The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) serves as a hub for cutting-edge analysis and research across the entire University of Chicago economics community, uniting researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the...
Inspired by our namesakes, Nobel Laureates Gary Becker and Milton Friedman, who believed that economics research could help improve the world, BFI works with the Chicago Economics community to turn its evidence-based research into real-world impact.
EDE is a University of Chicago Summer Institute designed to identify and support talented undergraduate students from a broad range of backgrounds interested in the study of economics.
Maria Angélica Bautista, Juan Sebastián Galán, James Robinson, Rafael F. Torres, and Ragnar Torvik
Political leaders make policy choices which are often hard to explain via institutions. We use the behavior of Colombian paramilitary groups as an environment to study non-institutional sources of variation in how public good provision and violence are combined to...
This paper measures parents’ beliefs about school and peer quality, how information about each affects school choices, and how social interactions mediate these effects. Parents underestimate school quality and overestimate peer quality. Cross-randomized school and peer quality information combined with...
Mesmin Destin, Ivan Hernandez, Ariel Kalil, Marlis Schneider, David Silverman, and Rebecca Ryan
Creating opportunities for people to achieve socioeconomic mobility is a widely shared societal goal. Paradoxically, however, achieving this goal can pose a threat to high-socioeconomic-status (SES) people as they look to maintain their privileged positions in society for both them...
The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics serves as a hub for cutting-edge analysis and research across the entire University of Chicago economics community, uniting researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the Law School in an unparalleled effort to uncover new ways of thinking about economics. We put those ideas into action by translating rigorous research into accessible and relevant formats, and proactively disseminating it to key decision-makers around the world.
Our Legacy
For decades, UChicago economists have questioned conventional wisdom and produced bold, even revolutionary ideas. The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics builds on this tradition, supporting innovative research to inspire a future of powerful new ideas.
Visitors & Fellows
Counting 26 Nobel Laureates among its faculty of economics, UChicago is the global hub for frontier research. BFI supports collaboration in the field by hosting non-faculty scholars through our Saieh Family Fellows, Distinguished Research Fellows, and Visiting Scholars programs.
Opportunities for Students
BFI offers a variety of opportunities for students, including the internship and research assistantship programs.
Expanding Diversity in Economics Summer Institute
Expanding Diversity in Economics is a new University of Chicago Summer Institute designed to identify and support talented undergraduate students from a broad range of backgrounds interested in the study of economics. Our goal is to diversify the pool of students majoring in economics, who may go on to a graduate program of study, or a career drawing on this important skill set.
Our Team
BFI is guided by leading scholars from throughout the UChicago community and an advisory board of business leaders with a range of backgrounds.
Frank P. and Marianne R. Diassi Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and John E. Jeuck Faculty Fellow, Chicago Booth; Director, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics