The social sciences thematic group includes disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography and political science. Council members carry out research in a broad range of innovative topics. These include, but are not limited to, healthcare systems and outcomes, competition policy and industrial organization; economic history in African countries; macroeconomic policy, international institutions and trade; conflict and state building; and conservation and climate change. A significant number of council members contribute to the methods of their disciplines, working on topics such as the measurement of inequality, econometric tools to deal with observational data of poor quality, and experimental methods in the social sciences. Council members' research has been influential in both evaluating and influencing policies implemented by national governments and multilateral institutions. Council members have received funding from competitive grant bodies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Fulbright Program.