The new Centre for Public Affairs Research will be led by NORC executive vice president Daniel Gaylin and Trevor Tompson, the AP’s global director of polling, and will be based at NORC in Chicago.

At the new centre, the two organisations will conduct, analyse and distribute research on issues deemed to be in the public interest. The AP and NORC aim to create “high-impact journalism and meaningful contributions to public discussion” on national and international topics.

NORC president and CEO John Thompson (pictured) said: “We are excited to partner with The Associated Press and its world-class team to bring insightful data and and analysis to the broader public that will assist them in making decisions and assessing the world around them.”

In the long run, the centre will also track social, political and cultural trends and examine the relationship between public opinion research and ongoing public policy discussions.