Research projects

Find out about some of the ongoing research projects at the School. These may be core funded or externally funded, and range from extensive, long term collaborations requiring fieldwork and data analysis to more individual areas of work.

Research project
Cities that Work

Cities that Work is a new International Growth Centre initiative that builds on our work to translate economic research and practical insight into clear urban policy guidance.

Research project
The Oxford Martin Programme on African Governance

Bringing together researchers from six Oxford departments to look at the current economic, social, and political governance challenges for sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in terms of decisio

Research project
Building A Research Community on Public Finance and Management

Preliminary steps towards establishing a community of researchers on public finance and public management in developing countries.

Research project
Trust, Distrust and the Legitimacy of Government

Providing the first general theory of how trust and distrust condition our obligations – to each other and government.

Research project
Banks, popular backlash, and the post-crisis politics of financial regulation (Banklash)

By bringing together political economy, behavioural research and policy studies, ‘Banklash’ will study the mutual feedback loops linking post-crisis regulation, public opinion, and the media covera

Research project
Social Cooperation Research Hub of Rebuilding Macroeconomics

Does social cooperation affect macroeconomic performance?

Research project
Improving local government transparency in Brazil

Brazilians consider corruption as the biggest problem facing their country.

Past projects
Research project
Demography and national security

This project is looking at the demographic trends occurring within states and the implications of this for state-level and global dynamics.

Research project
Privacy and security

The Snowden revelations have made pressing the following question: what is the appropriate balance between security and privacy in a liberal democratic society?

Research project
Addressing efficiency challenges through health financing reforms

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means that everyone is able to use needed, good quality health services without fear of financial ruin as a consequence.

Research project
GROWTHCOM

In the wake of the financial crisis one of the major challenges faced by policymakers in Europe and around the world is rekindling economic growth and innovation.

Research project
Analysis of Provider Payment Reforms on Advancing China's Health (APPROACH)

Recent decades have witnessed significant increases in health spending worldwide; however there is limited evidence of commensurate improvements in quality of care and health outcomes.

Research project
Shared services in government

This project examines the latest global 'mega-trend' of public administration reform: the inter-agency sharing of 'back-office' support services, such as HR, ICT, finance, procurement and legal adv

Research project
Territory and war

This project uses insights from evolutionary theory to explain the continued human proclivity towards conflict over territory.

Research project
Forecasting and influencing technological progress in solar energy

Our goal is to make better forecasts of technological progress with cost as a primary unit of analysis, and to provide methods that support better decision making in the allocation of technology in

Research project
Improving capacity building through scientific studies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Large scientific studies, such as vaccine trials, that are carried out in the developing world are often financed with the requirement that they build capacity.