Panel Data for Causal Research Designs 2026

The Italian Econometric Association (SIdE-IEA) and the Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (Fondazione Bruno Kessler) are pleased to co-organise the following course for PhD students, researchers, and practitioners:

Panel Data for Causal Research Designs
Bertinoro, 29 June – 3 July 2026
Start: June 29, 2026 – 09:00 End: July 3, 2026 – 18:00

The maximum number of in presence participants is 40

Fee

Online Course:

Students (master and PhD students, post-doctoral and research fellows): 350€
University staff (junior and senior assistant professors (RTDA, RTDB), associate and full professors): 500€
Others: 1500€

Course in presence:

Students (master and PhD students, post-doctoral and research fellows): 700€
University staff (junior and senior assistant professors (RTDA, RTDB), associate and full professors): 850€
Others: 2300€

Course Enrolment and Deadlines

Click here to visit the SIdE website for course enrolment
Application Deadline: 3th May, 2026
Notification of acceptance will be posted by the 13th May, 2026
Deadline for Fee Payment: 29th May, 2026

Location

Centro Residenziale Universitario
Via A. Frangipane 6
Bertinoro (FC)
Italy
See map: Google Maps

Coordinators

Prof. Erich Battistin
University of Maryland and FBK-IRVAPP
Maryland Population Research Center
email: 

Prof. Enrico Rettore
University of Padova and FBK-IRVAPP
Department of Economics and Management
email: 

Lecturers

Erich Battistin, University of Maryland and FBK-IRVAPP
Enrico Rettore, University of Padova and FBK-IRVAPP
Sergiu Burlacu, FBK-IRVAPP
Alessio Tomelleri, FBK-IRVAPP

Requirements

Intermediate level of probability, statistical inference and econometrics.

Course outline:

• The pre-history of panel data models: Random Effects, Fixed Effects
• Two-way Fixed Effects: the bridge to Difference-in-Differences
• Recent advancements 1: Staggered and Block Designs
• Synthetic Control Methods
• Recent Advancements 2: Combining Difference-in-Differences designs with Synthetic Control Methods

Reference textbooks and suggested readings:

Angrist J.D. and J.-S. Pischke (2009), ‘Mostly Harmless Econometrics’, Princeton University Press

Arkhangelsky D. and G. Imbens (2024), ‘Causal Models for Longitudinal and Panel Data: A Survey’, The Econometrics Journal, 27 (3).

Other readings will be suggested during the course

Tutorials and Software

Theoretical lectures are combined with practical working sessions. During these sessions, you will receive guidance on using econometric software and conducting your own empirical analyses. Datasets and codes for applied econometrics will be provided as part of the lectures.

For the practical tutorials and applications participants will use the software Stata which will have to be installed on their own laptops .

Venue and timetables

This course requires full-time attendance. It runs Monday to Friday, nine half-days (one afternoon is free): 10 theoretical sessions, 5 hands-on lab sessions, and 3 special lectures by invited speakers, including a presentation by the winner of the FBK-IRVAPP prize(see details below). The course will be held in the University Residential Centre, Via Frangipane 6, 47032 Bertinoro (FC).

Participants will be hosted in the Centre guest quarters (in case of reduced availability of rooms in the Centre, they will be accommodated in local hotels).

Lectures and tutorials will be in English, with the following schedule:

Monday to Friday 9.00-12.30, 14.30 -18.00 (with one free afternoon on Wednesday).

The 4th edition of the Best Paper in Public Policy Evaluation Prize

FBK-IRVAPP will award a prize of 1000 EUR for the best paper in Policy Evaluation. In addition to the monetary prize, the author of the winning paper will be invited to present it at this SIDE/FBK-IRVAPP school. Click here to read more about the prize and how to apply.

Contacts

• For more information: Roberta Partisani phone: +39 0543446554 ; e-mail:
• For administrative issues :  Fabrizio Zanotti (),  phone:+39 0543446554;
• For travel and accommodation: Roberta Partisani (), phone: +39 0543446554