Pop-up journals curate and synthesize evidence around specific, policy-relevant questions — assembling research, tracking expert views, and delivering accessible answers to the decision-makers who need them. Funded by Coefficient Giving and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
News: UKRI, NBER conference, Nature, NBER
Decision-makers and scholars identify a specific, policy-relevant question where rigorous understanding is needed.
A host organization assembles a steering committee, commissions and curates research, and tracks expert views over a period of five years.
Annual issues provide a synthesis of recent progress, highlight pivotal new data, and measure whether expert consensus is converging on answers.
What is the social return on investment of R&D?
The first pop-up journal takes on one of the most consequential questions in innovation economics: how much do societies benefit from investing in research and development? Hosted by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and led by co-PIs Tim Simcoe and Craig Garthwaite, this five-year effort is assembling evidence, commissioning new research, and tracking how expert consensus is evolving. The first annual conference was held in Washington, D.C. on October 2, 2026.
Learn MoreA consortium of funders led by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Coefficient Giving is supporting primary research on the Griliches Question. UK Research and Innovation's call for proposals is open until November 19, 2026.
Explore funding opportunities →Interested in launching a pop-up journal on a question important to your stakeholders? We're happy to share advice, resources, and contacts — or to discuss active partnership.
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