3C Institute is a private, for-profit research and development company based in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

that provides research, data collection, and program implementation support services. 3C Institute also develops evidence-based social emotional learning products for children, adolescents, and parents.

Background

3-C Institute for Social Development was founded in 2001 by clinical psychologist Dr. Melissa DeRosier. The organization changed its name to 3C Institute in 2013. Dr. DeRosier received her doctorate from

UNC-Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795 ...

in 1992 and completed a two-year fellowship at

Duke University Medical Center Duke University Hospital is a 1062 -bed acute care facility and an academic tertiary care facility located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1930, it is the flagship teaching hospital for the Duke University Health Sy ...

. She then worked on a five-year federal grant examining bullying and violence prevention in the

Wake County Public School System The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is a State school, public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 159,995 students in average daily membership and 198 schools as of the 2023–24 school year, it is the large ...

. She observed that teachers and schools were using non-evidence-based programs to improve social and emotional skills and founded the company to address this research-to-practice gap.

Funding

3C received its first SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I grants in 2002 and its first Phase II grant in 2003. The company has completed Phase I and Phase II grants and contracts funded through

NIH The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...

(

NICHD The ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver'' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It supports and conducts research ai ...

, NIDA,

NIDCD The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a member of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is mandated to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disor ...

, NIDILRR,

NIMH NIMH may refer to: * Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), a type of electrical battery *National Institute of Mental Health, an agency of the United States government * National Institute of Medical Herbalists, a professional organisation in the ...

, NIMHD, NIDDK,

NHLBI The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is the third largest Institute of the National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It is tasked with allocating about $3.6 billion in FY 20 ...

, NCATS), the

CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...

, and the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet, cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States, United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, havin ...

Awards

In 2011, 3C Institute received a

Tibbetts Award The Tibbetts Award ("Tibbie") is a national award made annually to those small firms, projects, organizations, and individuals judged to exemplify the very best in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) achievement. The award was established i ...

from th
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
or its evidence-based mental health programs. In 2014, the company received the Special Award of Excellence for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship from the SBA, which highlights entrepreneurs who find unique and novel solutions to social problems.

Products and Services

3C Institute has developed web- and game-based interventions to address children and adolescent behavioral and social problems. The company’s flagship product, Social Skills Group Intervention (S.S.GRIN), received recognition from the

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitati ...

(SAMHSA) as a mental health promotion winner in 2010. The effectiveness of S.S.GRIN was proven by tracking 1,500 students over three years in 10 schools. 3C Institute also works with outside clients to develop professional development courses and programs to help researchers collect and translate data. In January 2025, the company commercialized Quest, a software platform for social, behavioral, and educational research.

References

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External Links

https://www.sba.gov/ Companies established in 2001 Companies based in Durham, North Carolina