16th International German Socio-Economic Panel User Conference in Berlin
Report of July 14, 2026
On July 8 and 9, 2026, the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) welcomed approximately 90 researchers from Germany and abroad to its user conference in Berlin. Every two years, SOEP data users from various disciplines—including the social and economic sciences—meet to present their current research and network.
Just a few days earlier, the German Science Council had rated the SOEP’s application for strategic expansion as “excellent.” Accordingly, SOEP’s future plans took center stage at the opening event, which was led by Sabine Zinn, SOEP’s director.
On behalf of the Berlin Senate, Dr. Jutta Koch-Unterseher (Head of the Division for Non-University Research and Charité in the Senate Department for Higher Education and Research, Health and Long-Term Care) praised the SOEP as “critical infrastructure” and “the backbone of the social sciences.” She noted that not just is it an important player in Berlin’s scientific landscape, but it is also both enduring and innovative.
Among the many innovations related to the study that the SOEP presented to the public, the AI module and the flash surveys stood out in particular. For the first time, starting this year, study participants will be surveyed about their attitudes toward artificial intelligence. Another forward-looking tool is the new short surveys conducted via text message or email—the so-called “flash surveys.” Addressing current topics, these can be developed and sent out quickly. The first flash survey was successfully conducted in September 2025.
During the conference, SOEP awarded the “Felix Büchel Award” to Prof. Dr. Jule Specht, a psychologist at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and a long-time user of SOEP data. This year’s keynote lectures were delivered by Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen of the University of Bonn (topic: risk-taking) and Prof. Dr. Wiebke Bleidorn of the University of Zurich (topic: the development of personality traits over the life course).
The Joachim R. Frick Memorial Prize for the best presentations by conference participants was awarded to David Titus (Cornell University) and Sebastian Gsell (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the ifo Institute). Lea-Sophie Funk received an honorable mention from the jury for her presentation.
