The Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS) is a joint Sciences Po / CNRS  research centre. CRIS currently has 22 permanent researchers, 6 emeritus, 29 PhD students and a support team made up of 6 people.

CRIS is committed to theory-driven empirical research, drawing on a broad range of methods (qualitative, quantitative, experimental, etc.), adopting micro, meso and macro perspectives, and promoting interdisciplinary approaches for an integrated analysis of social inequalities in the social sciences.

Our research program seeks to measure patterns and trends of inequality, analyze their underlying mechanisms, inform public debates and contribute to policy analysis. Our faculty members are international experts on central social inequality domains, such as education, life course dynamics, labor market and economic inequalities, social mobility, welfare states and public policies, urban segregation, migrations, discriminations, social movements and policing, cultural consumption, digital, health, and environmental inequalities. 

The agenda of CRIS researchers has a strong focus on empirical research, interdisciplinary openness, theoretical and methodological rigor and pluralism, comparative approaches and a strong international orientation.

Its members are affiliated with the Sciences Po's Sociology Department, and the Department of Economics for their teaching. They may be affiliated also with other research centres or programs at Sciences Po, such as LIEPP, Presage, MiDi, Axpo, Aire, Cities are back in Town.

Head of the CRIS is Carlo Barone, full professor in sociology. His research focuses on educational inequalities, social mobility and educational policies. He uses experimental designs to assess the effects of educational interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities. He is affiliated to the educational policies cluster of LIEPP, to J-PAL and to the RC28 of the International Sociological Association. He is associate editor of the European Sociological Review.

Teaching, doctoral training and supervision


The CRIS hosts PhD students enrolled in Sciences Po’s Doctoral Program in Sociology. The center stands out for its commitment to research training, guided from the beginning by its founding purpose: to train new and talented sociologists in line with the most recent theoretical and methodological developments in the discipline. Our doctoral students produce research that is intended for publication in peer-reviewed French and international journals.
To apply, please refer to the School of Research's admission procedure.

With over 30 PhD students fully integrated into the life of the center, the CRIS plays an important role in doctoral training.

The CRIS' members teach a number of courses within the Sciences Po's campuses in Paris, Reims, Le Havre, Poitiers and Menton, into graduates and undergraduates programmes. They are also associate to the academic staff of the School of Public Affairs and Urban School.   

Evalutation

The CRIS (previously OSC) was rated A+ by AERES (French Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education) in January 2013. Read the AERES evaluation (French)

The Hcéres (High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education) underlined in 2018 "... an undeniable level of scientific excellence: the number and quality of scientific productions, the very high level of international and national recognition, loads of requests for scientific expertise and the excellent employment of young doctors in the academic world."  Read the Hcéres evaluation (French)

The latest evaluation, made in March 2024 by the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (Hcéres), concluded that " CRIS is a very dynamic research unit, seen through the acquisition of own resources, many research contracts (...) and in the engagement of staff. It enjoys international recognition and visibility at all levels of the unit, both through the hosting of visiting researchers and through invitations from its members abroad. Its scientific output is excellent, as well as the value of its research work, including in relation to civil society.The CRIS is a reference laboratory on social inequalities in France and abroad, and can therefore count on the constant support of its academic authorities and a significant growth trajectory, based on a strong recruitment dynamic. The decision to avoid several axes in order to make all CRIS members work together is also to be credited to a medium-sized unit". Read the Hcéres 2024 report (French)

