Completed Projects

A list of ISER’s completed research

Map showing the future of regional labour markets

Overlapping crises: (Re)shaping the future of regional labour markets (OVERLAP)

The research project has two principal aims. The first objective is to create a detailed and comprehensive overview of the demographic dynamics that characterise regional labour markets at the NUTS-3 level, focusing on the medium-to-long-term perspectives (2030 to 2040), together with their implications.

Evaluating a ‘Minimum Income Guarantee’ and modelling major income supplementation policies: A development award

Economic conditions are well-recognised as key drivers of health and wellbeing inequalities. There is considerable interest in using major income supplementation policies (MISPs) such as Universal Basic Income to reduce such inequalities.

UKMOD: Fostering an inclusive and informed public debate of UK fiscal policies

The project aims to maintain UKMOD – an open-source tax-benefit model – as a free resource, and support its transition to long-term sustainability by fostering use of the model by third sector financial advisory and advocacy organisations.

Caring Over the Lifecycle: the Roles of Families and Welfare States Today and Into the Future (WELLCARE)

Economic development in parallel to demographic changes over the past decades have altered family structures and the way care is given and received along the lifecycle.

Fiscal INCentives for Health improvement: repurposing consumption taxes on food (FINCH)

The central research question in FINCH is whether indirect taxes on food and non-alcoholic beverages
(FNABs) can be repurposed and restructured to create incentives for healthy food consumption,
without increasing the tax burden on households and without adverse distributional impacts relative to the current taxation system.

Study on ‘Poverty and Income Inequality in the Context of the Digital Transformation’

The objective of this study is to estimate the impact of digital transformation on employment, earnings, poverty and income inequality in the last decade, as well as provide an indication of what this impact could be in the coming decade, across all EU Member States and in the EU as a whole.

Gender equality and gender mainstreaming in national Recovery and Resilience Plans – Economic case

This project provides a quantitative assessment of the gendered impacts of the pandemic and the related policy response on earnings and disposable incomes across the EU-27.

The impacts of Universal Free School Meals in England

Investigating the impact of Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) programmes run in several local authorities in England since 2004 on children’s educational attainment, absences and bodyweight.

Evaluation of the health impacts of Universal Credit: a mixed methods study

A project focusing on a mixed methods study comprising five closely related work packages (WPs) to answer the question: what is the impact of the introduction of UC on mental health and wellbeing, what are the implications for health inequalities, and how these effects are moderated by variation in implementation across Great Britain?

Understanding the impacts of income and welfare policy responses to COVID-19 on inequalities in mental health: A microsimulation model

A study that will develop a new mathematical model which will simulate the potential impact of the economic changes on mental health of the British population.

The gender gap in pay progression: job mobility and job ladders

Examining factors which drive the observed gender gap in pay progression: the role of employer wage-setting power and gender differences in job-to-job mobility patterns.

Assessing the role of tax-benefit policies in mitigating the distributional effects of COVID-19 in the Andean region

The overall aim of the project is to assess the role of tax and benefit policies in mitigating the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty and inequality in three countries in the Andean region: Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Modelling Basic Income Options for France

The objective of this project is to discuss the distributional effects of some a priori identified UBI
schemes, as an illustration of the different trade-offs involved, and to foster the debate around
UBI in France

Extension of the EUROMOD-ITT tool

This new project aims to adapt and improve the indirect tax handling of EUROMOD further, by making use of the EUROSTAT HBS data for all countries of the European Union for which no considerate data issues exist.

Modelling labour supply with informality for the evaluation of tax-benefit reforms in Ecuador

The aim of the project is to develop a labour supply model for Ecuador enabling to take into account behavioural responses from ex-ante tax-benefit policy reform simulations.

Assessing the economic and social impact of COVID-19 in Ecuador

Investigating the distributional effects of COVID-19 in Ecuador and the role of tax–benefit policy interventions in mitigating the impact of the crisis during the first wave of the pandemic.

