National Bureau of Economic Research

In the social sciences, one institution created with Corporation grants has been in existence for almost 90 years and still has award-winning impact. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has long been a powerhouse in the field. There wasn’t even a Nobel Prize in Economics  when NBER was founded in 1920. Since then, NBER has won 16 Nobel prizes. NBER doesn’t seek to popularize economics to the public but focuses on communicating with the economic policymakers. As one commentator notes, “Their strength is in absolutely rock-solid, brilliant economic research.” In fact, NBER is so influential that it is known as the economic authority that determines whether the United States is in a recession. Recently, it made headlines across the globe in officially confirming the economic downturn.