Robert Marans was principal investigator of the 50th DAS, which built on questions posed in 1966, 1974, and 1980 to examine changes over time in the public’s perceptions of various aspects of community life, including transportation, recreation, housing, and residential mobility. The survey showed satisfaction declines in many categories, but a stable 83 percent of residents surveyed in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties reported satisfaction with their lives as a whole. DAS 2001 differed from previous studies in that it expanded the survey to four additional metro counties. It also linked survey responses to contextual data from the U.S. Census and other sources using geographic information systems (GIS). Marans is currently working with international researchers to adapt the survey to local conditions that allow for cross-national comparisons.

Groves served as a sociology professor of at the U-M and a senior research scientist at ISR. He founded the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at SRC, the first graduate program in the nation to offer master and PhD degrees in survey methodology.

Following his time at Michigan, Groves served as director of the U.S. Census Bureau (presidential appointment with Senate confirmation). He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and of the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.