Inside ifo 2021
From diversity and gender balance, to new work and promoting young talent, to podcasts and prizes: 2021 was a year of important milestones and internal changes for the ifo Institute. In our highlights, we shine a spotlight on the Institute’s research performance, introduce our committees, and provide insights into the ifo team.
The ifo Institute and Its Research
Our motto, “Shaping the Economic Debate,” really came to the fore in the 2021 election year. ifo research findings provided all parties with a scientific foundation for a fact-based debate. But we also evaluated party platforms to give the public a basis for deciding how they would vote. Ultimately, however, the heart of the ifo Institute is research. Each of our eight Centers has its own positioning, pursues a characteristic research program, and scientific specific services. The ifo Institute’s Dresden Branch and the Research Group Taxation and Fiscal Policy cover several subject areas as well. ifo economists also work on a wide array of cross-disciplinary topics. In 2021, these included issues relating to social policy, taxation, and budgetary policy. Another important partner is the CESifo network. Economists in this network produce a large number of working papers, many of which later appear in prestigious journals and are discussed in their own international scientific conferences. In addition to the CESifo network’s eight Research Areas, 2021 saw the network establish its first CESifo Cluster: Economic Research with Firm Data.
Diversity: Key Topic Gender Balance
The ifo Institute wants to enhance its appeal to female academics even further. Women are still underrepresented among postdocs; the aim is to increase the current proportion of 31 percent to 50 percent by 2025. To attract these highly sought after top women researchers, the Institute launched the Gender Balance and Diversity task force in summer 2021.
In addition to a member of the ifo Executive Board and the head of Human Resources and Law, the task force is made up of the Equal Opportunity Officer, and representatives of the departments, postdocs, and doctoral students.
Two Women for the Scientific Advisory Council
Following the scheduled departure of its Chair, Anthony Venables, the Advisory Council of the ifo Institute has a new Chair: Prof. A. Abigail Payne of the University of Melbourne. In November 2021, a new member was appointed: Prof. Beata Javorcik, University of Oxford, currently EBRD Chief Economist, who will serve an initial term in office of four years. Women currently make up one-third of the Scientific Advisory Council.
The ifo Institute in the Public Debate
According to analyses the ifo Institute commissioned from MediaTenor, the Institute successfully defended its position as the most frequently cited institute in 2021 and even strengthened its media presence.
The ifo Institute’s presence in selected media increased once again year over year. This is due to a broader range of voices and topics.
The Business Surveys about working from home, material shortages, and the use of short-time work are key information sources, as are the Economic Forecasts.
According to the latest FAZ ranking, ifo President Clemens Fuest remains one of Germany‘s most influential economists.
Working Environment of Woman: Munich Economic Debates
Umbrella topics for the 2021 Munich Economic Debates were “The New World (Dis)Order – How Business and Politics Can Build a New Normal after the Pandemic” and “Germany’s Economic Policy Challenges in the Post-Merkel Era.”
The pandemic affects women in a very particular way. Some of the existing structural differences in the working environments of men and women are becoming much more apparent. As part of the Munich Economic Debates, Janina Kugel (Boston Consulting Group), Prof. Monika Schnitzer (LMU Munich), and Prof. Michèle Tertilt (University of Mannheim) discussed how the coronavirus crisis is changing women’s working environment.
Honors and Awards
Junior Researchers Honored
Sarah Reiter, doctoral student at the ifo Center for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Research, won the Deutsche Bundesbank Young Researcher Award for Financial Literacy.
Lavinia Kinne, doctoral student at the ifo Center for the Economics of Education, was awarded an Add-on Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Economics by the Joachim Herz Foundation. She is one of 58 junior researchers selected from the natural and economic sciences.
New Incentive System for Outstanding Publications
In summer 2021, an new incentive system was introduced that takes up key aspects of the ifo Institute’s mission. The goals are to help shape public debate through excellent scientific contributions and to further develop the social market economy. By rewarding outstanding publications, the system ensures that ifo research has a high degree of effectiveness and visibility in science, politics, business, and among the general public – with a view to benefiting junior researchers above all.
An Overview of the Awards
ifo Outstanding Publication Award
This award recognizes outstanding scientific publications appearing in top journals and is presented at the ifo Annual Meeting.
ifo Transfer Prize
This prize honors the preparation of relevant research findings that are then made available to a broad audience by appearing in one of our periodicals or on social media. In 2021, a total of 30 papers received this prize.
ifo Research and Policy Prize
This prize honors a scientific publication in a peer-reviewed journal with research findings made available to a broad audience by appearing in one of our periodicals or on social media.
The Ifo Research and Policy Prize was awarded for the first time in 2021. Dr. Valeriya Azarova received this prize for
her article “Preferences for Community Renewable Energy Investments” – which appeared in Europe Energy Economics 100, 2021 – and the article “All for One and One for Green Energy: Community Renewable Investments in Europe” – published as EconPol Policy Brief 37, 2021
“Any organization looking to attract first-class researchers cannot afford to wait for them to walk through the door, but should instead showcase the career opportunities on offer. We support our employees throughout their time with us and advise them on options both within and outside the Institute.”
From Working from Home to “Mobile Working”
The ifo Institute is always working to enhance itself as an employer and as a state-of-the-art organization. It is therefore fully committed to offering its employees the best possible work-life balance. It became clear that the old rules about working from home were no longer in line with this aspiration. In addition, positive experiences with digital communication tools during the pandemic had shown just how flexible arrangements can be when push comes to shove. At the same time, it was also clear that we wanted to come together again at the Institute to exchange ideas and collaborate on new projects after the pandemic is over. It was now a matter of laying the foundation for these conditions and striking the right balance between working onsite and working remotely. A new Works Council agreement was developed over several months. Employees now have much more freedom as to when and where they work. And we hope that the ifo Institute has become a more attractive place to work to applicants from Germany and abroad. The new rules came into effect in November, but had to be temporarily suspended due to more far-reaching pandemic measures.
Podcast: New Formats for New Target Groups
To reach new target groups in the public debate, ifo’s Communications department experimented with new formats. Since podcasts, especially ones that share experts’ viewpoints, have established themselves in the market, at the beginning of the year we launched the new ifo Podcast “Economy for All.” It features ifo experts talking about the latest economic, scientific, and political events and providing background information on the Institute’s latest research findings. Listeners can access the podcast through the ifo Media Center or subscribe to it via the usual platforms. These formats are always linked to publications on our website or to press releases and social media. Featured topics have included economic forecasts, green monetary policy, working from home, and public finances.
In September, the ifo Institute had a booth for the first time at the International Mobility Show (IAA) in Munich. For this event, we organized chats among experts about topics like the future of working from home and the anti-congestion charge for major cities. These chats were also streamed live on the web.
