iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by James Phipps

David McKenzie @dmckenzie.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The weekly links are up a day early: a 12-step checklist for non-experimental causal inference, the challenges and lessons of innovation RCTs, a big new funding source for AI and jobs experiments, and more... blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...

blogs.worldbank.org

Weekly links July 23: a causal inference checklist, lessons from innovation RCTs, long-term impacts are hard to measure, and more…

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

What is in the data? Linking to future growth (turnover and employment) would be interesting as would any factors in between that might influence policy understanding or responses

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Hi @jackfitzgerald.bsky.social thanks for sharing. Are you planning to compare later outcomes? I used to work on the UK's Small Business Survey... we weighted the data, but I don't recall we tested if non-respondents were different in ways that affected business outcomes.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I'm already trying to forget so I can listen and learn it once again

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Indeed. Although when I see news like this I always feel a little sad that the opportunity was never taken for Sheffield to be the economics centre outside London. Having had GES from business, skills, education, finance, tax and home office, plus growing links with the universities.

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Innovation Growth Lab @iglglobal.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Do you want to directly influence how the European Commission supports policymakers to try new ideas? Help the European Commission understand how policymakers try new ideas in R&I policy by completing a 10-minute survey and see how your views compare to others. 📝: shorturl.at/VZQ5V

eu.mar.medallia.com

PACoP survey - final version

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Innovation Growth Lab @iglglobal.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

We're officially on Bluesky! 🥳 The Innovation Growth Lab (IGL)'s purpose is to increase the impact of innovation and productivity policies through novel ideas, experimentation, data, and evidence. Learn more about IGL: www.innovationgrowthlab.org Subscribe to our newsletter: shorturl.at/Jxd9q

innovationgrowthlab.org

Innovation Growth Lab

Learn more about us IGL aims to increase the impact of innovation and productivity policies through novel ideas, experimentation, data and evidence. To do so, we bring together policymakers…

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Do you work in an EU or UK public organisation responsible for the design, delivery or evaluation of R&I policy? If so please consider taking 10 minutes to share your views on the approach to new ideas and evidence, also see how your views compare to others. eu.mar.medallia.com?e=461456&d=l...

eu.mar.medallia.com

PACoP survey - final version

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

A bit late posting it, but the latest round of our seed grants programmes is currently open to support researchers in developing and piloting innovative experimental research ideas, which could inform research, innovation and business growth policy. www.innovationgrowthlab.org/about/resear...

innovationgrowthlab.org

Seed Grants

Browse the 2024/2025 Seed Grants Recipients Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the second round of IGL Seed Grants will support researchers in developing and piloting innovative experimental…

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George Richardson @georgerichardson.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

At #metascience2025 for day 2 Come find me if you're interested in: - tracking the impact of funding on the direction of science - AI in science - open source code and science

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David Ampudia Vicente @ampudia.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

A nice start to the Metascience conference in London today! It's good to be among this niche but rapidly growing community focused on making research more impactful. Great to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new, brilliant minds.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

That's true, when I worked with the BPE stats team they didn't have to contend with that!

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

I'm guessing I'm behind on data and definitions

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

That's an average turnover of over £40m. That sounds pretty high. The old vital 6% report found HGFs accounted for 55% of jobs over a three year period, but that was of jobs created and about half of the contribution came from HGFs that were already large when the growth episode started.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

From BPE it seems the largest SMEs (~38k businesses with 50+ employees) have a total turnover of ~0.9 trillion. Does the scale-up figure include those that have become large or even those that started large? Is it about share of revenue growth rather that total sales? www.gov.uk/government/s...

gov.uk

Business population estimates 2024

Annual business population estimates for the UK and regions in 2024.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Does anyone know how this stat is calculated "There are over 34,000 scale-ups in the UK — just 0.6% of SMEs — yet they generate a staggering £1.4 trillion in turnover, contributing 55% of all SME revenues."? www.gov.uk/government/n...

gov.uk

First ever Entrepreneurship Advisor appointed to the Treasury

Alex Depledge MBE appointed by the Chancellor as first ever Entrepreneurship Advisor appointed to Treasury to address barriers for high growth businesses.

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Matt Clancy @mattsclancy.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

What’s the return on government support for R&D? To try to get a credible answer, Open Philanthropy and the Sloan Foundation are committing up to $1 million to trying something new: we call it a Pop-Up Journal.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Ah okay. Thanks. I was worried I'd exposed an inability to spot a massive "download the summary report button"

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Hi Tera, yes good to see this progressing. Is there a copy of the draft report available to read?

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Stian Westlake @stianwestlake.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

🚨 Hiring news! 🚨 I’m looking to hire five really important new roles. Each will lead a major new innovation programme to tackle one of five major national challenges.

A text box with the words: R&D Mission Programme: Mission Challenge Directors

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

I still hope to be able to apply the Business Basics model to other policy areas and strengthen links with academic research

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

At least when it comes to policy it would also be good to create more opportunities to combine or at least align research and programme funding.

