In the fall of 2006, MPRC formalized four work groups whose research is central to the population sciences. A brief summary of each group is listed below along with a link to that group's website.

Time Use Work Group

Originally founded around the planning of the December 2005 ATUS Early Results Conference, this group consists of sociologists, economists and demographers all working together to figure out just where our time goes. The group relies heavily on newly released statistics from the United State's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). To learn more, please visit: www.atususers.umd.edu

Crime and Population Work Group

Founded in 2004 as the Program on the Economics of Crime and Justice Policy to encourage collaboration between two entirely different groups -- criminologists and economists, this group generates interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research that applies economical theory and modeling to standard criminal justice research. Each year, the group hosts a workshop that brings together over 50 of the world's leading researchers in these areas. To learn more, please visit: www.popcenter.umd.edu/criminologyandeconomics/

Spatial Analysis Work Group

Also established in 2004, this group brings together researchers (mostly from the University of Maryland campus but other outside organizations as well) to share their research and work using GIS and other spatial analysis software and to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. More information about this group can be found at: www.popcenter.umd.edu/spatialanalysis.

Qualitative Research Work Group

Officially known as the Qualitative Research Interest Group or QRIG, this group also features researchers from a wide variety of disciplines and, while still relatively new, has already begun hosting seminars on the importance and accurate use of qualitative software in research. To learn more about this up-and-coming group, please visit: www.crge.umd.edu/qualitativerig.htm.