UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research

UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research
Name	UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research
Formation	2009
Location	Davis, California
Parent organization	University of California, Davis
Type	Research center
Fields	Poverty research, Inequality studies, Social policy

UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research is an interdisciplinary research center at University of California, Davis focused on quantitative and policy-relevant studies of poverty, inequality, and social mobility. The center convenes scholars across sociology, economics, public policy, and statistics to produce empirical work informing debates in national and state-level arenas such as California and federal policy in United States. It engages with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions to translate research into actionable recommendations for stakeholders including legislators in California State Legislature and federal lawmakers in United States Congress.

Overview

The center supports faculty and graduate student research linking microdata analysis from sources like the Current Population Survey, American Community Survey, and Panel Study of Income Dynamics with policy questions relevant to programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medicaid. Affiliates use methods drawn from econometrics associated with scholars at National Bureau of Economic Research, Brookings Institution, and Urban Institute, and engage with datasets curated by entities like National Center for Health Statistics and Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. The center’s work informs discussions involving policymakers from offices such as the Office of Management and Budget, agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, and advocacy groups such as Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

History and Development

Established in 2009, the center emerged amid scholarly efforts at institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, and Stanford University to institutionalize poverty research, and was influenced by policy debates following reports from organizations including Pew Charitable Trusts and World Bank. Early development included partnerships with state entities like the California Department of Social Services and research collaborations modeled on centers at University of Michigan and University of Chicago. Over time the center expanded programs paralleling initiatives at Russell Sage Foundation and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and its timeline intersects with national policy shifts during administrations in Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Research Focus and Programs

Research programs cover topics such as income dynamics studied by scholars connected to Institute for Research on Poverty, wealth inequality examined in parallel with work at Federal Reserve Board, labor markets with ties to Department of Labor, child poverty related to findings from Annie E. Casey Foundation, and health disparities analogous to studies at Kaiser Family Foundation. Programmatic efforts include longitudinal analyses like those produced by Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and intervention evaluations similar to randomized trials promoted by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. The center sponsors working paper series and seminars that attract researchers from Yale University, Columbia University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.

Funding and Partnerships

The center’s funding portfolio draws on grants and gifts from federal funders such as the National Institutes of Health, private foundations including Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Heising-Simons Foundation, and philanthropic organizations like Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Casey Family Programs. It partners with state and local governments including California Health and Human Services Agency, non-governmental organizations such as United Way, and research networks like Population Association of America and Western Economic Association International. Collaborative grantmaking has involved agencies such as National Science Foundation and philanthropic initiatives from MacArthur Foundation.

Affiliations and Collaborations

Affiliated scholars hold joint appointments and maintain collaborations with departments and centers across University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and national centers including Mathematica Policy Research, RAND Corporation, and Urban Institute. The center participates in consortia with academic partners like City University of New York, University of Texas at Austin, and international collaborators associated with London School of Economics and University of Oxford. Collaborative projects have linked to policy studies at California Policy Lab and evaluation work with Social Security Administration analysts.

Outreach, Policy Impact, and Publications

Outreach activities include briefings for lawmakers in the California State Capitol, testimony submitted to committees of the United States Senate, and public events co-hosted with organizations such as Public Policy Institute of California and California Budget & Policy Center. The center disseminates research through working papers, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed articles published in journals like American Economic Review, Demography, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Social Science & Medicine, and contributes to media coverage from outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Its policy impact is reflected in citations by state agencies, references in reports from Congressional Budget Office, and incorporation into program evaluations by Department of Education offices.

Leadership and Staff

Leadership has included directors drawn from faculty lines in Department of Economics (UC Davis), Department of Sociology (UC Davis), and affiliated centers such as UC Davis School of Law initiatives; staff roles span research directors, data managers, postdoctoral fellows, and coordinators who collaborate with visiting scholars from Princeton, Harvard, MIT, and Yale. The center hosts seminars featuring speakers like scholars associated with James Heckman, Angus Deaton, Claudia Goldin, Raj Chetty, and practitioners from California Legislative Analyst's Office.

Category:Research institutes in California