Peter Vining, Ph.D.

Social Scientist | Research Strategy, Systems, and Evaluation

United States

About

I’m a mixed-methods social scientist who designs programs, teams, and systems that make research faster, stronger, and more useful for decision-making. I help organizations turn quantitative and qualitative data into actionable guidance while building and improving the systems that make research more rigorous, efficient, and effective. My work spans academia, public-sector and mission-driven organizations, campaigns, and nonprofits, and sits at the intersection of social science, data science, strategy, and communications. I have domain expertise in U.S. public opinion, democracy, civic engagement, international development, preventing and countering violent extremism, emergency preparedness, energy efficiency, and workforce development. I’ve also taught, mentored, and led field research across the U.S., South Asia, the GCC, and the Horn of Africa.

Experience

  • Polling & Research Director at FWI (FedWriters, Inc.)
    Feb 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Lead the market research and program evaluation functions for a nationwide Registered Apprenticeship public awareness initiative. • Built the initiative’s research and evaluation infrastructure from the ground up, spanning survey strategy, qualitative research, measurement frameworks, analytic deliverables, reporting systems, and Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) compliance processes. • Direct end-to-end research strategy and translate findings into messaging guidance, audience targeting, and campaign optimization for Registered Apprenticeship stakeholders and partners.

  • Senior Specialist, Evaluation & Analytics at The Cadmus Group
    Jan 2024 - Feb 2026 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    • Led evaluation and research projects for federal and state clients across national security, emergency preparedness, climate resilience, and energy efficiency. • Designed and implement mixed-methods evaluations that integrated survey research, quasi-experimental methods, predictive modeling, and qualitative methods to assess and improve national emergency preparedness and resilience programs. • Modernized research practices by expanding data collection modalities, standardizing QA protocols, and mentoring analysts to ensure methodological rigor and actionable insights. • Provided technical expertise and methodological guidance to support proposal development and strengthen competitive positioning.

  • Citizen Data (Washington, District of Columbia, United States · Remote)
    • Director of Research
      Jun 2023 - Jan 2024 · 8 mos

      • Directed full lifecycle of quantitative and mixed-methods research for nonprofit and civic clients. • Oversaw 30+ quantitative and mixed-methods studies from design through delivery, meeting rapid client timelines and strengthening long-term partnerships. • Co-developed cross-functional proposals with data science and growth teams which secured more than $500K in new revenue.

    • Director of Polling
      Mar 2022 - Jun 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

      • Created and led US public opinion research operation that insourced data collection, improved survey accuracy, and increased project margins by 50%. • Expanded research methodologies to harness the power of random assignment for impact evaluations, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and in-survey experiments. • Made quantitative social science research accessible, digestible, and actionable to nonprofits, campaigns, and candidates within the US pro-democracy space.

  • Adjunct Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi
    Jul 2014 - Jun 2023 · 9 yrs

    • Created and delivered interdisciplinary courses that developed students’ analytical reasoning, research literacy, and communication skills in political science and international affairs. • Designed and launched interdisciplinary curricula for Crises in Context and U.S. Foreign Policy courses, collaborating across departments to create experiential learning modules that strengthened critical thinking and policy analysis skills. • Coordinated multi-instructor course delivery across Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, managing scheduling, materials preparation, grading systems, and student communications across NYUAD and New York campuses. • Supported academic operations and recruitment for Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, aiding in student selection activities, mentoring, and planning of weekend program events and graduation ceremonies. • Streamlined administrative processes for cross-campus teaching, coordinating remote sessions, performing assignment management on NYU Classes, and adapting US syllabi for UAE academic standards and calendars. • Improved analytical and critical thinking among international undergraduates by designing and teaching courses such as US Foreign Policy and Crises in Context, achieving consistently high student evaluations. • Enhanced quantitative proficiency by simplifying complex data concepts in political-science courses, strengthening methodological competence across diverse student groups.

  • Principal Investigator at NORC at the University of Chicago
    Mar 2017 - Apr 2022 · 5 yrs 2 mos

    • Managed international development impact evaluation for USAID. • Designed and executed field experiments to generate actionable evidence for democracy, governance, and counter-extremism programming. • Delivered USAID’s first randomized controlled trial of countering violent extremism social-norms program within in non-Western context. • Designed USAID’s learning agenda for Bangladesh, closing counter-extremism evidence gaps through field experiments that directly informed policy investments. • Recruited, vetted, and managed local implementing partner organization, aligning research, training, and ethical protocols with USAID and local stakeholders to execute rigorous randomized controlled trial. • Directed 6-site research operations across 2 cities, establishing workflows and QA systems that ensured data integrity and ethical compliance in complex field conditions. • Oversaw full data lifecycle, from instrument design to 20-month follow-up of 1.4K participants, enabling longitudinal analysis of behavioral persistence. • Evaluated and adapted USAID’s Obirodh: Road to Tolerance initiative for politically sensitive university settings, producing measurable gains in tolerance and civic engagement.