Faculty & Research Centers & Labs Research Centers & Labs Initiatives for the Greater Good Our research centers and labs are among UVA’s essential points of convergence for interdisciplinary research. The dedicated staff of each collective galvanizes progress and discovery, enriching communities across the globe with their findings. Support Batten Research Research Centers Center for Effective Lawmaking Holds our representatives in Congress accountable for real results by demonstrating each individual’s effectiveness in moving legislation forward. Learn More Global Policy Center Partners with scholars, practitioners, students and communities to work together towards overcoming critical humanitarian and development challenges around the world. LEARN MORE National Security Policy Center Facilitates informed communication and strategy to cultivate international peace and successful U.S. foreign policy. Learn More Center for Social Innovation Identifies difficult social problems, designs and evaluates creative ways to solve them through either the private or public sector, and diffuses information about innovative solutions to policymakers and other stakeholders. Learn More Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness Convenes researchers to improve education outcomes and competitiveness of labor in the era of globalization. Learn More Labs Behavioral Lab Focuses on interpersonal dynamics and organizational behavior, conducting experiments to better understand how people act in interdependent contexts. Judgement and Decisions Experimental Lab Integrates several behavioral regulators to examine the organizational, social, and psychological forces that influence the decision-making process. Social Behavior and Decision Lab Investigates social judgment and self-regulation in a multitude of social contexts, including competition, reciprocity, and the interplay of group and individual goal pursuit. Social Cognition and Behavior Lab Researches how social identity affects behavior, developing viable ways for individuals to cope with challenging intergroup exchanges and social diversity at large.