Current Projects
See what we’re building right now. Our projects reflect our research-to-action model, connecting community knowledge, rigorous research, and decision-making to support more equitable outcomes across Chicago and beyond. Through long-term partnerships, applied research, and strategic convenings, these initiatives move insights into policy and practice.
Rethinking TIF Districts: When the Model Falls Short
Developed in partnership with Claretian Associates, with support from Fifth Third Bank.
This project examines how Chicago’s primary development tool performs in communities facing long-term disinvestment. Grounded in South Chicago, it brings together community knowledge, policy analysis, and research translation to surface how structural inequities shape investment outcomes and inform more equitable approaches.
Whitewashed II Report: The Opioid Crisis in Black Chicago
Whitewashed II examines overdose trends, response efforts, and the conditions shaping overdose vulnerability in Chicago and Cook County. The report documents the structural drivers of persistent racial disparity and offers concrete recommendations across four pillars: prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, and policy and systems reform. The report was produced by the Chicago Urban League Research and Policy Center with analytic and subject-matter contributions from academic researchers and public health experts curated by the Institute for Racial Justice at Loyola University Chicago.
Black Student Success in Illinois
Developed in partnership with the Illinois Workforce Education Research Collaborative (IWERC), with support from The Joyce Foundation.
This project examines how Black student access and success across early childhood education, K–12, higher education, and the Illinois workforce have shifted over the past decade. Drawing on public data and modeled after the Latino College Landscape Study, the initiative brings together research, education, and policy stakeholders to identify persistent inequities, surface emerging trends, and inform more equitable pathways for Black student success across Illinois.
Excellerator Fund Evaluation Partnership
In partnership with the Excellerator Fund
We partnered with the Excellerator Fund to conduct a comprehensive, community-centered evaluation of the Fund’s design, implementation, and impact. Guided by principles of Participatory Action Research, IRJ worked closely with Latinos Progresando and the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation throughout a 9 month evaluation process. Finalized in 2025, the evaluation serves as a case study in equitable, cross-community grantmaking and offers critical insights for funders, policymakers, and city leaders seeking to invest in Chicago’s Black and Mexican communities.
Community Engaged Design Labs
Advancing ethical and strategic research through collaboration. We bring together faculty, students, and community partners to co-design new approaches to live research problems—from supporting new arrivals to fostering civic engagement through play.