Institute for Practical Research

The **Institue for Practical Research** (IPR) was founded on Man by the USEPT on behalf of The Democratic Mandate, with the intent of finding a solution for the social crisis affecting the planet.

### History

The initial contact with the two powers lording over Man was tense, as the arrival of off-worlders would not only add a third element to their cold war, but also reveal the existence of the Empire to the underclass; however, they had neither the numbers nor the technology to block the Mandate, and had to accept their imminent presence on the planet. For their part, the IPR decided not to show themselves to Man’s inhabitants, hiding their HQ and monitoring the population with moles and TL4 surveillance.

While originally created with the intent of solving the crisis on planet, the Institute has attracted social scientists from all Acheron Rho, giving it a wider scope than anticipated.

### Organization

The IPR is divided into three Departments:

* The **Department of Data Gathering**, responsible for getting the researchers the information they need to conduct their experiments. Most of the data is obtained through PRISM contracts, but the Department of Data Gathering counts at its disposal some field operatives, usually USEPT undergraduates trained in “participant observation”.

The need for secrecy while working on Man has shaped this department into something more similar to a spy agency than a scientific organization, a fact not gone unnoticed by the Forum, which has started to use it as as such; in particular, they’ve become adept at identifying possible sources of conflict on a planet, permitting the Democratic Mandate to fully apply its doctrine of Militant Pacifism.

* The **Department of Research**, responsible for the planning of social experiments and the actual analysis of data. Their main objective is (ostensibly) finding a solution for the cold war on Man, but some scientists seem willing to let the conflict continue to study every aspect of it, and others are more interested in running experiments on far away planets. Unless the USEPT puts some pressure on them, it’s unlikely the condition of Man will improve.
* The **Department of Divulgation,** responsible for publishing research papers and teaching the general public about the IPR’s discoveries. The fact that the Institute is funded by the Democratic Mandate is bound to create some bias on which papers are published and which are rejected, but the department only green-lights research that has a correct methodology and abundant empirical evidence.

The department’s way to reach the masses is usually organising conferences on other planets to show the result of the IPR’s studies. The scientists who have worked on the research are always part of them, but the actual talking is often left to important figures native to the planet, usually philosophers or media personalities. The content of the papers is dumbed down so that every participant can understand it, much to the chagrin of the researchers.

Another duty of the Department of Divulgation is to offer their consultation to nobles seeking to improve their governance through the implementation of democratic (or quasi-democratic) policies.