1. The Geneva's Association's Ernst Meyer Prize

The Geneva Association awards every year the prestigious Ernst Meyer Prize for university research work, usually in the form of a doctoral thesis, which makes a significant and original contribution to the study of risk and insurance economics. As of September 2004, the Judging Committee for the Ernst-Meyer-Prize is composed of Prof. Andreas Richter (Chairman), Prof. Sandrine Spaeter and Prof. Richard Watt.

The application should include all of the following: (a) three hardcopies and an electronic version (pdf) of the thesis; (b) an English language abstract of 1,000-1,200 words; (c) two recommendations (written in English), each providing a review of the submitted work; and (d) a curriculum vitae in English.

Further requirements:

• The thesis should have been accepted by the Ph.D. committee during the 15 months preceding the submission deadline. 
• Submissions are possible in one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German. 
• The prize awards 5,000 Swiss Francs. 
• The deadline for the Ernst-Meyer-Prize 2009 is 31 January 2010. 
• Applications should be addressed to The Geneva Association, “Ernst-Meyer Prize”, General   Secretariat, Route de Malagnou 53, CH-1208 Geneva. 

► To see the past award winners, please click here.

2. Research Grants

Every year, the Association offers two grants for research into risk and insurance economics. The deadline for submission of applications is end of November 2008. Suggested themes and subjects are:

Economic theory:

• Uncertainty: Imperfect information in deterministic versus indeterministic models; 
• Insurance and risk management in the service economy;
• Insurability and economic fundamentals;
• Insurability: Privatisation processes and public intervention; 
• The problem of the reinsurer of last resort; 
• Credibility theory (in actuarial sciences) and economics of scale; 
• Comprehensive theories of risk: Defining, comparing and integrating pure risks, financial and entrepreneurial risks; 
• Fiscal policy, solidarity and private insurance; 
• Monetary stability and its impact on pure risk management; 
• Systemic risks, the liability portfolio of insurance and pure risk management; 
• The changing role of capital in the contemporary service economy with respect to financial institutions; 
• The economic value of human life.

 Economic practice:

• Moral hazard and fraud in the management of pure risks and insurance;
• Derivatives and their role for insurance on the assets and on the liability side; 
• Economics of health and medical care; 
• The development of technology in specific sectors and their impact on the insurability of risks;
• Reinsurance markets; 
• The role of government, risk management and insurance institutions with reference to catastrophic and environmental risks; 
• Financing the life-cycle, in particular with regard to the increasing life expectancy of those over 60: The role of insurance and public institutions; 
• Productive activities, employment and health; 
• National and international institutions, their impact on regulation and solvency rules in the insurance market (European Union, World Trade Organization, etc.); 
• Fiscal policy and reserving for large low frequency risks; 
• Distribution strategies in insurance; 
• Emerging markets: Problems and opportunities.

The Association reserves the right to support research on other subjects which may be submitted.
Each grant is worth 10,000 Swiss Francs and covers a period of 10 months.
The grants are primarily intended for research for a thesis leading to a doctor degree in economics.

3. Subsidies for Theses

The Association grants authors of university theses, already submitted and dealing in depth with a subject in the field of risk and insurance economics, a subsidy of up to 3,000 Swiss Francs to help defray printing costs.

►Applications for research grants or subsidies for theses must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae, a  description of the research undertaken and letters of recommendation from two professors of economics.

Please send your application before the 30th of September to:

The Geneva Association
“Research Grants”, 
General Secretariat
Route de Malagnou 53
CH-1208 GENEVA