CEPR organises approximately 80 meetings a year, produces over 600 discussion papers and various books, is involved in 30 research projects with its partners across Europe, and disseminates the network’s research finding to the private and policy sectors.
Meetings and Conferences
Lunchtime Meetings: These are organised to disseminate research results to a non-specialist audience. CEPR holds approximately ten of these a year in Brussels, Berlin and London.
Workshops and Conferences: Unlike Lunchtime Meetings, participation at these meetings is by invitation only and the majority of participants are academics who have responded to a call for papers. These include CEPR Research Training Networks, annual Programme Symposia or standalone conferences.
Evening Briefings: CEPR organises short briefings for senior Policy Makers and Corporate Members. These are given by a senior CEPR researcher.
Electronic Meetings Organization (EMO)
CEPR has recently launched Electronic Meeting Organization (EMO), a new online system which will be used to automate the organization of workshops and conferences. This system allows meeting participants to register online, make requests for funding and submit a paper. Organisers can monitor the number of submissions and list of participants.
EMO uses CEPR’s system of personal profiles, which is also used to enable researchers to download discussion papers.
The profile contains an email address (which serves as the user id), a password (which allows respondents to access information on the meetings to which they have been invited), and information on dietary and other personal preferences. Profile holders need only enter this information once; thereafter, it will be used to streamline registration for other CEPR meetings.
Calls for Papers or Invitation
All Calls for Papers or invitations are sent by email and will contain a URL address within the body of this email. This will allow respondents to move directly to the website in question, and thereby register, obtain further information, or decline the invitation.
Each time respondents submit any information on the EMO site, we will send an email message indicating the information we have recorded in our database.
Registration Deadline
The call for papers contains a deadline date for registration. EMO will be automatically set to this date and time and the system will be unable to receive submissions after this deadline.
Academic Organizers
Organizers will have separate (password-protected) access to additional information by clicking on the ‘Organizers’ icon displayed on the meeting website. They will be able to access the entire database for the meeting, which contains the summary of replies, information on funding requirements, papers offered and expressions of willingness to act as discussants.
Organizers can use this site in the compilation of the workshop/conference programme. The facility will allow different organizers to access information on replies, abstracts or papers submitted, and funding details, simultaneously. For example, they can talk through the programme during a conference call, with each organizer having the information available on screen. Papers and/or abstracts will be available to download and they can make instant decisions regarding the programme and participants.
Confirmation of Participation and Provisional Programme
Once the scientific committee has finalised the provisional programme and list of participants, respondents will receive an email confirming their participation.
Additional information about the conference (programme, conference venue, accommodation arrangements, location map/s, travel links, and CEPR forms (expense claim, travel guidelines, notes for claimants) will be shown on the dedicated site. In addition, all participants will be able to download, view and print the papers to be presented at the meeting.
Publications
Discussion Papers (DPs) disseminate research quickly in order to generate comment and suggestions for revision or improvement. They may have been presented at conferences or workshops already, but will not yet have been published in journals. All CEPR Discussion Papers published since January 1999 are available online in pdf format. The submission process for DPs also happens online. This allows authors to review the progress of their discussion paper as it moves towards publication.
Circulating their best research first in the CEPR Discussion Paper Series is an important aspect of Researcher’s involvement with the Centre, and we aim to make the submission process as simple as possible.
DP’s are submitted via a web-based interface, using CEPR’s profile system. When researchers submit a paper, the system will automatically enter their contact details on the submission form (which they can correct, if necessary). If co-authors are CEPR Fellows and Affiliates, the system will automatically enter their contact details as well.
The submission details they enter on line are written to our database immediately, thus ensuring that the information is always captured in our system. After completing the form, they then specify the files containing their paper that they wish to upload. If for any reason they experience difficulties in uploading a file, they can select an option that automatically generates an email message to CEPR, containing the information they have entered online concerning the paper. Researchers can then attach their files to this automatically generated message, so they don't have to leave the on-line submission procedure at any point.
Researchers can track the progress of each paper they have submitted to the CEPR series via the website. Whenever they visit the website and login using their profile, they will be presented with up to date information on the stage of preparation their paper has reached, from initial submission to its availability as a pdf file.
Researchers can choose to receive an email notification whenever one of their papers moves from one stage to another in the production process.
Discussion Papers – Rights of Submission
General
To be eligible for publication in the CEPR series, discussion papers must not have been submitted to either another general purpose working paper series, except those with which we have a reciprocal agreement, or already been published in an academic journal.
The conditions under which CEPR researchers can submit DPs varies according to their status.
Research Fellows
Research Fellows can submit papers for publication within any programme area. Copies of papers submitted by Research Fellows will be sent to the relevant Programme Director by CEPR. Programme Directors must of course read papers submitted by Fellows, but need not formally approve Fellows’ papers with CEPR, unless they are submitted by Fellows who are not affiliated to the programme under which the DP is to be published.
Programme Directors must inform CEPR within 2 weeks of receiving a Fellow’s paper if they DO NOT want it to be published.
