IMD Days bring together researchers and students interested in understanding the role of markets and policy in addressing inequality. The goal of the workshop is to build bridges between fields such as economic theory, public finance, welfare economics, and applied microeconomics, and to discuss different perspectives and approaches, both theoretical and empirical.
IMD Days will feature several longer talks in a “summer school style” as well as shorter “conference-style” presentations. The program is designed to create ample opportunities for extended discussions and networking.
To facilitate interactions, all participants will be accommodated in a small hotel in Konstancin-Jeziorna, a spa town located just outside Warsaw. The conference dinner will take place in Warsaw, and a sightseeing trip is planned for Saturday after the conference.
Keynote speakers
Applications should be submitted by April 15, 2026 through the application form. Participants who wish to present a paper (in the main session or in a poster session) are welcome to submit their work through the same form, but presenting is not required to attend the conference. Our aim is to create a coherent and engaging event that provides participants with a fruitful forum for exchanging ideas and fostering scientific collaboration.
Decisions will be announced by April 30, 2026.
The registration deadline is May 15, 2026.
The contributing fee is 200 EUR and covers catering and accommodation. PhD students may apply for a fee waiver by providing a short justification in their application. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Piotr Dworczak leads IMD project at GRAPE and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Northwestern University. He works on Mechanism and Information Design, combining research in pure theory with more applied interests in public finance.
Sylwia Radomska is a post-doc in IMD project at GRAPE and an assistant professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She focuses on optimal taxation of human capital, higher education financing, and the role of parental support and financial aid. Her research also explores social inequalities across households and the impact of societal aging on labor market dynamics.
Lucas van der Velde is a professor of economics at Warsaw School of Economics and he leads the Group for Research in Applied Economics (GRAPE). His main research areas are labor economics, demographics with particular focus on inequality.
Joanna Krysta is a research assistant at GRAPE and a 2nd year PhD student in Economics at Stanford University. Her scientific interests include mechanism design, rational inattention and auction theory.
Filip Tokarski is a research assistant at GRAPE and a 3rd year PhD student in Economics at Stanford GSB. He is interested in mechanism design, in particular multidimensional screening and redesigning social programs. He has recently been working on mechanisms allocating goods through waitlists.
Application deadline: April 15, 2026
Notification of acceptance: April 30, 2026
Registration deadline: May 15, 2026
Conference dates: July 29–31, 2026
Conference program: TBA
Eva Park Life and Spa, ul. Henryka Sienkiewicza 2, 05-510 Konstancin-Jeziorna