Credit: Getty Images, PhotoDisc, The Studio Dog

Economics research improves the understanding of the processes and institutions of the economy of the United States and of the world system of which it is a part. NSF supports research in almost every subfield of economics, including econometrics, economic history, finance, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, public finance, macroeconomics and mathematical economics. NSF's economics program strengthens both empirical and theoretical economic analysis as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior.

As the only program in the federal government with a broad mandate to strengthen basic economic science, NSF provides more than half the federal support in this area. NSF is pleased to have supported 35 of the 58 economists (more than 50 percent) who have received the Nobel Prize in Economics since it was first awarded in 1969.

For more on the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel and each of the laureates listed here, see the Nobel Prize Web site.

2008

PAUL KRUGMAN
“For his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity.” His work on the effects of economies of scale on trade patterns and on the location of economic activity have extensively reoriented research on these issues. Krugman received NSF support for research from the 1970s to the 1990s, including the 1991 award (#9111380) to develop and empirically test models of the location of production within countries, as a way of shedding light on the forces driving international trade and investment.

2007

LEONID HURWICZ
ERIC S. MASKIN
ROGER B. MYERSON
“For having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory.” Their work, building on game theory, enables researchers to analyze the possible outcomes of applying different sets of rules to a given problem to determine the optimal mechanism for achieving the best result. Hurwicz received NSF support for collabortive research on systems and techniques of economic organzation from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, including an award in 1971 (#7103780). Maskin has received NSF support since 1977, including a recent award (#0618345) for theoretical research in the areas of dynamics, auctions, and voting. Myerson received NSF support in 1986 and 1993, including an award (#8605619) for research into negotiation and equilibrium in games.

2006

EDMUND S. PHELPS
“For his analysis of intertemporal tradeoffs in macroeconomic policy” Phelps' work in the 1960s and 1970s challenged the prevailing view of the relationship between inflation and unemployment represented by the Phillips curve and led to a better understanding of the short-term and long-term effects of economic policy. The Columbia University professor has received a number of research grants from NSF. His first award was GS-33374, "The Economics of Income Redistribution." His most recent NSF award was #8721847, "Microeconomic Foundations for a Real Theory of Employment Fluctuations."

2005

ROBERT J. AUMANN
THOMAS C. SCHELLING
“For having enhanced our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis”
Aumann and Schelling were honored for enhancing our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis. Their insights have also proven highly relevant to real-world conflict resolution and the prevention of war. Both Aumann and Schelling have been supported by NSF grants.

AUMANN
Affiliation: University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

SCHELLING
Affiliation: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
NSF Support: 9123774

2004

FINN KYDLAND
EDWARD C. PRESCOTT
"For their contributions to dynamic macroeconomics, the time consistency of economic policy and the driving forces behind business cycles." Finn Kydland of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Edward Prescott of Arizona State University were awarded the 2004 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for their contributions to macroeconomics, particularly in addressing the time-consistency problem in formulating economic policy and in understanding the causes of business cycles. Both Kydland and Prescott have long histories of funding from NSF, which supported the Nobel-honored research.

2003

ROBERT F. ENGLE III
“For methods of analyzing economic time series with time-varying volatility (ARCH).”
CLIVE W.J. GRANGER
“For methods of analyzing economic time series with common trends (cointegration).” Robert F. Engle and Clive W.J. Granger shared the 2003 Economics Prize for their research and collaboration over the years leading to statistical methods for time series data that have become a routine part of financial analysis today. Their methods have become standard tools for such tasks as forecasting stock market performance, evaluating investment portfolio risks and analyzing interest-rate trends. NSF has supported their research for the past quarter century. NSF support for Engle includes a series of nine awards from the late 1970s (7707166) through the late 1990s (9730062). Granger's NSF support includes 16 awards from 1974 (7412243) to 2001 (0111238).

2002

DANIEL KAHNEMAN
“For having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science, especially concerning human judgment and decision-making under uncertainty.”
VERNON L.SMITH
“For having established laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms.” NSF support for Kahneman includes awards spanning the 1990s (9109670) to the present for his research on decision making and uncertainty. NSF's support for Smith began with an award in 1962 and includes a series of 20 electronically-available awards from the mid-1970s (7520043) to the present (0129744) related to applied and empirical economic studies.

2001

GEORGE A. AKERLOF
A. MICHAEL SPENCE
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ
“For their analyses of markets with asymmetric information.” NSF support for Akerlof includes 13 awards from the 1970s (7523076) to the present. Spence's NSF support includes three awards in the 1970s (7309257). Stiglitz has been supported by 10 NSF awards from 1974 (7422182) to the present (0333418).

2000

JAMES J. HECKMAN
“For his development of theory and methods for analyzing selective samples.”
DANIEL L. MCFADDEN
“For his development of theory and methods for analyzing discrete choice.” NSF support for Heckman has included a series of 13 awards from 1977 (7727136) to the present (0241858). McFadden's NSF support includes 18 awards starting in the 1970s (7305649).

1999

ROBERT A. MUNDELL
“For his analysis of monetary and fiscal policy under different exchange rate regimes and his analysis of optimum currency areas.” NSF support for Mundell spans 1967-1969 for his research on “International Economic Crisis.”

