About CPRD

The Power of Information

The Center for Prevention Research and Development Link will open in a new window (CPRD) is a center within the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignnk will open in a new window. Specifically, CPRD seeks to support public policy in three ways:

  • improving state and community capacity for prevention
  • improving prevention and educational practices through research and evaluation
  • improving policies and decision making

CPRD concentrates its efforts in the areas of school reform and after-school evaluation, health and human service reform, and prevention science. The Center focuses on an ecological framework, where populations and environment intersect. We specialize in policy analysis, applied research and evaluation, online data systems and professional development and training.


CPRD has a long history of creating and maintaining successful collaborative partnerships with local, state, and national organizations, agencies, and businesses. Since its inception in 1989, CPRD has worked closely with many rural, suburban, and urban communities both in Illinois and across the United States. The Center has a special emphasis on research, evaluation, and the development of data systems for self-study and program improvement.


CPRD has an interdisciplinary staff of thirty academic professionals covering such disciplines as public health, education, anthropology, psychology, political science, social work, and administration. CPRD is located in Champaign, Illinois.