The AIR Equity Initiative:
A Bridge to a More Equitable World
Since its founding in 1946, the American Institutes for Research® (AIR) has conducted rigorous research and used evidence to address the complex social issues and improve the lives of people, both in the U.S. and across the globe. The AIR Equity Initiative is predicated on these same principles and strengthens AIR's commitment by investing in the generation and use of high-quality evidence to address the harmful effects of inequality.
Our Work: Strategies for Advancing Equity
We are advancing equity by funding new or under-resourced efforts within and across our program areas to improve educational experiences, enhance justice in public safety and policing, strengthen economic mobility, and improve health outcomes for underserved communities.
At the core of this work, we fund and foster partnerships with those who are directly affected by the inequities we seek to address and those who influence and drive decision-making. Our work incorporates diverse perspectives, experiences, and areas of expertise to shape approaches and solutions that are responsive to the communities we serve.
Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers
Our Programs
Our Approach
Track Our Progress
Creating Connections
The 2023 AIR Equity Initiative annual report features stories, data, and project highlights from our efforts to build bridges toward a more equitable world, where all communities and people can thrive.
By the Numbers
Our growing number of grants and partnerships support a wide variety of projects and geographic scopes.
Figures current as of January 2024
Follow the Journey
Meet the Team
Rashawn Ray
Vice President and Executive Director of the AIR Equity Initiative
Rashawn Ray is an AIR vice president and the executive director of the AIR Equity Initiative. As a sociologist, Ray’s research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequity. He has published over 50 books, articles, and book chapters, and more than 50 op-eds. Ray regularly appears on news media and testifies at the federal and state levels on racial equity, policing and criminal justice reform, health policy, wealth disparities, and family policy.