1998

AMARTYA SEN
“For his contributions to welfare economics.” NSF supported Sen while he was at Harvard University with awards in 1988 (8822107) and 1992 (9212337) on economics and welfare, rationality and social ethics.

1997

ROBERT C. MERTON
“For a new method to determine the value of derivatives.” NSF support for Merton began with an NSF Fellowship and has included awards in the 1970s (7504053, 7907840) on economic theory, stochastic processes and economic-biologic mechanisms (both with Paul Samuelson).

1995

ROBERT E. LUCAS JR.
“For having developed and applied the hypothesis of rational expectations, and thereby having transformed macroeconomic analysis and deepened our understanding of economic policy.” NSF support for Lucas includes a 1964 award on the economic theory of technological change and a series of eight electronically-available awards starting spanning the 1970s (7516869) to the 1990s (9408649) for studies of the business cycle, stabilization theory and monetary theory.

1994

JOHN C. HARSANYI
JOHN F. NASH JR.*
“For [joint] pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games.” NSF supported Harsanyi as early as an award in 1962. His later awards included grants in the 1970s (7706394) and 1980s (8218938, 8700454). Nash received his first NSF support, including a 1958 international travel grant and a 1960 Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship, just before he began the period of mental illness described in the book and movie, "A Beautiful Mind." More recently, Nash received an award in 2000 (0001711).

1993

ROBERT W. FOGEL
DOUGLASS C. NORTH
“For having renewed research in economic history by applying economic theory and quantitative methods in order to explain economic and institutional change.” NSF support for Fogel includes an award as early as 1967 for a study of the American iron industry and five awards in the 1970s (7600002) and 1990s (9122238) on historical studies of economics issues. North received an NSF award in 1967 on models of European economic growth.

1992

GARY S. BECKER
“For having extended the domain of microeconomic analysis to a wide range of human behaviour and interaction, including nonmarket behaviour.” NSF supported Becker with a series of six awards in the late 1970s (7825704) and through the 1990s (9310495) for topics from the economic analysis of the family to the evolution of preferences over time.

1987

ROBERT M. SOLOW
“For his contributions to the theory of economic growth.” Solow first received NSF support in the form of a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship in 1963. His awards also include an electronically-available award in 1975 (7514258) for the economics of natural resources.

1986

JAMES M. BUCHANAN JR.
“For his development of the contractual and constitutional bases for the theory of economic and political decision-making.” NSF support for Buchanan began with an award in 1964, continuing through a 1979 award (7924857) for problems of implementing and enforcing distributional norms through the political process. His most recent award was for a conference in 2002 (0136798).

1985

FRANCO MODIGLIANI
“For his pioneering analyses of saving and of financial markets.” NSF support includes a 1979 award (7926733) on the monetary mechanism and stabilization policy.

1983

GERARD DEBREU
“For having incorporated new analytical methods into economic theory and for his rigorous reformulation of the theory of general equilibrium.” NSF support began with an award in 1964 for informational efficiency of prices and continued with six electronically-available awards through 1985 (8510900), with the latter being an award for the law of demand and information processing in economic systems.

1982

GEORGE J. STIGLER
“For his seminal studies of industrial structures, functioning of markets and causes and effects of public regulation.” Stigler has been supported by NSF as a funded associate of an omnibus award to University of Chicago for law and economics.

1981

JAMES TOBIN
“For his analysis of financial markets and their relations to expenditure decisions, employment, production and prices.” NSF support began as early as 1966 and includes three electronically-available awards in the 1970s (7305481, 7613448, 7704083) for economic theory and econometrics, financial flows and macroeconomic theory.

1980

LAWRENCE R. KLEIN
“For the creation of econometric models and the application to the analysis of economic fluctuations and economic policies.” NSF support dates to an award in 1961, continuing through seven electronically-available awards, starting with a 1973 award (7305675) for international connection of national econometric models.

1978

HERBERT A. SIMON
“For his pioneering research into the decision-making process within economic organizations.” Simon's NSF support began after he moved from economics to studies of cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He was supported in the 1970s and 1990s by cognitive science awards (7309230, 7825033, 9121027) and computer science awards (7704440, 7821986).

1975

TJALLING C. KOOPMANS
“For [his joint] contributions to the theory of optimum allocation of resources.” NSF's awards to Koopmans began with a 1959 economics award and includes awards in 1977 (7703275) for optimal economic growth and in 1980 (8007171) as part of an interdisciplinary study of materials modeling. He also participated in two large five-year awards starting early 1960s to the Cowles Foundation at Yale.

1973

WASSILY LEONTIEF
“For the development of the input-output method and for its application to important economic problems.” NSF support includes research awards as early as 1959 and 1962.

1972

KENNETH J. ARROW
“For [joint] pioneering contributions to general economic equilibrium theory and welfare theory.” NSF support for Arrow began with an award in 1961 and continued with a dozen electronically-available awards from the 1970s (7309142) to the 1990s (9209892).

1970

PAUL A. SAMUELSON*
“For the scientific work through which he has developed static and dynamic economic theory and actively contributed to raising the level of analysis in economic science.” NSF support includes awards in 1975 (7504053) and 1979 (7907840) on economic theory, stochastic processes and economic-biologic mechanisms, both with Robert Merton.