Our vision
The next phase of the Institute remains firmly centred on our longstanding core objectives: to conduct internationally leading research in microeconomic policy analysis, to use the rigorous insights generated to impact public policy in the UK and internationally, to inform and improve the quality of public debate, and to upskill a new generation of research economists in such work. To maintain our position as a national resource, we will also innovate in each dimension – expanding our research agenda into new areas of pressing importance, deepening and widening stakeholder connections to ensure our research has policy impact; developing new data and methods and making these available to the research community; expanding international collaborations with governments, NGOs and like-minded research organisations; and building additional training for early-career researchers.
Our research themes
Our research will address enduring and complex challenges of key strategic importance to the economy, organised into five themes: (i) human capital: schools and pre-schools, training, further and higher education, the link between education, work and crime, and the role of families and caregiving; (ii) labour markets: encompassing the returns to education and skills, skills mismatch, career progression within and across firms, and drivers of the productivity stagnation; (iii) tax and benefits: research on low-income households, the design of tax and welfare systems, and the role of the tax system for redistribution, entrepreneurship, investment and innovation; (iv) consumption, wealth and health: spending patterns, consumption and the ability to insure risks, retirement savings, pensions, housing, wealth accumulation, causes and consequences of poor health, nutrition and the environment; (v) public finances: including public spending and its distributional effects, organisation and productivity of the public sector workforce, the design of health and justice systems and their links to economic outcomes, and devolved fiscal frameworks.
Our research topics
These themes contain important cross-cutting issues. First, inequalities – spatial disparities, horizontal inequities between groups, relational inequalities between employers and employees, and intergenerational inequalities. Second, the link between intergenerational mobility and human capital, labour market opportunities, housing markets and wealth accumulation. Third, the organization of the state, and the implementation and evaluation of public policy. Finally, the role of firms, and how they respond to policy, in determining individual well-being and aggregate prosperity.
Our structure
To fulfil our vision of producing world-class research, we have evolved the group of lead investigators, bringing in new expertise while retaining all our experienced researchers. The Institute sits within IFS is structured to maximise the pathways between research and policy. By aligning the Institute with the long-term strategic aims of IFS, we will ensure the Institute continues to play a leading national role in public discourse. The structure ensures close collaborations between junior and senior staff and that our core objectives are built into every aspect of our day-to-day work, including acting as a national resource. EDI concerns are embedded in all our activities, both in our research agenda and the way we operate.