The Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy of the Universities of Bonn and Cologne will be funded for another seven years. This decision was announced by the German Research Foundation (DFG) on May 22, 2025. The renewal allows the Cluster to continue its successful research in economics and related disciplines until 2032.
“We are thrilled about the continuation of the funding. The DFG’s decision confirms the high quality of our work,” says Prof. Dr. Pia Pinger, co-spokesperson of ECONtribute in Cologne. The Cluster of Excellence aims to advance the analysis of markets and public policy in the context of fundamental societal and technological challenges. To this end, ECONtribute brings together outstanding researchers in economics and related disciplines from the Universities of Bonn and Cologne as well as the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods. At the heart of the research is human thinking and acting, including notions of fairness, beliefs and expectations – crucial factors for better understanding markets and deriving well-founded recommendations for policy and market design. With continued funding, the approximately 150 researchers of the Cluster can carry on their work in the years ahead.
“This decision marks an important step in furthering our successful collaboration and promoting the transfer of knowledge between academia, society, and politics,” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen, spokesperson of the Cluster in Bonn. Dr. Carola Braun, Managing Director of ECONtribute, adds: “It’s fantastic that we can now expand the newly created structures, especially in the area of early career support.” Over the past years, the Cluster has supported around 60 doctoral students and pursues a modern training model that includes a two-year Research Master. In the second funding phase, this model is set to be applied to other disciplines as well. “As a business economist, I’m particularly pleased that we can now establish a Research Master track at the intersection of economics and management,” says Prof. Dr. Matthias Heinz, co-spokesperson of the Cluster in Cologne.
With its interdisciplinary approach, the Cluster of Excellence has transcended disciplinary boundaries and strengthened cooperation between the universities of Bonn, Cologne and the Max Planck Institute since its launch in 2019. Its research, bundled under the roof of the Reinhard Selten Institute, has not only resulted in high-ranking scientific publications and numerous European Research Council Grants, but has also sparked practice-oriented projects in cooperation with companies, NGOs and schools. In addition, ECONtribute researchers have actively participated in political advisory boards and contributed expertise during the COVID-19 pandemic and the gas crisis.
With the renewal of funding, ECONtribute will continue to contribute to the international visibility of Germany as a research location. In the second funding phase, the Clusters’ researchers will increasingly focus on the conditions under which policy proposals attract support in society. ECONtribute will also focus on how economies can be made more resilient in the face of crises – and how short-run policy reactions can be aligned with long-term policy goals.