ECB: Young Economist Prize 2022

Young economists can play an important role in shaping the future of Europe. Every year the European Central Bank recognises this through the Young Economist Prize, a research competition that offers talented students the chance to share their fresh perspectives on today’s challenges.

The competion is open to students who are currently enrolled in a PhD programme in economics or finance.  Students currently employed by, or collaborating with, the ECB or a national central bank of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) are not eligible to take part. Co-authors of eligible papers should either be students or have completed their PhD no more than three years ago.

The theme of the 2022 ECB Forum on Central Banking is “Challenges for the post-pandemic economy”.

Accordingly, PhD students are invited to submit papers on this theme, including the following topics:

• the short and long-term consequences of the pandemic on the labour market and modes of work, including on human capital accumulation and productivity;
• energy markets in the post-pandemic economy, especially the effects of energy price volatility on inflation and inflation expectations;
• globalisation, value chains, production networks and international trade in the post-pandemic economy, in particular the impact of supply bottlenecks on structural and stabilisation policies;
• commercial and residential real estate markets in the post-pandemic economy, in particular boom-bust cycles and the implications of cross-country heterogeneity in real estate markets for prudential and macroeconomic stabilisation policies;
• the role of inflation expectations in monetary policy decisions;
• central bank digital currencies and crypto-assets, and their implications for the conduct of monetary policy.

Papers on other topics relevant to euro area central banking (including monetary policy, new means of payment and payments infrastructures, the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union, the functioning of the euro area economy and financial system, financial stability, and banking regulation and supervision) will also be considered.

The papers are assessed using three selection criteria: 

• innovative thinking and scientific merit,
• relevance for euro area policy,
• pertinence to the Forum theme and aforementioned topics, also taking into account the information provided in the CV and recommendation letter.

The ten selected finalists will have the unique opportunity to attend the next ECB Forum on Central Banking, which will take place from 27 to 29 June 2022. The work of the selected finalists, as well as research posters summarising the main findings of their papers, will be displayed on the ECB’s website and shared with all Forum participants, including policymakers, top academics and market economists from around the world.

During the Forum, finalists will have the opportunity to attend a varied programme of panel discussions and expert talks.

The overall winner is awarded €10,000.

Deadline: 23:59 CET on 13 February 2022.

Young Economist Prize 2022

ECB