The IEB researcher Núria Bosch leads one of the projects that will receive a grant from the Catalan government’s Institut d’Estudis d’Autogovern (Institute for Self-government Studies, IEA). These grants are awarded to support research carried out in the field of the territorial organization of power.

The project led by Dr Bosch, professor of economics at the University of Barcelona, is titled ‘Happiness, fiscal federalism and institutions: Application to the Spanish case’, and will receive the sum of €7,000 and will have a maximum duration of 24 months. The research project will analyse the factors that influence the well-being of individuals, especially the factors that have to do with public institutions. The influence on happiness of variables such as the degree of decentralization of the public sector and the design of the welfare state (education, health, social services, etc.) is explored through the application of econometric methods.

The other members of the research team are Cristina de Gispert (UB & IEB), Ignacio Lago (UPF) and Maite Vilalta (UB & IEB).

The Institute of Self-government Studies

The Institute of Self-government Studies (IEA) is a research centre linked to the Government of Catalonia, with headquarters in the Palau Centelles, in Barcelona. The IEA carries out an advisory role, plans and participates in the supervision of actions to promote self-government and its institutions, and supports research into the territorial organization of power.