The 2026 Policy Surveillance Institute will take place on August 6-7, 2026, in Philadelphia.
The Center for Public Health Law Research's Policy Surveillance Institute teaches scientific legal mapping methods during a two-day intensive training seminar in person in Philadelphia. Policy surveillance tracks public health laws and policies over time and across jurisdictions, using a rigorous scientific process to create data for evaluation and empirical research.
The Policy Surveillance Institute is intended for individuals interested in studying policies and law once they are enacted, and exploring variation in policy across jurisdictions and over time. Participants will learn each step in the policy surveillance process with live training from experts from the Center for Public Health Law Research on policy surveillance software and through collaborative exercises.
Download the 2025 agenda (subject to change)
Institute participants will:
Advanced track participants will also learn dataset management techniques to lead a policy surveillance project from start to finish.
*The Policy Surveillance Institute will not focus on tracking bills as they move through the legislative process.
The Policy Surveillance Institute is intended for individuals interested in tracking policies and law once they are enacted, and exploring variation across jurisdictions and over time. Participants may be, but are not limited to, law and public health professionals and students:
The Policy Surveillance Institute has two concurrent tracks: the introductory track and the advanced track. Both tracks are open to students and professionals.
The introductory track is appropriate for individuals who have limited to no knowledge of policy surveillance and scientific legal mapping techniques. This track will use hands-on exercises to introduce the full policy surveillance process, and will use pre-set examples to illustrate how to apply the process to create a cross-sectional dataset (tracking laws and policies at one point in time across jurisdictions). Upon completion, participants will be able to apply the policy surveillance process to their individual projects. The process includes the following steps:
The advanced track is appropriate for individuals who are familiar with policy surveillance methods and who want to learn how to lead a policy surveillance project. Attendees will learn the steps necessary to create and manage a policy surveillance project, including creating a transdisciplinary team, recruiting a subject matter expert, project planning, quality control methods, and conceptualizing the project from start to finish. The advanced track will also cover longitudinal data building. Attendees for this track will benefit by coming with a project or topic in mind, as the track will also focus on providing hands-on technical assistance for project managers. Individuals enrolling in the advanced session will be asked to demonstrate their proficiency by identifying previous training, or relevant experience (e.g., attendance at a previous Policy Surveillance Institute, completion of the Global Certificate in Legal Epidemiology, previous work on a policy surveillance project).
This was a great training institute. I loved how practical and hands on it was. I really appreciated how accessible staff/trainers were for questions and consultation throughout the 2-day event.
I loved the institute so much and I cannot wait to start applying what I learned.
I found it very useful attend the Advanced Workshop again this year, to get training in the new versions of MonQle and Lawatlas, and to network with new people and catch up with existing colleagues. It is very much worth the effort to attend the summer institutes more than once
The rates below reflect the registration information for the 2026 Policy Surveillance Institute.
The Policy Surveillance Institute has two concurrent tracks: the introductory track and the advanced track. Both tracks are open to students and professionals.
Registration includes pre-institute sessions, breakfast and lunch both days during the institute, a networking reception on the first evening of the institute, and access to CPHLR training staff for follow-up technical assistance.
Registration also includes a 14-day free trial to MonQcle, CPHLR’s scientific legal mapping software, beginning August 3, 2026. Registrants will also receive a one-time 15% discount code that can be applied toward the purchase of an annual MonQcle subscription, valid through December 31, 2026.
ATTENDEE TYPE | EARLY BIRD RATE | REGULAR RATE |
|---|---|---|
Student | $198 | $298 |
Early-Career Professional (less than 36 months post graduation) | $305 | $405 |
Government | $375 | $475 |
Professional | $535 | $635 |
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit will be offered for the Policy Surveillance Institute. We offer 12 credits for the full Institute.
There is an add-on cost of $325 for early-bird registration (before May 15) and $345 for the regular rate (May 16 – July 24) for the 2026 Institute.
August 6-7, 2026
Optional virtual pre-conference session, "Introduction to the Law & Legal Research," on July 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET
Temple University Center City Campus (TUCC) is located in the heart of Philadelphia, just a block from City Hall. TUCC is accessible via Philadelphia's extensive local public transportation system, the Philadelphia International Airport, and Amtrak.
Temple University maintains relationships with area hotels to provide preferred rates. Please note there is no reserved room block, so these rates are based on hotel availability. Access the hotel site for Temple University.
Please contact Bethany Saxon with any questions, [click-for-email] or 215-204-2134
