Starling Prize

Starling Prize. The Starling Prize is an international award recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of behavioral economics and its practical application in shaping effective public policy. Established in the late 2010s, it honors work that bridges rigorous academic research with real-world implementation, often addressing challenges in areas like healthcare, financial inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The prize is administered by The Starling Foundation and carries a significant monetary award alongside global recognition within the interdisciplinary communities of economics, psychology, and policy design.

Overview

The prize specifically celebrates insights drawn from the intersection of cognitive psychology and traditional neoclassical economics, rewarding innovations that improve outcomes for individuals and societies. It is often compared in prestige to older awards like the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, but with a distinct focus on applied, evidence-based interventions. Recipients typically include leading academics from institutions like Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the London School of Economics, as well as practitioners within influential organizations such as the World Bank or the Behavioural Insights Team. The award ceremony is frequently held in conjunction with major conferences like the Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association or the Behavioural Economics Annual Conference.

History and establishment

The Starling Prize was formally launched in 2018 by The Starling Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded by a consortium of entrepreneurs and academics inspired by the work of pioneers like Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky, and Richard Thaler. Its creation followed a period of rapid growth for the field, marked by the establishment of dedicated government units like the United States Social and Behavioral Sciences Team and the spread of nudge theory into mainstream policy discussions. The inaugural award was presented at a ceremony in New York City, setting a precedent for highlighting work with demonstrable impact beyond academic journals. The foundation's board includes notable figures from the MIT Sloan School of Management, the Princeton University Department of Psychology, and the OECD.

Selection process and criteria

A confidential selection committee, composed of eminent scholars and former winners, evaluates nominations submitted by a global network of invited institutions, including universities, think tanks, and international bodies like the United Nations Development Programme. The primary criteria emphasize the originality of the behavioral insight, the robustness of experimental evidence—often through randomized controlled trials—and the tangible scale of the policy impact. The process involves multiple rounds of review, with committee members drawing on expertise from diverse domains such as development economics, public health, and consumer protection. Deliberations are informed by case studies from implementations in countries ranging from the United Kingdom to India and Kenya.

Notable winners and impact

Recipients have been recognized for transformative work; for instance, early winners included researchers who designed simplified enrollment processes for retirement savings plans in the United States, leveraging defaults and framing to increase participation. Another winner was honored for developing text-message reminders in Sub-Saharan Africa that significantly improved adherence to antiretroviral therapy regimens, a project conducted in partnership with MIT Poverty Action Lab. The work of these laureates has directly influenced legislation, such as amendments to the Pension Protection Act, and has been adopted by agencies including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the World Health Organization. Their findings are regularly cited in publications like the American Economic Review and the Journal of Political Economy.

Related initiatives and context

The prize exists within a broader ecosystem of efforts to apply behavioral science, including the Nudge Award in Europe, fellowship programs at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and innovation grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It also aligns with the mission of academic centers like the University of Pennsylvania's Behavior Change for Good Initiative and the University of Warwick's Behavioural Science Group. The award's emphasis on practical application reflects a larger trend in global policy, evidenced by the proliferation of behavioral insights units within governments from Singapore to Germany and initiatives led by the European Commission.

Category:Behavioral economics Category:Science and technology awards Category:Public policy