Vermont Center for Rural Studies (CRS)The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) is a nonprofit, fee-for-service research organization that addresses social, economic, and resource-based problems of rural people and communities. Based in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont, the Center provides consulting, research, and program evaluation services in Vermont, the United States, and abroad. The Center also serves as the U.S. Census Bureau's Vermont State Data Center.