our History
The Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP) traces its roots to 1962, when a grant from the Ford Foundation was used to establish the Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research. At the time, the urban renewal movement was active in cities across the country, making sweeping changes with lasting impacts for city residents' economic prospects, housing options, access to transit, health outcomes and overall quality of life. The Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research's interdisciplinary group, comprised of faculty from multiple JHU schools, studied the impact of these planning decisions on a host of individual and population health outcomes.
The center underwent several name changes in subsequent decades and in 2012 became the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP), based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management. Today, IHSP faculty study a broad range of issues and their impact on cities, suburbs and rural communities alike in the U.S. and abroad. IHSP's team works closely with public officials, translating research and helping to craft policies that are informed by their health implications.
Our Mission
IHSP advances public policies that improve the health, quality of life and wellbeing of people and communities. Our multidisciplinary work examines the impacts of social policy on health, informs policymakers about the health-related consequences of their actions, equips practitioners in a variety of sectors with evidence-based resources, and prepares the next generation of global public health professionals to engage in this work.
Our Values
Collaboration
Our approach to our work is collegial and cooperative, and our research is interdisciplinary. We work across sectors and academic disciplines to maximize the quality, value, and reach of our work. We work in partnerships with the communities we serve.
Integrity
Credibility and trust are central to our mission. We are committed to the highest standards of scientific rigor and to maintaining transparent and ethical funding, research, partnerships, services, and professional affiliations.
Service
We are here to provide value to society by serving policymakers, practitioners, communities, and students and by advancing evidence-based policies to improve health equity.
Our Work
Every day, IHSP faculty translate research findings into practical policy guidance and engage in the policymaking process, providing data and expertise through research briefs, expert testimony, and consultation on a wide range of issues. IHSP operates with a "Health in All Policies" lens, recognizing that policies not explicitly labeled as health-related—such as school funding bills, transportation planning, economic development, financial services and more—can have big implications on health.
Our Partners
We pursue our mission through research, education and collaboration with researchers, policymakers, and communities around the world. We also leverage the academic and scientific resources of the Bloomberg School and of our European partner, the Johns Hopkins University-University Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Center, based in Barcelona, Spain, at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, one of the leading academic centers in Europe.
In addition, the Institute holds the JHSPH institutional membership to the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). APPAM is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis, and education.