Research Centers
Center for Economic Policy Analysis (CEPA)
The Center for Economic Policy Analysis (CEPA) will support policy relevant research and will serve as a hub for linkages between our faculty, policy makers, and the public. Beyond showcasing the policy relevant work our faculty already do, the center will build out lines of research on focus areas including housing affordability, health system efficiency, the design of social insurance and anti-poverty programs, and the performance of state and local governments. Mentorship and the integration of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows into faculty research teams will be a priority as the center explores ways to maximize our department’s impact.
Visit the Center for Economics Policy Analysis Website
Center for Environmental Economics
The Center for Environmental Economics promotes research in environmental economics and provides a community for scholars (faculty, graduate students, and others) interested in various topics on environmental economics. The Center also sponsors seminars in Environmental Economics.
Visit the Center for Environmental Economics Website
Economics Laboratory
The Economics Laboratory is dedicated to the study of economic and strategic decision making. By fostering a combination of economic theory, game theory, behavioral economics, laboratory experiments, and survey research, the Economics Laboratory furthers the understanding of human interactions and economic decisions.
Visit the Economics Laboratory Website
Globalization and Prosperity Lab (GP-lab)
The Globalization and Prosperity Lab (GP-lab) brings together scholars to analyze globalization and its impact on prosperity and equity. Globalization is economic change with global reach, including technological innovation, the worldwide integration of markets, and the global expansion of the service economy. GP-lab scholars investigate the origins of globalization in the worldwide division of labor and in local entrepreneurship. They study the consequences of globalization for people and local markets in the short term and over life cycles and careers. Through both academic research and policy analysis, the GP-lab team intends to incubate a conceptual redesign of globalization and its governance that is proactive and guided by ethical principles. A core asset is the GP-lab's cModel, a perpetually improving computation model for more than 40 countries and 170 industries, including local labor markets and global supply chains. In cBriefs, GP-lab scholars address pressing policy issues based on cModel simulations. Through cMaps, the GP-lab will soon chart critical country-industries and global vulnerabilities to trade and production disruptions. At a future cHub, the GP-lab plans to provide server-based access to large-scale confidential microdata for scholars in residence and up-to-date public data for research into globalization and prosperity.
Gradient Fund
The Gradient Fund makes early-stage investments in research with outsized potential for social impact. To this end, it exclusively supports work on a curated set of questions sourced from leading policy-makers, philanthropists, investors, activists, and entrepreneurs.
Contact: gradientfund@ucsd.edu
Visit the Gradient Fund Website
San Diego Education Research Alliance (SanDERA)
The San Diego Education Research Alliance (SanDERA) at UC San Diego conducts rigorous research and relevant research that contributes to the development of education policy and informs, supports, and sustains high-quality educational opportunities for all students in San Diego and beyond. SanDERA was established in 2000 as a partnership between UC San Diego Department of Economics and the San Diego Unified School District on the economics of education.