Honors

• COIN Research Group (Olivier Godechot, Mirna Safi, Alexis Baudour, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, Are Skeie Hermansen et al.) : 
  - Gould Prize 2025, by the American Sociological Association for the paper The Great Separation: Top Earner Segregation at Work in Advanced Capitalist Economies (American Journal of Sociology, 2024)
  - RC28 Significant Scholarship Award 2025, by the International Sociological Association / RC28 (Social Stratification & Mobility) for the paper “Within-job gender pay inequality in 15 countries”  (Nature Human Behaviour, 2022).
• Maël Ginsburger, 2024, Prix de thèse du Ministère de la transition écologique (2ème exæquo)   
• Marta de la Torre Carreira, 2024, Prix scientifique L'Harmattan (Masters)
• Célia Bouchet, 2023, co-lauréate du Prix de thèse du Défenseur des droits
• Maël Ginsburger, 2023, Prix « Jeune Chercheur » de la Fondation des Treilles
• Célia Bouchet, 2022, PhD prize Annie Semal-Lebleu de l'Association laïque pour l'éducation, la formation, la prévention et l'autonomie (Alefpa)
• Pauline Proboeuf, 2022, Prize Louis Cros awarded by Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques
• Laudine Carbuccia, Research prize for the PhD project, Mustela fundation, 2022
• Angela Greulich, Junior Member, Institut Universitaire de France, 2021-2026
• Mathieu Ferry, Young Researcher Prize, Fondation des Treilles, 2021
• Jen Schradie,  2020, Charles Tilly Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book, by the ASA Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements, for the book “The revolution that wasn't”
• Ettore Recchi, Best Publication Award by an International Scholar 2020 - ASA Global & Transnational Sociology
• Alice Olivier, 2019, PhD Prize, Observatoire de la vie étudiante (OVE)
• Marine Haddad, 2018, Young Author's Prize 2018, Population journal
• Juliette Galonnier, 2018, ASA's Dissertation Award (American Sociological Association) for the dissertation “Choosing Faith and Facing Race: Converting to Islam in France and the United States”
• Yoann Demoli, Panhard Prize 2018 (Automobile Club de France et Comité des Constructeurs Français d’Automobiles) for PhD work
• Pauline Proboeuf, 2017, 27st Master Prize, Observatoire national de la vie étudiante (M2)
• Marie Duru-Bellat, Doctor honoris causa, University of Liège
• Agnès van Zanten, Doctor honoris causa, ULB (Bruxelles) 
• Gaëlle Larrieu, 2017, Second Prize by CNAF for her Master 2 thesis
• Hugues Lagrange, 2017, Medal of Honor, CNRS
• Agnès van Zanten, 2017, Corresponding Fellow, British Academy
• Margot Delon, 2017, Caritas Research Prize (Institut de France / Fondation de recherche Caritas)
• Agnès van Zanten, 2017, Gold Medal, CNRS
• Agnès van Zanten, 2016, Doctor honoris causa, University of Geneve
• Mathieu Ichou, 2015, ECSR Prize for the best PhD thesis
• Lorraine Bozouls, 2015, Vinci Grant (French and Italy University Frame for promoting mobility)
• Aden Gaide, 2015, Louis Gruel 1st Prize, Observatoire national de la vie étudiante for Master 2 thesis.  Subject: Les temporalités de la maternité étudiante. Cycle de vie, temps du quotidien.
• Edmond Préteceille, 2015, laureate of the Programme de chaire française with the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (project: La dynamique des classes moyennes dans l'évolution des structures spatiales des métropoles de Rio de Janeiro et São Paulo)
• Juliette Galonnier, 2015, Presidential Fellowship, Northwestern University
• Juliette Galonnier, 2014, Winch prize, best 2nd year Paper, Northwestern University
• Yoann Demoli, 2014, Best Young Author GERPISA (in Kyoto colloquium)
• Hugues Lagrange, 2013, Prix Seligmann against racism, injustice and intolerance
• Olivier Godechot, 2013, CNRS Bronze Medal (French Webpage)
• Agathe Voisin, 2013, Albert Memmi Prize
• Anne-Sophie Cousteaux, 2012, Prize from Ville de Paris for gender studies
• Laurent Lesnard, 2011, CNRS Bronze Medal (see PDF profile)
• Ugo Palheta, 2011, Prize Louis CrosMarie Plessz, 2009, 3st Young Author Prize by  Sociologie du travail
• Thibaut de Saint Pol, 2009, Prix de la Ville de Paris, Trémolières Prize
• Mathieu Ichou, 2009, 2nd CNAF Prize

PREVIOUS heads

• Henri Mendras (1988-1996)
• Philippe Besnard (1996-2001)
• Alain Chenu (2003-2013)
• Marco Oberti (2014-2018)
• Mirna Safi (2019-2024)