The Institute for Applied Economics and Social Value is a research institute within Leicester Castle Business School at De Montfort University. It was set up in the summer of 2018. Our overriding goal is to develop applied research that addresses important societal challenges. Institute members are actively pursuing cutting edge research on a range of issues including sustainable economic growth, pro-social behaviour and the environmental consequences of tourism and firm innovation.

A distinguishing feature of the Institute is our cross-disciplinary outlook. With a focus on the issue that needs to be tackled, our work draws together people from across subject boundaries to work collaboratively on applied projects. The Institute also puts particular emphasis on the study of social value. To address societal challenges around issues such as health, education, poverty, housing and the environment it is essential to measure non-financial benefits and costs, including the effects on well-being and health. We aim to become a recognized centre of excellence in the valuation of social impact.

Members of the Institute have a strong track-record of publishing in leading economics and business peer-reviewed journals. We are also eager to engage with external partners from the private, public and third sector in order to drive transformative societal impact. The director of the Institute is Edward Cartwright and deputy director Zheng Wang.