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Daron Acemoglu @dacemoglumit.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

In partnership with @schmidtsciences.bsky.social, @simonhrjohnson.bsky.social, David Autor and I are seeking funding proposals from researchers conducting innovative field experiments on the labor economics of frontier AI. Expressions of interest due March 31. shapingwork.mit.edu/call-for-pro...

shapingwork.mit.edu

Call for Proposals: The Labor Economics of Frontier AI - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Very excited to announce the launch of the IGL Masterclass Series: Designing Field Experiments, an opportunity to gain insights from leading experts in the fields of science, innovation and productivity. IGL and CFXS have teamed up to bring you a pilot version, starting in March 2025

innovationgrowthlab.org

Designing Field Experiments - An IGL Masterclass Series

The Innovation Growth Lab (IGL) and the Conference on Field Experiments in Strategy (CFXS) are launching a masterclass series designed to provide insights into how to design field experiments in…

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Reposted by James Phipps

Research on Research Institute (RoRI) @rorinstitute.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

📢 The Call for Proposals deadline has been extended by one week! Proposals are due by 23:59 GMT on Friday, 14 Feb. We are accepting proposals for virtual pre-conference symposia, in-person panel sessions, and talks or posters on any topic related to metascience: metascience.info/call-for-pro...

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Matt Clancy @mattsclancy.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

New post! Looking at who benefits more from technologies that make discovery easier; literal maps, genome wide association studies, and machine learning.

open.substack.com

Do Prediction Technologies Help Novices or Experts More?

It can go either way

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Perhaps. Another push back is that SME policy doesn't matter. Either way I've always thought it would be good to raise the focus on economics and outcomes. With a need for better data on the overall activity as well as properly testing the causal impacts of individual programmes

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Yeah, my now IGL colleagues also tried to estimate several years back (I was at the time in BIS trying to dodge their FOIs). But to link subsidies to declining productivity are we assuming they've got larger; less effective or opportunity cost has risen?

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Hi Paul, it'd be great to find out more about that data and your findings. But I was also thinking about the subsidies themselves. How has the scale and (in)effectiveness of those changed?

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Do they have some data on trends in the scale and targeting of the latter?

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Please spread the word as we have opened the call for @britishacademy.bsky.social International Fellowships which enable researchers to work for two years at a UK institution. If you fancy being away from your country right now this could be an option! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/inte...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

International Fellowships 2025

The International Fellowships Programme enables researchers to work for three years at a UK institution with the aim of building a globally connected, mobile research and innovation workforce.

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

My wife has ranked several times on Polytopia and I didn't even say well done 😔

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Stian Westlake @stianwestlake.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Our Metascience Unit is funding a cohort of early career fellows to build our understanding of how AI is changing the research landscape, and how governments, businesses and funders should respond. Applications open on 13 Feb 2025! www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

ukri.org

Pre-announcement: UKRI Metascience AI early career fellowships

The UK Metascience Unit will fund a cohort of early career fellows to build our understanding of how the growing adoption of AI is changing the research landscape, including what metascientific, ethic...

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Only six days left to apply for the IGL Seed Grants, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation! These grants are designed to support researchers in developing and piloting experimental ideas that could evolve into full-scale Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs).

innovationgrowthlab.org

Seed Grants

Overview Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the first round of IGL Seed Grants will support researchers in developing and piloting innovative experimental research ideas. These grants aim to lo...

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Reposted by James Phipps

Matt Clancy @mattsclancy.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

New post! Gene-disease maps, software for science, and AI/ML are all forms of prediction technology. How do they impact innovation? open.substack.com/pub/mattscla...

open.substack.com

Prediction Technologies and Innovation

Looking Under the Lamp Post

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

As I read this I realise I am now late for our meeting

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John A. List @johnlist.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

During a panel at the ASSA meetings I presented field experimental work in partnership with firms. Many have asked for my slides and those can be found here (via 2024!): ideas.repec.org/p/feb/natura...

ideas.repec.org

Putting Economic Research into Practice at Businesses

"Putting Economic Research into Practice at Businesses (to Inform Science and Major Social Challenges)" Slides from ASSA NABE

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

You could use this one to land the Bowie tune. (But really sharing as HH is great and this was one of the best songs)

bbc.co.uk

Darwin's Natural Selection Song

Charles Darwin explains his theory of evolution via song, oh, and there's a dancing gorilla!

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Stuck for things to do between Christmas and New Year celebrations? Then let me remind you about this new position at IGL. Perhaps something for you, family member or a friend

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Reposted by James Phipps

NBER @nber.org · 20/12/2024

A new firm-level database integrating real outcomes with business owner characteristics and business financing information, from J. David Brown, Steven J. Davis, Lucia S. Foster, John C. Haltiwanger, and John Sabelhaus www.nber.org/papers/w33254

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

One problem with attending CFXS just before the Christmas Break is that I only have a few hours on the Eurostar to write down all the papers, methodological points, ideas and connections that came up over a packed two days! cfxs.org

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I hope you find it useful... I certainly did

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David Ampudia Vicente @ampudia.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

We're hiring! If you’re a data scientist who wants to put your quant skills to work for social good, come join us at the Innovation Growth Lab in London. You’ll have a chance to do research, develop open-source tools, and support public policy. www.nesta.org.uk/jobs/data-sc...

nesta.org.uk

Data Scientist - Innovation Growth Lab

We are recruiting for Data Scientist - IGL

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Wondering what to do over the Christmas break? Why not consider applying for the new Data Scientist post at IGL You'll play a major part in our TREMORS project (details under wraps for now but I applaud @georgerichardson.bsky.social choice of project name)

nesta.org.uk

Data Scientist - Innovation Growth Lab

We are recruiting for Data Scientist - IGL

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James Phipps @jphipps.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

I'll not try and capture all the insights at CFXS, but I certainly want to read this paper in more detail. As always, it would be great to see more research like this in the UK and similar - context business platform with outcomes relevant to economic policy goals jpronconi.github.io/website-file...

jpronconi.github.io

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