Centers & Programs
The Murphy Institute’s centers and programs provide an education focused on political economy and economic dynamics, foster ethical reflection on social values, promote research and collaboration on public policy, and support top legal scholarship on critical issues. These initiatives and programs are united by their focus on research, teaching, and engagement with both the Tulane community and beyond. Together they enrich the scope of analysis, thought, and discussion on campus and in the broader community, making The Murphy Institute a platform for thought leadership.
Our Centers
Devoted to the social and ethical dimensions of public affairs across a wide range of disciplines
Promotes programs and research on the impact of public policy on the market environment
Promotes research and collaboration on issues confronting policymakers and private markets
Our Programs
Murphy Partnerships
The State of the Nation Project, funded by The Murphy Institute, is a comprehensive and objective national progress report assessing how the country is doing in key areas— the economy, education, health, the environment, civic engagement, trust in major institutions – that serve as vital indicators of the nation's well-being. The purpose of the State of the Nation Project is to cut through the noise of daily headlines and focus attention on the critical issues that matter most.
The Murphy Institute fosters interdisciplinary dialogue on political economy by sponsoring a series of workshops each semester. These workshops feature presentations by Tulane faculty and distinguished guest speakers, showcasing their latest research on pressing issues in the field. Organized by the Tulane Departments of Philosophy, Economics, and Political Science, the workshops offer comprehensive coverage of all aspects of political economy.
Supported by funding from The Murphy Institute Center for Public Policy Research, the Education Research Alliance (ERA) at Tulane University is a research center that collaborates with local education stakeholders to produce objective, rigorous, and useful research to inform the community’s understanding of how to improve students’ experiences in schools and beyond.
The Center for Public Policy Research Health Policy program draws on the expertise of the Health Policy Working Group, a network of researchers and practitioners from Tulane’s Uptown and Downtown campuses, to conduct interdisciplinary research on critical healthcare policy issues.
The Political Economy and Access to Justice Judicial Education Seminar (PEAJJES) provides a framework for judges to unpack, interrogate, and synthesize law, academic research, and lived experience in order to identify and generate best practice models for strengthening Louisiana’s criminal and juvenile justice systems. PEAJJES is dedicated to strengthening Louisiana’s justice system through innovative, interdisciplinary & interactive judicial training.
Launched by the Center for Ethics (CE) in 2023, Tulane University Ethics Bowl (TUEB) is a high school and college competition where teams tackle difficult ethical issues in a competitive setting. Unlike traditional debates, Ethics Bowl encourages a collaborative format where teams consider complex issues and defend a position they believe to be reasonable. The program promotes respectful, supportive, and rigorous discussions centered around cases relevant to our time.
The Murphy Institute’s biennial Research Symposium provides a forum for scholars, experts, and stakeholders to explore innovative solutions to policy challenges and provide shared learning opportunities for the Tulane community and the public. In Spring 2026, The Murphy Institute will host the AI Research Symposium in collaboration with the Tulane Schools of Architecture, Business, Science & Engineering, and Professional Advancement, and the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science.
