As an independent nonprofit dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations ™ , the Institute for Public Relations bridges the academy and the profession, supports PR research and mainstreams this knowledge into practice through PR education.

To support the continued growth of the profession through this mission, program decisions will be based on the following principles:

• The research-based knowledge that we support (through funding, publication and recognition) must adhere to accepted criteria for scientific inquiry in the social sciences and address questions of manifest importance to the public relations profession.
• Our educational programs focus on mainstreaming research-based knowledge into practice. These programs primarily serve the needs of senior level practitioners (high performing, mid-career), and senior academics and their protégés, all of whom need the richer content that the Institute provides.
• When considering programs that involve payments to outside parties (researchers, instructors, etc.), our first preference will be to focus Institute monies on covering actual out-of-pocket costs. Next, we will consider reasonable stipends when appropriate to academics involved in our research and education programs. We strongly encourage practitioner involvement on a pro bono basis wherever that is possible and consistent with the aims and resources of any given project.
• All educational programs should be financially viable (i.e., more than cover their specific costs) within a reasonable period of time. This implies a robust market for the offering, an acceptable level of financial risk for the Institute, and careful management of both revenues and expenses to ensure a positive bottom line.