Los Angeles, September 8, 2025 – The California Policy Lab (CPL), a nonpartisan research institute at the University of California, has been honored with a 2025 Public Impact Research Award, recognizing its groundbreaking partnerships with government agencies to improve the lives of Californians.
Presented annually by UCLA’s Office of Research and Creative Activities, the award recognizes faculty whose research produces meaningful public impact, especially when paired with sustained efforts to share new insights with the broader public.
Professor Till von Wachter, the Faculty Director of the California Policy Lab’s UCLA site, a UCLA Economics Professor, and the Director of the Federal Statistical Research Data Center at UCLA, responded to receiving the award:
“We’re grateful for UCLA’s recognition of our mission to turn research into real-world impact,” said Professor von Wachter. “From showing how the LA wildfires affected workers to pioneering predictive models that prevent homelessness, our north star has always been the public benefit of our research work. I accept this award also on behalf of Janey Rountree, the executive director of our UCLA site, our staff, our partners, and the funders who make this possible.”
Select Research Projects
CPL’s UCLA research teams focus on two main areas: labor and employment, and strategies to address the homelessness crisis.
Examples include:
Tracking the impact of the pandemic on California workers and labor markets: CPL produced more than 20 rapid-response publications during the pandemic, providing near-real-time insights showing the key role of unemployment insurance benefits, and identifying areas for improving equity and measurement in the program. CPL’s recent report on the impact of wildfires in LA on unemployment continues this line of work.
The Homelessness Prevention Unit: In partnership with LA County, CPL designed a predictive model to identify residents most at risk of losing housing. Specialized caseworkers use this information to provide tailored support, including flexible financial assistance, to prevent homelessness before it occurs.
More about the California Policy Lab
The California Policy Lab is a nonpartisan research institute based at the University of California that partners with public agencies to generate research insights for government impact. CPL has sites at UCLA, at UC Berkeley, and a new office at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento. CPL works with professors at all 10 UC campuses.
CPL’s research staff includes more than 40 people, and its affiliated experts are UC professors who work on economic inclusion, workforce development, homelessness, criminal justice reform, health, and education. Through hands-on partnerships with government agencies, CPL performs rigorous research across issue silos in order to improve programs and policies that millions of Californians rely on every day.
Since our founding in 2017, CPL has grown substantially, thanks to support from key operational funders, including Arnold Ventures, The James Irvine Foundation, the University of California Office of the President, the Conrad N Hilton Foundation, the Woven Foundation, and many other supporters. CPL has launched 230+ projects that have resulted in 125+ reports, all of which inform policy and practice.
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