The Center for Arts and Culture at George Mason University, CPANDA, and the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies at Princeton are pleased to release the 2005 Arts and Cultural Policy Research Directory. Envisioned as a means to map current research in the field and to identify areas of overlap as well as existing gaps, the directory compiles results of a Fall 2005 survey shared with numerous individuals and institutions involved in cultural policy research. The web-based questionnaire was designed to capture recent U.S.-based projects, publications and events that are both research-based and policy-focused.

Like similar efforts in other countries, we anticipate that this directory will provide many tangible benefits to the cultural policy research community, such as:

• helping funders, policy-makers and cultural organizations with specific research needs or interests to canvass, connect with, and utilize the existing research capacity;
• fostering better coordination and communication within the research field, potentially reducing duplication and enabling more collaborative ventures;
• increasing the visibility of relevant research initiatives in general.

Envisioned as a means to map current research in the field and to identify areas of overlap as well as existing gaps, the directory compiles results of a Fall 2005 survey shared with numerous individuals and institutions involved in cultural policy research. The web-based questionnaire was designed to capture recent U.S.-based projects, publications and events that are both research-based and policy-focused.