INSPIRE: Bocconi Launches a New Research Center on the Impact of Social Policies
INSPIRE (Invernizzi Center for Social Policy Impact Research and Evaluation) has been established as a new Bocconi research center dedicated to the study and evaluation of the impact of social policies, with the aim of strengthening the link between scientific evidence and public decision-making. Directed by Michela Carlana and established thanks to the generous contribution of the Fondazione Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi, the center serves as a hub for advanced and interdisciplinary research, focused on the generation of knowledge and its practical application.
INSPIRE aims to use rigorous empirical approaches to identify the causal effects of policies. In line with the so-called “credibility revolution” in the social sciences, the center intends to use innovative research techniques and big data to provide reliable evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions. This approach is designed to enable a precise assessment of the effectiveness of interventions and to better guide the allocation of resources.
INSPIRE’s research activities are organized around three main areas of social policy, which correspond to the three research hubs that come together to form the Center: development & education, with the LEAP laboratory directed by Michela Carlana; crime and social justice, with the CLEAN research unit led by Diogo Britto; and disability & inclusion, with the ABLE unit directed by Nicoletta Balbo. These are distinct yet interconnected fields in which the Center aims to generate relevant knowledge and contribute to the design of more effective, equitable, and inclusive policies.
In addition to these areas, INSPIRE systematically integrates new research technologies. The use of big data and artificial intelligence makes it possible to address one of the main challenges of impact evaluation: moving from valid small-scale results to their generalization to larger populations. These advanced technologies make it possible to analyze the heterogeneity of policy effects and improve the predictive power of interventions.
The center has set several strategic objectives. First, to strengthen dialogue with public policymakers and stakeholders by involving them from the earliest stages of evaluation projects—from the design of interventions to their implementation and dissemination. Second, to develop training programs for public officials and institutional actors to disseminate skills and tools related to counterfactual evaluation and data use.
A distinctive feature of the center is its composition: INSPIRE is largely driven by a community of young, highly qualified researchers who are part of international networks of excellence. This generational dimension helps define a dynamic identity that is open to innovation and future oriented.
