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Application at DIW Berlin: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I apply? Please submit your application via our online portal. No registration, applicant profile, or password is required. You only need to fill in the application forms and upload your documents. Can I also apply to DIW Berlin by email? Please apply via our online portal. If you experience any issues, please contact us by email at recruiting@diw.de . In which language ...

Growing Up with Disasters: Early Memories and the Origins of Patience

This paper examines the long-term impact of childhood exposure to aggregate shocks on intertemporal decision-making. Drawing on survey data from 80,000 individuals in 76 countries and exploiting within-country, cross-cohort variation in exposure to natural and man-made disasters, I show that such shocks during childhood significantly reduce patience in adulthood. The effects are concentrated...

The maternal living situation is more closely reflected in the development of their children born in Germany than their experience of being a refugee

The Impact of Financial Support to Firms During Crises: The Case of Covid aid in the EU

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a global economic crisis, leading governments to provide substantial State aid to support firms. This paper examines the effectiveness of Covid-related financial support in Spain and Italy, focusing on its impact on firm recovery. Using a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach combined with propensity score weighting, it compares outcomes of similar firms receiving aid ...

Start of the new research project Wärme-ZIEL

On November 1, 2025, the project “Implementing the local heating transition: Future initiatives for the energy transition in Lüneburg (Wärme-ZIEL)” was launched at DIW Berlin. Over the next two years, the project will explore practical strategies to support the transition toward a climate-neutral heat supply in the Lüneburg region. Its goal is to accelerate the implementation of municipal heat plans, ...

Implementing the local heating transition: Future initiatives for the energy transition in Lüneburg (Wärme-ZIEL)

The project “Implementing the local heating transition: Future initiatives for the energy transition in Lüneburg (Wärme-ZIEL)” investigates feasible strategies to support the shift toward a climate-neutral heat supply in the Lüneburg region. The goal is to accelerate the implementation of municipal heat plans, gather feedback from local stakeholders, and develop recommendations and strategies that...

Locked in a Fossil-Centric System Paradigm: LNG Expansion Impedes Socio-Ecological Transition Toward a Just and Renewable Energy Future

The expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in Europe significantly impedes the necessary socio-ecological transformation (SET) required to shift toward a decentralized, 100% renewable energy system (RES). By reinforcing a fossil-centric system paradigm, LNG infrastructure deepens Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels, thereby delaying climate goals and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. ...

Der stille Greentech-Boom, der Deutschlands WIrtschaft vorantreibt

Early retirement for early starters - A well targeted policy for people with high job demand?

(joint work with Lars Felder, Johannes Geyer, and Peter Haan) Despite growing demographic pressure, a reform in Germany has lowered the full retirement age (FRA) temporarily for early starters. In this paper we analyze whether the reform was well targeted. Specifically, we study if the early retirement scheme benefits workers with high job strain or if workers with better jobs and the potential...

From friends to ‘family’: schools, neighborhoods, and gang recruitment

This paper examines how gang-related criminal behavior spreads through extended family and peer networks, using newly linked Swedish administrative data covering over 18,000 individuals with confirmed gang affiliation. Within-family correlations reveal intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior where parental criminal history accounts for only half of a broader latent "crime-family"...