About Us

The Institute

DIW Berlin combines excellence in research, research-based policy advice, the provision of research infrastructure, and the promotion of young scientists. The institute conducts research on economic and social issues and delivers policy advice based on its findings. As an independent institution, DIW Berlin thinks and acts in an international context, providing expertise on pressing contemporary economic and social issues.

Our Work

To address the issues and questions of the future, DIW Berlin applies a multidisciplinary approach— and does so not only from a German, but also from a European and international perspective.

As a publicly funded, non-university research institution, DIW Berlin is committed to engaging in dialogue with a wider public. The institute promotes science and research as well as  international networking and provides a space for policy debates in the heart of Berlin. 

With its Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a longitudinal research infrastructure, DIW Berlin provides excellent research data as well as points of contact for in-depth collaborations. The DIW Graduate Center offers a leading practice-oriented doctoral program in economics.

Our Values

In its research at the interface of politics, the economy, and science, DIW Berlin is committed to academic freedom as well as scientific discourse and the acquisition of knowledge.

The diversity of its employees and its focus on quality, originality, and openness allows the institute to work on a large number of policy-relevant and methodological topics. DIW Berlin is committed to providing working conditions which enable employees to achieve a work-life balance whilst fulfilling the business needs of the institute.

DIW Berlin supports the development and growth of its employees and has put a number of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements in place.

DIW Berlin receives research grants from the state of Berlin and from the German federal government (the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research, and the Federal Department for Economics and Technology respectively). These contributions, which are equal in amount, constitute some two thirds of our operating budget. In addition, DIW Berlin gets revenue from projects and contracts with third parties, from contributions from members of the board of trustees, and from donations.

How you can support our research

With your financial contribution, you can secure our independent research. Your donation can also be directed to a specific project or program.

As a non-profit, registered association, DIW Berlin has a very attractive charitable tax status.

If you are interested in making regular financial contributions to DIW Berlin, you may want to consider becoming a member of the
Society of Friends of DIW Berlin (VdF).

DIW Berlin – German Institute for Economic Research e.V. (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung e.V.) is an independent, publicly funded, and exclusively non-profit research institute.

You can find the DIW Berlin Statutes here (PDF, 193.22 KB )

The staff of DIW Berlin is obliged to follow the Institute’s Principles of Ethical Research (PDF, 227.38 KB ).

These principles are based on the “Proposals for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice” produced by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and recommendations by the Leibniz Association as well as the “Ethical Codex by the Verein für Socialpolitik.” In case of questions regarding good scientific practice or scientific misconduct, please contact the ombudspersons of DIW Berlin:

• Sonali Chowdhry
• Johannes Seebauer (deputy)

DIW Berlin is committed to research and science and to the open and free exchange of opinions and ideas. It ensures unbiased and cooperative communication and mutual respect between those involved. It is committed to diversity, considers all parts of society, is committed to promoting underrepresented groups and is open to new opinions and perspectives. In an effort to enshrine this commitment, DIW Berlin developed a code of conduct in a bottom-up process at the end of 2024.

Please find here the code of conduct (PDF, 177.59 KB )

As a member of the Leibniz Association, DIW Berlin is committed to the principle of open access and supports calls for unrestricted and free access to publicly funded peer-reviewed research findings. This commitment is outlined in the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities and the Guidelines on Open Access within the Leibniz Association.

DIW Berlin's Open Access Policy (PDF, 102.6 KB )

In 2025, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) is celebrating its 100th anniversary – a milestone in our eventful and often challenging history. Since its founding as the Institute for Business Cycle Research (Institut für Konjunkturforschung) in 1925, DIW Berlin has distinguished itself through its independence and pursuit of scientific excellence. These values, together with a multidisciplinary perspective, represent the cornerstones of the institute and shape our work to this day.

To mark the anniversary, DIW Berlin presented its history to the public in the chronicle “Mapping the Economy - 100 Years of DIW Berlin” on March 5, 2025.

The book divides the history of the institute into five eras:

• Science between freedom and the Nazi dictatorship (1925–1945)
• Growth, science, and knowledge transfer (1945–1966)
• Keynesian economics and crisis (1966–1982)
• From the end of the social-liberal coalition to a reunified Germany (1982–1998)
• Research in the midst of globalization (1998–2025)

The book “Mapping the Economy - 100 Years of DIW Berlin” (flip PDF) for reading.

Scientific reappraisal of the IfK/DIW's Nazi past

The history of the IfK/DIW during the National Socialist era has not yet been researched in detail. DIW Berlin would like to close this gap and is therefore funding a research project by the Historical Institute of the University of Stuttgart, which will begin in spring 2025.