Monitoring the Future (MTF) is a study founded in 1975, focusing on epidemiological and etiological research. In addition to being a basic research study, MTF is one of the nation's leading sources for information on tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use in adolescents and young adults.

The Education and Well-Being (EWB) program was established in 2008 to advance research focused on improving the teaching of reading and mathematics, particularly in schools serving high percentages of students in poverty. Contributions of EWB include the development of innovative methods for studying the “inner workings” of schools and strengthening the role of survey research in education.