Big Lab

The Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab at the University of Notre Dame seeks to address structural barriers to equitable economic growth globally. We generate evidence-based approaches for tackling these barriers at both macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. Such research requires a range of methodologies to make progress, and methodological breadth is a strength of our researchers. We bring together faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to address the root causes of global poverty. We understand that individuals in poverty face a complex set of barriers, and our researchers investigate the role of myriad factors in creating and sustaining inclusive growth, including institutional constraints, poor policies, market failures, societal biases and the lack of human capital or employment opportunities. Our lab is unified by a common commitment to economic development and a strong emphasis on quantitatively-oriented methodologies. We welcome researchers from varied disciplinary backgrounds and institutional affiliations.