Kinsey Institute Receives $260,000 Gift for Trauma Research Initiative and Archives Preservation

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) in partnership with the Dillon Fund has awarded a $260,000 gift to the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

This gift will provide funding to support research and operation expenses of the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (KI-TSRC) and to assist with the preservation of archives in the Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections. KI-TSRC has been developing novel research methodologies to examine the causes and consequences of traumatic stress, including intersections of trauma and human sexuality.

“Understanding the impact of trauma on our romantic and sexual lives is especially timely and needed. Thanks to the support of Dr. Walling, USABP, and now the Dillon Fund, the collaborative research being pursued as part of our Traumatic Stress Research Consortium will examine important new questions on the physiological, psychological, and social outcomes of trauma. The additional funds provided to the Kinsey Institute’s renowned Library and Special Collections will allow for archival preservation and scholarly accessibility of research materials,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, Acting Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute and Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor of Gender Studies.

“This gift will join the initial $30,000 grant that our members gave to the Kinsey Institute this past spring, and we are delighted to help advance the great work of the world class researchers at Kinsey while also protecting its’ legacy that the archives help enshrine for all of human history.” Said Dr. Christopher Walling, President of United States Association for Body Psychotherapy and Clinical Director of Soma Psychological Services in Los Angeles, California.

The Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (KI-TSRC), currently led by Distinguished University Scientist Dr. Stephen Porges, is an interdisciplinary research initiative of the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University. The consortium's mission is to further our understanding of human sexuality by studying the impact of various forms of trauma on social behavior, sexual function, and intimacy. The KI-TSRC is designed to create a multidisciplinary and international community of clinicians and researchers focused on the consequences of traumatic stress in order to improve outcomes of survivors. 

“Grants and generous gifts such as this have an immediate impact on the Kinsey Institute’s ability to continue a history of research excellence,” said Dr. Justin Garcia.

About the USABP: (https://www.usabp.org) he United States Association for Body Psychotherapy was founded in 1999 to help develop and advance the art, science, and practice of body psychotherapy and somatic psychology in a professional, ethical, and caring manner in order to support their membership as they promote the health and welfare of their clients.

About the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University: For over 70 years, the Kinsey Institute (https://kinseyinstitute.org/) has been the premier research institute on human sexuality and relationships and a trusted source for evidence-based information on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction. Our research program integrates scholarly fields from neuroscience and anthropology to psychology and gender studies. The Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections encompass over 500,000 items spanning 2,000 years of human sexual behavior and are a destination collection for scholars and students for research. Kinsey Institute outreach includes travelling art exhibits, public lectures, and a continuing education program launching in Fall 2019.

For more information or to discuss a donation, please visit kinseyinstitute.org or contact kinsey@indiana.edu.