Cliometrics Conferences in 2000, 2001, 2002

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

9986169 Fishback This grant supports the annual Cliometrics Conferences for 2001 and 2002 and provides travel grants to the 2000 World Congress of Cliometrics in Montreal for PhD students and scholars from lesser developed nations. Sites for the 2001 and 2002 Conferences will be selected from a list of several universities offering to host. "Cliometrics" is economics in the service of history and history in the service of economics. The field of cliometrics evolved in the 1960s from research interests in several fields; most notably economics, history, and statistics, but drawing also on demography, political science, and sociology. Its focus has been on the application of economic theory and quantitative analysis to a wide range of problems in economic history. Cliometrics is an area of research that owes its existence to the support of the National Science Foundation. In 1960 a small group of scholars interested in establishing an agenda for research in economic history held a conference at Purdue University. The original conference initiated a series of NSF funded conferences that became the forum for presentation of innovative research in quantitative economic history not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Few academic conferences offer the combination of seriousness of purpose and underlying geniality which characterizes the Cliometrics Conferences. The reasons are two: form and spirit. The form is pre-circulation of the papers, keeping presentations to a maximum of 5 minutes, with a long discussion following from the floor. About a dozen papers are presented in the two working days spread over three calendar days, giving ample time to discuss each. No formal discussants are assigned. The conferences are small enough--approximately 40 to 50 people--to have a stimulating 'workshop' atmosphere which encourages participants to speak freely. The spirit is tough but respectful, and is perpetuated by the practice of inviting a balance of seasoned cliometricians and participants new to the field. Papers to be presented and other participants are chosen by a Selection Committee, composed of the Principal Investigator and the current and two previous conference hosts. This procedure aids in maintaining institutional memory while expanding the diversity of the intellectual interests of the selection committee. A special effort is made to have the work of graduate students and/or assistant professors on the program. The steady mixing of new faces and experienced researchers has created a unique intellectual environment Funding from the NSF accomplishes several things. First, it enables a group of graduate students and young faculty to attend a conference which they could otherwise not afford. Funding established practitioners ensures that they fulfill the obligation to read all the papers in advance and arrive prepared with questions and discussion. Second, authors presenting papers receive intense exposure for their work from an 'expert' group, which without the Cliometrics Conference could take several years. Third, all participants benefit by discovering knowledgeable and enthusiastic colleagues. This unique combination of financial support from the NSF and professional support from conference attendees provides young scholars with the stimulation and encouragement to commit themselves to the field.