Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has renamed two of its key research centers to reflect their evolving missions and strengthen their impact on policy debates.
The Center for Health and Biosciences is now the Center for Health Policy, and the Center for Public Finance is now the Center for Tax and Budget Policy. These changes reflect the centers’ research focus and their ability to inform policymaking at local, state and national levels.
“The Baker Institute is committed to producing data-driven research and offering evidence-based solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time,” said David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute. “These names clarify our research agenda on health and tax and budget policy to provide actionable insights for policymakers.”
Rice’s Baker Institute is recognized as the world’s No. 1 university-affiliated think tank. In addition to the Center for Public Health and the Center for Tax and Budget Policy, it is home to three other renowned centers: the Center for Energy Studies, the Center for the U.S. and Mexico and the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East.
The Center for Health Policy will continue its work in addressing critical public health challenges, including maternal mortality, health care costs and health care access. The center’s research will focus on the following key areas:
- Health economics
- Nonmedical drivers of health
- Firearm injury prevention
- Neuropolicy
- Drug policy
The Center for Tax and Budget Policy continues its analysis of tax and fiscal policies with an emphasis on federal and state budget sustainability, tax reform and the economic implications of demographic shifts. Its research agenda includes:
- Economic effects of tax reforms
- Taxes and economic growth
- Sustainable budgets at the federal, state and local levels
- Impact of demographic changes on budget policy
“Our research focuses on tax and budget policy’s direct impact on communities, helping to guide clear, informed policy conversations on sustainable fiscal practices and economic growth,” said John Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy.