The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia will be hosting PFMAP, a program to provide a week of interaction, feedback, and mentoring to a small group of advanced Ph.D. candidates the week of Monday, September 16, 2024 – Friday, September 20, 2024.

Program Information

PFMAP is a program intended to introduce Ph.D. candidates to the vibrant research life at the Philadelphia Fed and provide additional mentorship opportunities for participants. Participants will present, discuss, and receive feedback on research throughout the week. We will also match participants to mentors at the Philadelphia Fed and provide additional opportunities to network with researchers at and associated with the Philadelphia Fed.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is committed to attracting and developing diverse talent in the economics pipeline:

  • We particularly encourage submissions from applicants whose demographic, education, or other background factors would increase representation in economics and finance.
  • We also welcome candidates researching topics related to economic mobility, heterogeneity in economic outcomes, or experiences across groups.

We recognize the benefit derived from diverse perspectives and look to foster this when reviewing candidates.

We will consider U.S.-based Ph.D. candidates working on applied macroeconomics, applied microeconomics, and econometrics or machine learning. We will consider other applicants to the extent that our mentors have relevant expertise. PFMAP covers the costs of car travel (up to 250 miles distance) or equivalent public transportation and provides lodging. PFMAP will also provide meals.

Application Procedure

Email the following application materials to PFMAP at Phil.econ.map@phil.frb.org by June 21, 2024:

  • Vita
  • A draft research paper (e.g., work from your future dissertation [even if preliminary] or a strong third-year paper)
  • A brief statement describing how the program would benefit you and your work and how your participation would contribute to diversity and inclusion in the economics profession
  • A brief statement of support from an advisor or committee member, emailed from that advisor or committee member to Phil.econ.map@phil.frb.org.

Key Program Elements

  • At the heart of the program are daily, hour-long academic presentations from program participants, with mentors in attendance.
  • In addition, different departments within the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia may overview their work and the career paths they offer for Ph.D. economists.
  • Communal lunches and a small reception with economists from around the bank will provide additional networking opportunities.
  • The department will host select outside speakers to give seminars that the participants are invited to attend.
  • Mentors and other economists will be available to meet one-on-one with the participants to provide feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Must I be an official Ph.D. candidate to participate?
    The definition of Ph.D. candidate varies across universities. Participants need not officially be advanced to candidacy but should be at the dissertation stage of their graduate career. (They should have research ready to present during PFMAP.)
  2. Do I have to be able to attend the PFMAP week in person, and do I need to be there for the entire week?
    Yes, PFMAP is intended to function in person. However, if attending the program in person for the whole week might be challenging for you because of other obligations, please note so on your application.
  3. Do I need to live in Philadelphia?
    No, the reimbursement you will receive is intended to cover driving or other transportation costs (e.g., Amtrak) to travel to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and stay in nearby lodging. Travel reimbursement is capped at the cost of driving up to 250 miles to and from Philadelphia. If you live farther away, please include a statement with your application that acknowledges that you have to seek outside funds to cover your excess transportation expenditures.
  4. Should I apply? Is this program targeting me?
    If you think you would benefit from this program, you should apply. While this program is primarily intended for graduate students in the Third District (Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) who would particularly benefit from our mentorship, we are considering all applicants. See below for a list of schools of past participants.
  5. Do you accept students in degrees outside economics?
    Yes, we consider students from adjacent fields if their research is relevant to economics. Examples are public policy, finance, or statistics and data science.
  6. What subject areas do the potential mentors cover? How can I find out whether I would be a potential match to a mentor?
    We invite you to browse the profiles of our Ph.D. economists to gauge the breadth of topics covered at the Bank. You can find these profiles at Economists (philadelphiafed.org). However, due to possibly competing commitments, we cannot consider specific match requests. If you are in doubt, we encourage you to apply.
  7. How many participants will there be?
    We are targeting six participants.
  8. If I have questions not listed here, who should I contact?
    Please email us at Phil.econ.map@phil.frb.org with any additional questions.

Program Organizers

2023 PFMAP Program

The 2023 program participants smile for a group photo.
  • September 18–22, 2023
  • Participants came from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Drexel University, Johns Hopkins University, the Pennsylvania State University, Rice University, the University of Delaware, and the University of Pennsylvania.