AIR: Celebrating 75 Years

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) was founded in 1946 by John Flanagan, who had a vision to use research and evidence to help improve people’s lives and make the world a better place. While AIR has changed and grown throughout its 75-year history, that core mission remains the same.

At the heart of AIR’s success is its people, from researchers and technical assistance experts to those who provide the foundational support and services needed to achieve mission. For the past 75 years, AIR’s staff has worked with governments, organizations, and communities to confront some of the world’s biggest challenges by conducting rigorous research and evaluations to find what works and then helping people put that evidence into action.

As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we are deepening our commitment to generating and using evidence to create a better, more equitable world. The AIR Equity Initiative is our five-year, $100M+ investment in behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address the underlying causes of systemic inequities and increase opportunities for people and their communities. Working together and rooted in evidence, AIR will continue to realize the vision that John Flanagan had in 1946 and improve lives throughout the nation and across the globe.

Advancing Evidence. Improving Lives. We are AIR.