Institute for Fiscal Studies

At IFS, we recruit top-quality economists. We specialise in the economic analysis of public policy, bridging the gap between purely academic research and issues of practical policy design or evaluation. You will carry out in-depth economic research and communicate your findings to politicians, journalists, academics and others such as campaigning groups and professional organisations.

You will work closely with colleagues in a small team as well as with other teams across the Institute; your colleagues will include policy experts and leading academics from the UK and overseas. We will support you in developing your skills, through further study, ad hoc training and by giving you opportunities to get involved with all aspects of research and communication right from the start.

We recruit annually for research economists, post-doctoral fellows, graduate scholars and summer students. We also consider applications for senior economists on an ongoing basis.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies was founded in 1969. Established as an independent research institute, IFS was launched with the principal aim of better informing public debate on economics in order to promote the development of effective fiscal policy. Through the establishment of rigorous independent research, for example the IFS Green Budget and Post Budget analysis, IFS successfully opened up debate about public policy to a wider audience and influenced policy decision making.

Today, IFS is Britain’s leading independent microeconomic research institute. Its research remit is one of the broadest in public policy analysis, covering subjects from tax and benefits to education policy, from labour supply to corporate taxation. Our research not only has an impact on policy makers, think tanks and practitioners, it has also gained a worldwide reputation for academic rigour, and contributes to the development of academic scholarship. We communicate our research widely on a national and international scale, providing independent advice to policy makers in the UK, Europe and in developing countries; collaborating with world renowned academics on new economic theories and techniques; and disseminating our research globally through the press, media and the web.