Research Affiliates
Research Affiliates can submit Discussion Papers for publication within any programme area. Copies of papers submitted by Affiliates will be sent to the relevant Programme Director by CEPR. Papers by Research Affiliates MUST have PD approval before they are published. Programme Directors should submit their approval of an Affiliate’s paper within 2 weeks of receiving it.
Research Associates
Research Associates may only submit papers that will be published under the auspices of the project to which they are associated. Such submissions must be approved for publication by the relevant Programme Directors, and where relevant, the Scientist in Charge of the project in question.
Other Researchers – Young (and other) researchers attached to TMR/RTN projects
Other researchers may submit papers to the series, but only where they have been written as part of a CEPR-administered network or research project and when the researcher is affiliated with that project, either as a young researcher or as a team member. IN ADDITION, these papers must have been presented at one of the meetings of the network. Such submissions must have publication approval from the relevant PD, and where relevant, the Scientist in Charge of the project in question.
Report series
CEPR publishes the following report series on an annual basis:
Monitoring the European Central Bank
Monitoring European Deregulation
Monitoring European Integration
Geneva Reports on the World Economy
Policy Papers
These reports are written by leading academics and receive a large amount of attention, both in the press and within the policy community. They are promoted by lunchtime meetings and press briefings.
The Policy Paper series was launched in 1999 to provide a forum for the analysis of important policy issues by leading researchers. The series aims to identify key policy issues; apply the best and most up to date research to help understand these issues; and to explore the implications of this research for the design and conduct of policy. Policy Papers come out 2-3 times a year.
Economic Policy Journal
Economic Policy is the leading review in Europe for policy analysis. It contains papers that are specially commissioned by the editors to provide timely and authorative analysis of the choices confronting policy-makers. The articles use the best of modern economic analysis but are also easily accessible to a wide audience. CEPR is partnered with La Maison des Sciences de l’Homme and CES in the publication of this journal, published by Blackwell’s.
CEPR Newsletters
European Economic Perspectives (EEP) allows busy policy-makers in the private sector or the policy community to keep up with the latest and most relevant CEPR research. This newsletter is written for a wider, non-specialist, audience and highlights accessible policy relevant work. Each issue covers a range of subjects, with reports of new research and publications and ‘think-pieces’ on selected policy issues. EEP will launch online in Autumn 2002.
The CEPR Bulletin is intended for a more technical audience and summarizes the output of the network on a quarterly basis.
CEPR will launch an online newsletter for CEPR researchers in early 2003, intended to provide key information on new grants, upcoming tenders, hiring opportunities, developments at the CEPR office etc.
Audio/Visual Web-based dissemination
Although all CEPR’s publications are available online, CEPR also utilises audio and visual media to increase the breadth of audience that its reports receive. Authors of papers with high policy relevance are interviewed and this is then streamed over the internet. This allows policy makers and others to receive the facts of the paper without having to read the entire report.
Press Officer
The CEPR Press Officer is responsible for dissemination activities targeted at policy-makers and journalists, including press briefings, and coordinating media interviews (TV, radio and for print). Through a weekly email highlighting CEPR’s activities and key Discussion Papers over the preceeding week, CEPR has been able to increase its profile through these contacts. Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the press officer if they are interested in participating in press briefings. Media training can be provided.
Project Management
CEPR welcomes research ideas with policy relevance from the network. These might include publications, projects or conferences. All new ideas must be submitted to the appropriate Programme Directors for approval, to ensure they fit well with the Programme’s research themes and are of an appropriately high standard.
The Projects team at CEPR manages the submission of funding applications and the contracts and reporting requirements of CEPR’s grants. They review upcoming tenders and work with researchers in putting proposals together. New funding opportunities are circulated to Programme Directors and researchers for input. Researchers are expected to assist the Projects team in preparing the required reports about activities to funders.
The Programmes team ensures that the activities of CEPR fulfil grant conditions. They are responsible for implementing the work programme of grants and discussing funding opportunities with researchers who are proposing activities.
The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) is an independent body of senior economists who are not themselves deeply involved in CEPR and can therefore take a detached view, advising the Executive Committee and the officers of the Centre on the activities of the Research Programmes. The Committee plays an essential role in the Centre’s efforts to maintain high professional standards and meets every two years with the Directors of each Programme Area to discuss the activities of their Programme over the preceding two years, and to discuss future directions and strategy.
A list of current SAC members can be found here.
In preparing their SAC Report, the Programme Directors are provided with the following information by CEPR staff:
- activities (conferences, workshops, public discussion meetings) held under the auspices of the programme area
- Discussion Papers produced in the programme area and the journals in which they have been published subsequently
- Research Fellows, Affiliates and Associates in the programme area, along with their dates of appointment and reappointment
- meetings attended by each researcher
- Discussion Papers submitted by each researcher
This information is also made available to the SAC. In addition, Programme Directors and members of the SAC can at any time view this information via the website.
In evaluating the programmes, the SAC members take into account:
- value added to the field by the programme and by CEPR more generally (where does it add value by doing what would not otherwise done?)
- coordination/direction of the Research Fellows and Affiliates (is it effective?)
- research priorities (and how much these are supply or demand driven)
- quality control (is there an effective mechanism in place)