The DNRF Chair in Econometrics is more than just the chairholder. We are a research group in econometrics located in the Department of Economics and Business Economics at Aarhus University. Our activities are funded by a Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF) grant awarded to Morten Ø. Nielsen and an Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF) grant awarded to Mikkel Sølvsten.

Producing more credible inference

Econometrics is an inter-disciplinary research area that combines economics, mathematics, and statistics to develop statistical analysis of data in economics and related disciplines. Data in these disciplines are typically not collected using controlled experiments but are instead collected from observed economic behavior. Consequently, econometric methods of inference need to accommodate features of the economic process that generated the data, e.g., complicated structures of dependence across observations or high-dimensional models for outcome variables. In the DNRF Chair research group we work to develop and improve econometric methods that are applicable in such cases, with the overall goal of producing more credible inference.

Developing and improving econometric methods

For example, in educational economics, empirical studies may attempt to ascertain the effects of various policies (smaller class sizes, tracking, etc.) on student test scores. Due to peer effects and teacher inputs, for example, individual student scores are not independent across students, but rather dependent within groups such as classrooms. Empirical analyses need to apply suitable econometric methods that account for such dependence to obtain reliable inferences. Among other things, our research group works to develop such methods.

Supporting talent development

An important part of the DNRF Chair research program is to provide training of high-level graduate (PhD) students and to support the development of promising young researchers. Interested students are always welcome to contact us.

Further information about the DNRF Chair research group and our activities can be found on this website.