The Institute for Social Research (ISR) has a general purpose to promote interdisciplinary research on theoretical and applied problems in substantive areas of common interest to the social sciences. To this end, the Institute provides a number of relevant services to participating academic departments and individual faculty and also directly administers interdisciplinary research efforts in specific program areas.

ISR's Administrative and Fiscal Services (AFS) staff aid in the preparation of proposals, offering assistance on policies and procedures, budget preparation, and other relevant aspects of extramural support proposals. Once a project is funded, AFS provides principal investigators with a monthly statement of expenditures, projection of expenses as needed, and advice regarding dispersal of funds. Depending on the principal investigators' requests and needs, AFS handles all or any part of the accounting and administrative tasks associated with a given project. These services include, but are not limited to, the hiring of project personnel, processing of payroll and invoices, request for travel advances, and the purchase of equipment and supplies.

ISR also maintains the Social Science Data ARchive which was established in 1977. Data Archives maintains a collection of machine-readable data files and their documentation, coordinates the acquisition of additional data from a variety of sources, and provides access to publicly available data. The Archive is part of a network of national and international organizations, and maintains contact with researchers and data suppliers in order to be aware of new data collections, information management techniques, and new computing technology. The Archive is utilized by faculty, staff, and students for research, preparation of theses and dissertations, classroom instruction, and planning of programs and development of policies. Although the Archive serves the entire campus, it is most utilized by those in social sciences and related disciplines.