The Institute for Fiscal Studies has hosted an ESRC research centre since 1991.

The Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP) aims to carry out core analytical research that will allow informed microeconomic analysis of major public policy issues, from productivity growth to poverty reduction, and from promoting employment to ensuring sound public finances. Our focus is on the careful modelling of individual, household and firm behaviour, combining cutting-edge empirical analysis with detailed understanding of policy options and implementation.

The stable funding provided by the ESRC through the Centre allows IFS as a whole to maintain a rigorous, scientific approach to research, while offering scope for timely, independent, well-informed contributions to public debate.

Complementing our policy-based research, IFS also hosts the ESRC Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice (cemmap), for the development of evaluation methodology and other econometric and statistical methods. cemmap which builds on the strengths developed at the ESRC Centre. This has further strengthened our commitment to evidence-based policy and to the development of suitable research methods in parallel with our empirical analysis.