Analysis of the distributional effects of Covid-19 and state-led remedial measures in developing countries

COVID-19: Distributional and budgetary consequences in the UK

The project aims at predicting the distributional effects of the first Covid-19 lockdown, and the impact of the emergency policy measures put in place to counteract its effects

Simulating tax-benefit policies to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality in Mexico

Looking at ways to contribute to the development of tools to evaluate social policies aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in Mexico by means of a tax-benefit microsimulation model

CHILMOD: simulating tax and benefit policies for Chile

Working alongside the Universidad de Chil and the Centre for Economics and Social Policy at the Universidad Mayor on building a tax-benefit microsimulation model, based on the EUROMOD platform, for Chile

Investigating economic insecurity through microsimulation

Investigating economic insecurity over the life course by means of dynamic microsimulation modelling.

Simulation tax policy reforms and fiscal gains in the Andean Region

Tax collection in the Andean region low compared with other countries in Latin America and with developed economies (OECD countries).
The overall aim of the project is to assess the budgetary and distributional effects of tax policy reforms in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

Tax and benefit microsimulation to tackle inequality in Colombia

Looking at ways to contribute to the use of tax-benefit microsimulation techniques in Colombia to improve evidence-based policy making in the country

UKMOD case study: implementing a basic income

Opening the Black Box: towards a transparent and widely-used tax-benefit model for the UK (UKMOD)

UKMOD: A new tax-benefit microsimulation model for the UK

Enhancing EUROMOD’s UK component to create a widely accessible, simplified, transparent and policy-relevant tax-benefit model.

An investigation of the impact of the National Living Wage on earnings, with a focus on pay differentials

Investigating to what extent the recent hikes in the minimum wage have impacted on wage progression and pay differentials.

BELMOD: adapting EUROMOD for the use of administrative data in Belgium

This new microsimulation tool will be used to design an evidence-based national reform plan aimed at furthering the automatization of social rights.

Impact of the Universal Free School Meal policy

Assessing the success of the Free School Meals policy in improving children’s educational achievement, social behaviour and health.

Investigating people-place effects in the UK using linked longitudinal survey and administrative data

Providing new evidence for the UK on the presence and relative contribution of place effects to individual social and economic outcomes.

Risk aversion, earnings uncertainty and labour supply

Examining the relationship between the growth in insecure and unstable forms of employment and peoples’ behaviour in relation to seeking and remaining in work.

Integrating research infrastructure for European expertise on inclusive growth from data to policy (InGRID-2)

Follow-up to the successful InGRID project aiming to advance the integration and innovation of distributed social sciences research infrastructures on ‘poverty, living conditions and social policies’ as well as ‘working conditions, vulnerability and labour policies’

Investigating and reducing non-sampling errors on EU-SILC

Investigating the extent and nature of non-sampling errors and exploring ways of reducing such errors in the future.

The prevalence and persistence of ethnic and racial harassment and its impact on health: a longitudinal analysis

Groundbreaking research into the prevalence and persistence of ethnic and racial harassment and its impact on health.

Female politicians and economic growth: evidence from state elections in India

Investigating whether women’s participation in politics stimulates economic growth in India.

Methodological innovations in data collection in longitudinal studies

Producing resource documents to set an agenda for the CLOSER network by investigating the use of mixed-mode data collection in longitudinal surveys, how new technologies can be used to measure health and health behaviours, and how new technologies can be used to measure non health topics.

Convergence of minimum benefit schemes in Europe: evidence at the micro level

Simulating reform scenarios of the minimum income benefit level in several European countries to estimate the effects on household incomes.

SOUTHMOD: simulating tax and benefit policies for development

New microsimulation models to explore the impacts of social protection and tax systems in developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia

EUROMOD extension to indirect taxation

Extending the model’s simulation tools for indirect tax policies to a wider range of European countries

Causes of gender, disability, and ethnic pay gaps

Investigating the causes of pay inequalities for women, ethnic minorities and disabled people

Application of microsimulation models in the analysis of taxes and social benefits in Croatia (AMMATSBC)

Applying microsimulation models of Croatian taxes and benefits in public policy and academic analysis to demonstrate their effectiveness

Feasibility and added value of a European unemployment benefit scheme

What impact would a European-wide unemployment benefit scheme have on income stabilisation and social outcomes?

Tax Shifting of Direct and Indirect Taxation in Italy and Spain

Extending the policy scope of EUROMOD to include indirect taxes

Measuring Youth Well-Being (MYWeB)

Assessing the desirability and feasibility of setting up a Europe-wide longitudinal study of the well-being of children and young people.

