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Professor Siddiki trains with students in the Policy Design Lab at the Maxwell School

Policy Design Studio


The Policy Design Studio provides evidence-based training and analysis on the design and implementation of public policies to support good governance. Through trainings, we equip governments, non-governmental organizations and future public service leaders with skills for policy design, policy implementation and stakeholder engagement in the policy process. Through technical analysis, we help governments and non-governmental organizations evaluate whether policies are effectively designed and carried out, as well as whether the stakeholder engagement processes they are using are effectively designed and run.

Computational Institutional Science Lab


The lab hosts a variety of research activities to support the development of a new field of study called computational institutional science. Lab affiliates and members conduct research, host seminars and instructional programs, and author scholarly publications focused on the use of computational science methods to study how societies are governed. Founded in 2022, the CIS Lab is led by Saba Siddiki (Syracuse University) and Christopher Frantz (Norwegian University of Science and Technology).

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Institutional Grammar Research Initiative Logo

Institutional Grammar Research Initiative


Established during at a workshop hosted by Syracuse University in 2018, and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Institutional Grammar Research Initiative is a network of scholars from around the world with a common interest in the theoretical and methodological advancement of the Institutional Grammar, proposed by Sue Crawford and Elinor Ostrom (1995). IGRI affiliates are currently engaged in research that addresses one or more of the following themes:

  • Computational text analysis with Institutional Grammar
  • Evaluating institutional performance
  • Using the Institutional Grammar to study simulated and real behavior

A Center for Policy Research-Affiliated Center

Center for Policy Design and Governance
426 Eggers Hall