In 2026, FIRM will once again be awarding a research prize for the best economic dissertation in the field of “Financial markets and intermediaries”. The subject area for the competition is broad and includes micro and macro research on financial topics. These include:
– micro- and macroprudential regulation including compliance
– financial and non-financial risks
– connections between financial intermediation and the real economy
– bank structure and monetary policy, also from a European perspective (e.g. banking union, capital markets union)
– internal organization, processes, systems, use of modern IT and governance in financial institutions including shadow banks
Authors of economics dissertations that were completed summa cum laude or magna cum laude at a university in the EMU and Switzerland in 2024 or 2025 and that make a significant contribution to a better understanding of the functioning of financial markets and modern financial intermediation are eligible to apply for the research prize. Special emphasis is placed on the relevance of the problem and a balanced combination of internationally recognized high-quality theoretical-conceptual groundwork and innovative practical relevance.
All details on the application procedure can be found in the call for applications:
