Our Work

The SNF Agora Institute generates scholarly insights and transforms them into usable knowledge supporting real-world change. Rooted in our academic home at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, we advance our mission through three core pillars: discovery, design, and dialogue.

Our faculty, fellows, and students conduct multidisciplinary research to understand the dynamics that support or threaten democracy. We collaborate across sectors to test interventions that strengthen democratic participation, build civic capacity, and foster inclusive engagement.

Our students and faculty remain central to our work to equip the leaders of today’s and tomorrow’s agora: advocates, community organizers, policymakers, public thinkers, and those shaping the public information sphere. These individuals act as intermediaries between people and the political process, helping to sustain the institutions, behaviors, and norms that make pluralistic democracy possible.

Core Pillars Of The Snf Agora Mission

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    Discovery

    We advance transformative, multi-disciplinary research to address democratic decline and identify sources of resilience.

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    Design

    We collaborate with practitioners to develop usable knowledge that transforms academic insight into real-world impact.

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    Dialogue

    We create spaces for inclusive civic discourse, public convenings, and educational programs that empower citizens to engage meaningfully in democracy.

Explore Our Work

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    Selected Publications + Tools

    Reports, case studies, and papers by SNF Agora faculty and fellows that explore democratic challenges and offer tools, frameworks, and insights for civic action, policy, and scholarship.

  • Expert Commentary + Analysis

    Media contributions from SNF Agora faculty and fellows that apply research and experience to current events, democratic threats, and public debate.

  • SNF Agora faculty gathered outside.
    Selected Faculty Labs

    Collaborative spaces where scholars, students, and practitioners examine key questions about democracy, civic life, and social change through research, teaching, and public events.

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    Selected Communities of Practice

    Sustained learning groups that connect scholars and practitioners to share knowledge, test ideas, and develop practical responses to democratic challenges.

  • Selected Research Projects

    Cross-disciplinary projects that generate new insights into the forces shaping democracy and spark collaboration across fields and sectors.

  • Annual Reports

    Reports highlighting SNF Agora’s research, teaching, and public engagement, documenting our progress and impact across key areas of democratic work.