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CARBS Behavioural Research Group

To create a space (seminars, workshops, etc.) for interdisciplinary research focused on the design, application, and analysis of the experimental research methods for tackling societal problems.

The group will unite colleagues and postgraduate students from diverse subjects to foster interdisciplinary funding applications, research projects, and developmental opportunities.

The heart of the group’s mission is the core value of creating a positive environment that fosters interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary business and economics research. Centring around the methodology of experimental design, utilised across multiple business and economics disciplines, the group will first create a structure in which academics and postgraduate students can learn, upskill and discuss the latest developments in experimental designs.

Second, the group will build a critical mass where colleagues produce interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary funding bids and research projects.

Aims

  • cooperative applications to interdisciplinary grants and research consortia
  • organisation of international workshops and conferences
  • organise regular scientific seminars and short visiting periods for leading international scholars (journals’ editors)
  • public value events to disseminate behavioural insights to the community of policymakers, NGOs, businesses
  • ad-hoc mentoring program for students interested in behavioural research

Research

We will create a fortnightly research group where members can:

  • present current projects
  • seek/provide feedback, and foster collaboration
  • discuss influential papers in high quality journals that use experimental research methodologies and identify their strengths and weaknesses
  • organise brainstorming sessions that would foster collaborations for tackling a particular identified societal problem and develop funding bid applications

We plan to collaborate with policymakers and business representatives to tackle their most pressing challenges through behavioural science.

The group has members that have been engaged in such research activities in the past. For example:

  • in collaboration with the Armenian Government and the United Nations interventions have been designed to increase the cervical cancer screening participation rate in Armenia
  • in collaboration with Tax Authorities in China interventions have been designed to increase tax compliance
  • in collaboration with the United Nations interventions have been designed to curb the demand for single-use plastic bags in supermarkets
  • in cooperation with local authorities in the Czech Republic, labour market outcomes generated by Rapid Re-Housing programs (homelessness reduction) have been assessed through RCT

Projects

The group is already actively engaged with Spark and Y-Lab in developing research proposals such as the qualitative evaluation of the UBI pilot in Wales and the expansion of the Spark Behavioural Lab (“lab-in-the-field” facility).

Publications

Next steps

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Research that matters

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Postgraduate research

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Our research impact

Our research case studies highlight some of the areas where we deliver positive research impact.