CSCAR Update

Research universities do amazing things. They save lives, create opportunity, and improve quality of life for people all over our state, across the nation, and around the world. The Office of the Vice President for Research provides a wide range of essential services to principal investigators of externally funded research grants to help the University of Michigan do groundbreaking, life-saving work in so many areas.

As you may also know, research universities like ours operate in an increasingly challenging environment. Terminations, investigations, and new regulations are just some of the new realities that we must manage. In light of funding challenges associated with these changes, the research office had to review its entire portfolio of services to clarify the things for which we are primarily responsible at this moment. Part of this review examined benchmarking statistical and data services across campus and listening to members of our community who offer or receive these services in different ways. As a result of this review, the office made the decision to wind down its financial support of CSCAR over the coming year.

In March 2026, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research announced that it would soon launch statistical consulting services modeled on CSCAR. The program will build on decades of statistical consulting experience at U-M. In support of a smooth transition, OVPR has continued to support CSCAR researchers with active grants and has kept CSCAR consulting services open through spring 2026.

You can read more about the new services at ISR in this article in the University Record. Questions regarding the new services at ISR should be directed to Brady West at [email protected].

Statistical Consulting Options – Updated as New Resources Emerge