Becker Friedman Institute for Economics
Here, scholars from across the University of Chicago economics community confront the most consequential economic questions shaping society.
Chicago minds extending the impact of economic thought
At the Becker Friedman Institute (BFI), economics is a tool for understanding human behavior and improving the world. Researchers from across the University collaborate on evidence-based work addressing issues such as inequality, artificial intelligence, health care, labor, and financial markets.
Inspired by the legacies of Gary Becker, AM’53, PhD’55, and Milton Friedman, AM’33, BFI advances rigorous inquiry while ensuring that new ideas reach policymakers, business leaders, and institutions around the globe.
Philanthropic support will strengthen frontier research, assist emerging scholars, and expand BFI’s ability to translate economic analysis into real-world impact.
Priorities
Your giving can support the following areas:
- Research translation and public engagement to expand podcasts, video storytelling, interactive data visualizations, and public-facing conferences that make cutting-edge economic research accessible to broader audiences around the world
- Evidence-based policy partnerships to strengthen collaborations with governments, nonprofits, and industry partners that translate economic insights into practical, measurable solutions to urgent global challenges
- Innovation and emerging technologies to advance research and dialogue examining how economics can help society navigate artificial intelligence, technological disruption, labor transformation, and the future of markets
- Convenings and scholarly exchange to create new opportunities for economists and interdisciplinary scholars to collaborate across fields, generating innovative approaches to issues ranging from globalization to economic mobility
- Scaling research impact to help incubators and implement partnerships that move promising economic ideas from academic research into real-world programs, policies, and societal impact
- Flexible funding for innovation to provide BFI with agile resources to pursue emerging opportunities, pilot ambitious initiatives, and respond quickly to the world’s most pressing economic questions
Contact
Catherine Palekar
773.702.8681
cniehaus@uchicago.edu