Poverty across ethnic groups through recession and austerity

Updating evidence on how the recession has affected economic well-being and economic vulnerability for different ethnic groups.

Transmitting educational disadvantage? Measuring intergenerational mobility in migrant families

A comprehensive, innovative project, providing an insight into the determinants of educational success amongst the children of immigrants.

Programme Evaluation for Policy Analysis

Examining the processes and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of state interventions

Disparities in children’s health and behaviour: The importance of race/ethnicity in the UK and US

Examines ethnic/racial disparities in early child development – comparing the UK and US.

Framing effects and loss aversion in labour supply responses to work disincentives: Is there an endowment effect?

An EssexLab experiment designed to see if taxes and the withdrawal of benefits have different impacts on individuals’ willingness to work

Improving reports to sensitive survey questions

An experimental project designed to test whether changes to questionnaire design will remove bias and improve answers to sensitive questions

Understanding the mechanisms of in-work benefits: Can they improve employment retention among lone parents?

A comprehensive investigation of time-limited incentives to work on short and medium-run employment outcomes.

Understanding non-response on Understanding Society

Seeking to understand and reduce non-response in panel surveys

Inclusive Growth Research Infrastructure Diffusion (InGRID)

Integrating existing European social sciences research infrastructures to develop and innovate evidence-based policies for inclusive growth

Lone parents obligations: an impact assessment

A comprehensive evaluation of the change to benefits entitlement for lone parents introduced in November 2008

The distribution and dynamics of UK citizens’ environmental attitudes, behaviours and actions

Expanding our understanding of environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Survey data quality in panel surveys: trade-offs between nonresponse and measurement errors

Seeking to improve longitudinal data quality and reduce survey costs

Job polarisation and job quality

Understanding the causes of polarisation, its features and its implications

Assessing the effects of prenatal hormone exposure on the human life-Course

Breaking new ground in assessing how pre natal hormone exposure may influence the life course

Life transitions and travel behaviour

Examining what changes in our lives influence car ownership and commuting

The effect of free childcare on maternal labour supply and child development

Exploring the effects on maternal labour supply of different types of free childcare

UK-Australia Network Promoting Longitudinal Survey Methods and Analysis

Creating an international partnership between ISER and the Universities of Melbourne and Queensland in Australia

Making work pay: single parents and Universal Credit

Analysing the impact of Universal Credit on single parent families and asking if the Government is ‘making work pay’.

The Church Growth Research Programme

A comprehensive study of the causes of church growth and decline.

Analysing the interaction of the national minimum wage with the tax and benefits system

Examining the likely impact of Universal Credit on the incomes and incentives of families containing National Minimum Wage workers

Poverty Reduction in Europe: Social Policy and Innovation (ImPRovE)

Using EUROMOD to measure the impact of past policy decisions on poverty outcomes in Europe

The how, why and when of web surveys for the general population

A network of experts exploring the implications of taking probability-based social surveys online.

Flexible working and couples’ coordination of time schedules

A ground-breaking project using previously unexploited data

Partnership dissolution and formation: how do they affect income, employment and well-being?

Exploring the economic outcomes of women, men and dependent children affected by partnership dissolution, and the impact of family breakdowns on mental health and well being.

The effect of school inputs and educational attainments

Studying the effect of school inputs on pupils’ educational attainments at the age of 16

Understanding the impact of recession on labour market behaviour in Britain

Investigating the behaviour of individuals and households in response to economic recession

How we save for retirement

The second major study of the pension habits of 25,000 workers

Who benefits the most from post-secondary schooling?

A cross-national comparison of selection and the economic returns to post-secondary education

Impact of the National Minimum Wage on earnings, employment and hours through the recession

Investigating the possible impact of the National Minimum Wage on job entry by the unemployed

EU Social Situation Monitor (formerly European Observatory on the Social Situation)

Providing evidence on the current EU socio-economic situation to inform policy decisions

The effects of breastfeeding on children, mothers and employers

A comprehensive study examining the effects of breastfeeding on children, mothers and employers

Analysis of Life Chances in Europe

Examining life chances and living standards across the EU