Founded in 1925, DIW Berlin (the German Institute for Economic Research) is one of the leading economic research institutes in Germany. The Institute analyzes the economic and social aspects of topical issues, formulating and disseminating policy advice based on its research findings. DIW Berlin is part of both the national and international scientific communities, provides research infrastructure to academics all over the world, and promotes the next generation of scientists. A member of the Leibniz Association, DIW Berlin is independent and primarily publicly funded.
DIW Berlin has ten research departments. Since 1982, the longitudinal study German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) has also been affiliated to DIW Berlin as a research infrastructure. Thematically, the scientific work of the Institute is divided into four research clusters: (1) Macroeconomics and Financial Markets, (2) Sustainability, (3) Industrial Economics, (4) Public Finances and Living Conditions.
Researchers at DIW Berlin study diverse issues and have a wide range of scientific expertise: How is the economy developing? Is the transition to a climate-friendly economic structure working? How can a social balance in income and asset distribution be secured? How can an aging society be reinvigorated-technologically and socially?
In addressing these questions, DIW Berlin attaches great importance to methodological precision, reliable data, and argumentative stringency. The institute strives to combine clear and independent analyses with sound and evidence based policy advice.
With its location in the capital city, DIW Berlin is right where political decisions are debated and taken. It is therefore all the more important that the Institute carries out its research work independently of political, thematic, or financial influences.
Research Infrastructure Focus
The Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) is one of the largest and longest-running multidisciplinary household surveys worldwide. Every year, approximately 30,000 people in 15,000 households are interviewed for the SOEP study. The SOEP is also a research-driven infrastructure based at DIW Berlin. The SOEP team prepares survey data for use by researchers around the globe, and team members use the data in research on various topics. Studies based on SOEP data examine diverse aspects of societal change. As part of the Leibniz Association, the SOEP receives funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and from Germany’s state (Länder) governments.
UNIVERSITÄT BIELEFELD
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D-33615 Bielefeld
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