National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): Invitation-only Conference

The National Bureau of Economic Research seeks junior AAEA members for attendance at the by-invitation-only conference, “The Economics of Asset Accumulation and Poverty Traps”.  June 28-29, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

Much attention has focused on improving our understanding of how households accumulate assets and increase productivity and earning potential, as well as the conditions under which some individuals, groups and economies struggle to escape poverty, and when and why adverse shocks can have persistent welfare consequences.  The underlying processes are inherently dynamic, stochastic and complex.  This conference will bring together leading scholars and policy analysts to integrate and extend our empirical knowledge of poverty trap mechanisms as well as develop implications for understanding the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to address persistent, extreme poverty. Confirmed speakers and discussants include Oriana Bandiera, Ed Barbier, Chris Barrett, Michael Carter, Jean-Paul Chavas, Stefan Dercon, Steve Durlauf, Maitreesh Ghatak, Johannes Haushofer, John Hoddinott, Joe Kaboski, Karen Macours , Norbert Schady, Heather Schofield, Duncan Thomas, and Bruce Wydick.

Junior AAEA members, defined as those with no more than five years beyond completion of their Ph.D., are invited to submit their expressions of interest (EOI) in attending.  EOIs should be no more than one page, explaining how the individual will both professionally benefit from and contribute to the dialogue as an attendee.  Awards made possible by the generous support of the AAEA Trust include coverage of accommodation and meals as well as an airfare allowance.  Submit EOIs no later than March 10, 2016 to nberconf@cornell.edu. Submitters will be notified by early April.