Honoring a Legacy of Innovation
Rensis Likert, co-founder of the Survey Research Center (SRC), was the first director of the SRC as well as the Institute for Social Research. An organizational psychologist and developer of the Likert Scale—a cornerstone of social science measurement. Beyond his methodological innovations, Rensis Likert championed interdisciplinary collaboration and believed deeply in using social science research to effect positive change.
The Rensis Likert Fund, a generous gift from Likert’s family, invests in training new investigators who share Likert’s vision for improving how survey data are collected and used to keep the survey research vibrant and relevant through the Michigan Program in Survey and Data Science. The Likert fund facilitates annual Likert Symposium events and provides ongoing training opportunities for current students in survey and data science.
A cornerstone of the Fund’s mission is connection and collaboration. Each year, MPSDS hosts the Likert Symposium—a dynamic gathering that brings together experts, researchers, and students from across disciplines.
The Symposium is more than a conference—it’s a celebration of innovation in survey methodology. Participants share ideas, showcase breakthroughs, and build partnerships that shape the future of social research. It’s where the next generation of survey scientists come together to honor Likert’s legacy and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
The topics highlighted at the Symposium are:
8th Symposium: March 27, 2026
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (ET)
AI for Better Social Science: Capabilities and Challenges with Survey Research
7th Symposium: March 14, 2025
Generating and Classifying Text: Challenges and Benefits of Using Language Models in Social Research
6th Symposium: March 8, 2024
Meeting Respondents Where They Are
5th Symposium: February 17, 2023
Intersection between Survey and Data Science
4th Symposium: March 11, 2022
Intersections between Cross-Cultural Survey Research and Cross-Cultural Psychology
3rd Symposium: October 30, 2020
Surveys in the Era of the Pandemic and Beyond
2nd Symposium: October 25, 2019
Challenges and Opportunities of Using Non-Probability Samples
1st Symposium: November 2, 2018
Combining Organic and Designed Data