• The design, implementation and impact of structural adjustment and stabilization policies (and market reforms in general) and the role of accompanying international finance and aid flows. This focuses on the impact of adjustment and reform policies and processes on income distribution, poverty and human development.

• The long term aspects of sustainable human development, poverty and income distribution and natural resource use, focusing on the role of human resource development, physical resource and conflicts on long-term economic growth and development.

Specific research projects include:

1. Unlocking potential: Tackling economic, institutional and social constraints of informal entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank/IZA), 2009-2011.

2. Health Equity and Financial Protection in Asia EU-FP7 collaborative project 223166. 2009-2013.

3. Developing efficient and responsive community based micro health insurance in India. EU-FP7 collaborative project 223518. 2009-2014.

4. Fiscal Decentralization and Conflict / Does Trade Reduce Inter-State conflict, the India-Pakistan Case. Projects within EU FP6 Microeconomic analysis of conflict (Microcon) and EU FP7 European Security Economics (EUSECON), 2008-2010.

5. Impact evaluations of energy programmes in five countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal and Indonesia). The purpose of the impact evaluations is to get insight in the magnitude of effects and to better account for results of development interventions (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Evaluation Department (IOB)), 2010-2014.

6. Nationalization of extractive industries, conflict and co-operation in Bolivia and Ecuador: 2010-2015. Funded by NWO-WOTRO.

7. Community Based Health Insurance in Ethiopia: 2010-2014. Funded by NWO-WOTRO.

More details on the research interests of staff members and doctoral research fellows affiliated to the ESD group are available on their home pages and on the pages of the Micro and Macro Dynamics of Poverty research cluster.