Centre for Evidence-Based Public Services
Improving health, education, welfare and the environment through data-driven research into public services.
Based in the school once home to Alfred Marshall, the Centre is home to an international team firmly focused on research with policy impact. Led by Helen Simpson, we conduct data-intensive studies on a variety of public services, from health and welfare to urban planning and the environment. Putting a premium on practical solutions to real-world problems our school was recently ranked first in the UK for its policy impact - a strong foundation CEPS seeks to build on.
CEPS was awarded ESRC Legacy Centre Status in 2019, and expands on the work of the Centre for Market and Public Organisation.
Research Themes
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Welfare
Research under this theme evaluates welfare reforms and labour market policies in international settings. We are actively engaged with the relevant policy communities to ensure that our findings reach the right audiences. In some cases, for example where we are running RCTs, the research is co-produced with policy stakeholders.
Welfare research papers -
Education
Research focuses on school choice, pupil motivation, and labour markets for teachers and academics. Our findings are of direct relevance to policy makers, for example the Department for Education and Skills, and to schools and Higher Education Institutions.
Education research papers -
Health
Research focuses on the co-dependence between health and economic outcomes, exploring how shocks to health and well-being affect outcomes such as educational attainment and employment, as well as vice versa.
Health research papers -
Environment
Research evaluates the effects of transport infrastructure investments, as well as using house price responses to transport and environmental policies as a method of valuing their perceived costs or benefits. Other research covers the pricing policies of airports, and looks at urban development in multiple country settings.
Environment research papers -
Data
This cross-cutting theme focuses on causal inference, methodological development for data combination as well as practical data development and data linkage for use in applied micro-econometric research. Our econometric research has applications within each of our policy-orientated research themes.
Data research papers
Cutting-edge research with policy impact
Read the latest from the Centre on the CEPS Blog.
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Research and analysis by CEPS researchers in the School of Economics.