Overview

The Centre as a place of international excellence

The value of ESRC core funding to the Centre [Hide]

The ESRC Centre funding is central to IFS's success. It provides us with stable arm's-length funding that underpins our treasured independence from political and other vested interests. This allows us to engage effectively with policymakers while maintaining credibility with users as a source of rigorous and unbiased analysis. It gives us the flexibility to respond quickly to new policy developments and proposals. Centre funding is also essential in allowing us to attract the brightest people in the UK and retain them in economic research.

The ESRC Centre currently covers around one-quarter of IFS's funding. In the absence of either an endowment or the more favourable financial support enjoyed by the university sector, this core funding is essential in helping us co-fund the remaining three-quarters.

Academic impact

Some major contributions to academic work in the UK and overseas

Policy and practice

Five important impacts on policy and practice

Use of the Centre's work by policymakers and practitioners

Research capacity

The Centre's contribution to UK research capacity

Staff development in the Centre