The Berlin School of Economics Research Associates Program (RAP) promotes the careers of postdoctoral researchers and assistant professors (junior professors) in economics and adjacent fields. In its five focus areas Recruiting, Research, Networks, Guidance, and Skills and Placement, the Research Associates Program offers a wide program to support its members in gaining further qualifications and developing their careers.
Through the RAP Area Recruiting, Berlin School of Economics institutions cooperate in a joint postdoctoral recruiting process that is synchronized with the international economics job market and follows its procedural conventions. Every year, a Berlin School of Economics team attends international conferences, especially the American Economic Association Meetings, for pre-selection interviews. The pre-selected candidates then give research presentations in Berlin that are attended by members of the RAP selection committee and other Berlin School of Economics Faculty. In addition to this yearly effort, the RAP Area Recruiting participates in recruiting activities for positions with timelines that are incompatible with the annual international market. More information on how to join the Berlin School of Economics.
The RAP Area Research supports strong research output by Berlin School of Economics Research Associates, who may apply for support to expand their research-related activities in Berlin and abroad.
The Berlin School of Economics supports Associates’ travel to conferences and invited seminars outside of Berlin, and supports Associates in organizing conferences, workshops, and seminars in Berlin. Moreover, together with Berlin School of Economics Faculty, Associates organize annual RAP workshops in the areas of applied economics, macroeconomics, and microeconomics.
Building and maintaining contacts and networks is a central part of successful career development in academia and in policy-related research.
The RAP Area Networks supports Associates in expanding their local, national, and international networks. The development of networks is pursued broadly and includes establishing contact with academic researchers, policymakers and policy advisors.
The growth of networks is encouraged by increasing Associates’ visibility online, through informal meetings with other Associates and by providing formal settings.
The core of the RAP Area Guidance is the Berlin School of Economics RAP mentoring program. Upon admission to the RAP, each Associate is assigned to a mentor who is distinct from the Associate’s supervisor within her/his own institution.
Members of the Berlin School of Economics Faculty serve as mentors. Mentor-mentee pairs meet regularly and create an individual career development plan based on the mentee’s interests and objectives.
Matching mentors and mentees from different Berlin School of Economics institutions ensures that the Associates can closely connect to the Berlin School of Economics institutions and their faculty. In this way, the Berlin School of Economics institutions commit to engaging in each other’s postdoctoral career development.
The RAP Area Skills and Placement supports Associates in acquiring further skills necessary to pursue their careers and supports them when going to the job market. Associates have access to skills programs, some offered by Berlin School of Economics institutions and others organized by the Area Skills and Placement. By choosing specific offers from the set of available programs, Associates can focus on acquiring the skills required for their envisioned career path.
Skills programs include, e.g., academic writing, publication strategies, teaching techniques, and presentation skills. A special emphasis is placed on supporting the careers of female Associates. Moreover, Associates are supported when going to the job market through preparatory meetings, mock presentations, and placement activities.
This guide includes academic advices from the researchers of the Berlin School of Economics.
Special thanks to the INSIGHTS Team, researchers of Berlin School of Economics, Agne Kajackaite, Aleks Zaklan, Alexander Kriwoluzky, Ally Xin Lin, Annekatrin Schrenker, C. Katharina Spieß, Christian Basteck, Ciril Bosch-Rosa, Dorothea Kübler, Francis de Véricourt, Georg Weizsäcker, Gyula Seres, Hande Erkut, Hannes Ullrich, Jana Hamdan, Levent Neyse, Lisa Bruttel, Lutz Weinke, Mira Fischer, Müge Süer, Nikolaus Wolf, Peter Haan, Robert Stüber, Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch, Simone Maxand, Vincent Meisner, and Pablo Brañas-Garza.
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