The Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization head quartered in New Delhi, India.
ISST's overall aim is research for social change with focus on livelihood, work and well-being of the vulnerable communities from a gender perspective. ISST attempts to bridge the gaps between research, action and policy with objectives of promoting social justice and equity for the underprivileged.
ISST prefers to adopt multi-disciplinary approaches for its research. The scope of research ranges from analysis of macro level policies and data to micro level action research in India and beyond.
ISST believes that evaluative studies offer a potentially very valuable means of understanding the shortfall between the intentions of the programs and the actual outcomes. ISST undertook a large number of evaluative studies seeking gender transformative development through various government and non-government initiatives. ISST organizes seminars and workshops with the purpose of involving experts to discuss issues of contemporary concern and also to share and disseminate research findings among scholars and policy makers.
The documentation centre at ISST head office aims to provide information and documentation support to researchers and scholars. It includes books, reports, journals, newsletters and unpublished documents both in print and digital versions.
ISST's community centre located within a poorer community of East Delhi, India envisages to empowering women, children and adolescent youths from disadvantaged households through community mobilization, legal action, information, educational inputs and other public services.
Over the years, ISST has conducted several pioneering research studies with a view of designing alternative development strategies that recognise the role and contribution of vulnerable groups including women.
Their research projects are geared to:
