INSPIRE

Better Access to Public Services Can Save Millions of Lives in Developing Countries

Erika Deserranno has won an ERC Starting Grant for the project DIGIDEV (Digitalization of Public Service Delivery and Inclusive Development), investigating how technology can influence supply and demand of basic services to reduce inequalities and boost growth.

Challenging Stereotypes to Unlock Equal Opportunities in Education

Michela Carlana has won an ERC Starting Grant for the project SOFIA (Stereotypes and Opportunities: Fostering Interactions and Awareness) which aims to study the formation of stereotypes and test policies designed to mitigate educational inequalities, building on insights from behavioral economics and machine learning techniques.

Evidence for Change. 10 Years of LEAP

LEAP marks 10 years of advancing rigorous research to fight poverty. Save the date for the policy event on 17 June at Bocconi University, bringing together global voices to explore how evidence can shape policy, strengthen institutions, and improve lives.

AIBE Workshop 2026: Resources, Institutions & Development

The 2026 Workshop of the Italian-Brazilian Economics Association (AIBE) is organized jointly with Bocconi University and FGV Ceri (Centro de Estudos em Regulação e Infraestrutura, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro). In the 2026 edition, the Workshop places particular emphasis on energy economics as a strategic area of
bilateral interest.

The evolution of gender norms in developing countries

Stefano Fiorin has won a FIS Starting Grant for investigating how social norms and collective behaviors influence women's economic and political participation in three very different contexts: Kenya, Indonesia, and Nepal.

And Justice for All? The individual determinants of access to justice: evidence from population-wide data

Diogo Britto has obtained FIS funding for a project analyzing the individual determinants of access to justice.

Making Institutions Visible: Public Legal Knowledge in Informal Economic Settings

Alexia Delfino and Irene Solmone have obtained a ReCIPE Research Grant for a full-scale RCT in Lusaka, Zambia, exploring the role of legal institutions in promoting business collaboration among entrepreneurs.

Latest news

INSPIRE announces the winners of the first Student Grant call

INSPIRE is pleased to announce the winners of the first INSPIRE Student Grant call, open to PhD students affiliated with the Centre. The call received an overwhelming number of applications, reflecting the strength, breadth, and quality of research being developed by INSPIRE-affiliated doctoral students. After a careful review process, the selection panel awarded the grants to Gabriele Archibugi and Erick Baumgartner, both PhD students in Economics at Bocconi University.

INSPIRE launches its first PhD Student Grant

The INSPIRE PhD Student Grant just launched. The program aims to support students engaged in research aligned with the center’s mission.

Applications to the Summer 2026 Round of the INSPIRE Internship Program are now open. APPLY NOW!

The INSPIRE Internship Program is dedicated to enthusiastic and motivated Bocconi students who wish to gain first-hand experience in developing cutting-edge empirical research. The selected interns will have the opportunity to work with faculty affiliated with INSPIRE on several projects and will take on substantial responsibilities in program design, implementation, monitoring, research, and evaluation.v

Making Institutions Visible: Public Legal Knowledge in Informal Economic Settings

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Research Units

LEAP

LEAP aims at reducing poverty around the world through the design, the analysis and the dissemination of effective anti-poverty programs. We do this by combining original data collection and rigorous scientific research in order to offer reliable solutions to policy-makers, seeking to improve the lives of the poor.

CLEAN

CLEAN investigates criminal behavior employing detailed data and frontier quantitative methods. We are particularly interested in the activity of criminal organizations pursuing complex illicit businesses such as drug trafficking, corruption, and money laundering.

ABLE

The ABLE research unit investigates how disability shapes the lives of individuals and their families, with the aim of generating rigorous evidence for more effective and inclusive social policy. We study the consequences of disability for health, education, employment, social participation, caregiving, and family well-being, with particular attention to the role of institutions, culture, and social inequality.