Through its University-wide Poverty Initiative, Notre Dame is committed to upholding the dignity of all humans by supporting research and education that will create a better understanding of what causes poverty and how to end it.
The work of the Poverty Initiative centers on promoting and cultivating poverty-focused academic research, moving research to impact, and educating the next generation of students dedicated to eliminating poverty. In 2025, the Initiative expanded its work through investing in two new research efforts: the formation of the Notre Dame Strengthening Families Initiative in the Department of Economics and migration research efforts based in the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. The Poverty Research Fellows program continues to expand, including implementation of a new Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation Concentration for economics majors and coursework, internships, and policy experiences open to students in all majors.
“By launching innovative research projects, creating the new Poverty Research Fellows Program for undergraduates, and shaping antipoverty policy, the Poverty Initiative’s work is already being felt at Notre Dame and across the globe,” said James X. Sullivan, director of the Poverty Initiative, professor of economics, and director of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities.