WASHINGTON – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has recognized three young economists from Latin America and the Caribbean with the 2026 IDB Young Economist Award for the excellence of their doctoral research work.
Paula Donaldson, an Argentine economist with a PhD from the University of California, San Diego, won first prize for her paper which argues that traditional estimates of the impact of certain public policies may be overstated because they do not always separate the direct effects of a policy from the reactions it generates throughout the rest of the economy. It also proposes a new method for isolating these indirect effects.
Sebastián Espinoza-Rojas, a Chilean doctoral candidate at University College London, won second prize for analyzing how difficulties related to commuting influence employers’ market power and how the effect varies depending on workers’ skill levels.
Juan Martín Pal, an Argentine economist with a PhD from the Toulouse School of Economics, received third prize for studying the design of higher education policies aimed at improving the recruitment of public officials.
“The high quality of the studies submitted in this edition reflects the talent, rigor, and commitment of a new generation of economists studying the challenges and opportunities facing Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Laura Alfaro Maykall, Chief Economist and Economic Counselor at the IDB. “We congratulate the winners for the originality, methodological rigor, and relevance of their research, which provides valuable evidence for designing better policies and promoting the region’s development.”
The awards will be presented during the 3rd IDB Research Conference, to be held on September 14 and 15 at IDB headquarters in Washington. The conference will focus on demographic transition and its consequences for economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event will bring together researchers from academia and public policy institutions to present cutting-edge research on how demographic change is reshaping growth and well-being in the region.
The 2026 IDB Young Economist Award invited applications from PhD graduates in economics from the institution’s 48 member countries. A selection committee composed of IDB economists and researchers evaluated a total of 40 research papers.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the IDB works with the region’s public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website https://www.iadb.org/en.
Andres Cavelier
Communications Specialist
