Economic and Social Research Institute - History

History

The Economic Research Institute was founded in 1960 by the Irish Government with funding support from the US-based Ford Foundation. In 1965, the remit of the organisation was expanded to include social research, and this was reflected in a change of name to the Economic and Social Research Institute.

Since the 1960s, the ESRI has been instrumental in helping to build the disciplines of economics, political science and sociology in Ireland. The Institute has contributed directly to the postgraduate education of several hundred young graduates who now work in a research capacity at universities and research institutions in Ireland, Europe and North America. Former researchers are working in senior roles in the public sector, in international organisations, representative organisations and in financial services.

The ESRI’s current mission is to produce research that contributes to understanding economic and social change in the new international context and that informs public policymaking and civil society in Ireland. Its research is disseminated through publications, seminars and media contributions.

Since its foundation, the Institute has continued to develop and implement a sustainable research agenda that matches closely the long-term economic and social challenges facing Ireland. In addition to producing a range of research outputs, its researchers have contributed to dozens of expert committees and commissions set up by the Irish government and various European Commission bodies.