Institute of Applied Economic Research

Institute of Applied Economic Research
Name	Institute of Applied Economic Research
Established	1950s
Type	Research institute
Headquarters	Brasília
Location	Brazil

Institute of Applied Economic Research is a Brazilian federal research institute specializing in public policy analysis, socio-economic studies, and quantitative assessment of public programs. It produces applied research used by national ministries, state secretariats, and international organizations, and collaborates with universities, multilateral banks, and independent think tanks. The institute’s outputs include working papers, statistical series, program evaluations, and policy briefs that inform debates in Brasília, Bogotá, Washington, and Geneva.

History

Founded in the mid-20th century during a period of industrialization and fiscal reform, the institute emerged amid institutional developments involving Getúlio Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, Ministry of Finance (Brazil), and early postgraduate centers at University of São Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Its creation paralleled the expansion of state planning bodies associated with the National Development Bank (BNDES), the National Economic Council, and fiscal modernization similar to reforms in United Kingdom and France. During the military regime era it adapted methods from comparative institutes linked to World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to expand applied macroeconomic and social policy research. In the 1990s and 2000s it reoriented after fiscal adjustment episodes tied to the Real Plan, engaging with researchers influenced by work at London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. The institute’s archives reflect collaborations with diplomats from Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C., delegations to the United Nations, and missions organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Organization and Governance

The institute is structured into research divisions and an executive board overseen by a director appointed through procedures involving the Ministry of Planning and oversight from congressional committees such as the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) and Federal Senate (Brazil). Internal governance includes scientific councils drawing membership from scholars affiliated with University of Campinas, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Getulio Vargas Foundation, and visiting fellows from Columbia University, Yale University, and Princeton University. Administrative functions coordinate with federal audit bodies like the Office of the Controller-General (Brazil) and legal units that interact with the Supreme Federal Court. Regional liaison offices engage state secretariats in São Paulo (state), Minas Gerais, and Bahia while international relations maintain contacts with Inter-American Development Bank and delegations to the G20 research networks.

Research Areas and Publications

Research units focus on taxation, labor markets, social protection, macroeconomic forecasting, sectoral studies, and environmental valuation. Projects reference empirical methods developed in collaborations with research centers at University of California, Berkeley, New York University, and Stanford University and draw on datasets coordinated with Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and customs records linked to Port of Santos. Signature publications include working paper series, technical notes cited by Ministry of Health (Brazil), comparative studies with the European Commission, and statistical bulletins adopted by central banks such as the Central Bank of Brazil. The institute publishes journals and monographs that have been cited alongside works from National Bureau of Economic Research, Brookings Institution, and Institute for Fiscal Studies. Methodological outputs incorporate microsimulation techniques used in studies by Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), quasi-experimental designs popularized at University of Chicago, and computable general equilibrium models informed by collaborations with IMF Research Department.

Policy Impact and Advising

The institute has provided technical assistance for conditional cash transfer programs similar to Bolsa Família and advised fiscal reform packages debated in the National Congress of Brazil. Its evaluations have informed social programs implemented by the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger and labor market policies coordinated with the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Internationally, its staff have served on panels for the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and Pan American Health Organization, contributing to policy dialogues at forums such as the World Economic Forum and conferences hosted by the Inter-American Dialogue. Its evidence has shaped legislative proposals considered by committees in the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) and proposals negotiated with multilateral lenders including the International Monetary Fund and Inter-American Development Bank.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources include federal appropriations from the Ministry of Planning, project grants from the World Bank, research contracts with the Inter-American Development Bank, and competitive funding from foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Partnerships extend to academic institutions including University of Oxford, University of Michigan, and regional universities like Federal University of Pernambuco. Contract research often involves state governments such as Rio de Janeiro (state) and municipal partners including São Paulo (city), and international cooperation projects with the European Union and the African Development Bank.

Notable Economists and Alumni

Alumni and associated economists have included scholars who later served in ministerial posts, central banking leadership, and international agencies—figures with career links to Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former ministers who trained at London School of Economics and University of Chicago, and technocrats seconded to the World Bank and IMF. Former researchers moved to academic positions at University of São Paulo, Getulio Vargas Foundation, and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro; others joined policy teams at the Central Bank of Brazil and state secretariats in Minas Gerais and Bahia. Visiting fellows have included scholars from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Princeton University, and collaborative networks include membership in consortia with the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association.

Category:Research institutes in Brazil Category:Public policy think tanks