Kathrine von Graevenitz Elected to the German Data Forum
PersonnelZEW Researcher Advises the German Federal Government and the Federal States on Research Data Infrastructure
Professor Kathrine von Graevenitz, deputy head of ZEW’s “Environmental and Climate Economics” Research Unit and Professor of Empirical Environmental Economics at the University of Mannheim, has been elected to the German Data Forum (RatSWD). She was nominated for the position by the Verein für Socialpolitik (German Economic Association). The proposed representatives from academia were determined in the election period from 2 to 29 March 2026, with a turnout of 85.6 per cent. The new RatSWD members will take office on 1 July 2026 and serve for the 9th appointment period from 2026 to 2029.
Kathrine von Graevenitz comments: “Access to high-quality data is the foundation of evidence-based policy advice. I am looking forward to continuing the important work of the German Data Forum: Ensuring better access to relevant data in future will enable researchers to provide answers to economically and socially important issues.”
About the German Data Forum
The RatSWD is an institutionalised forum for exchange and dialogue between researchers and data producers. It focuses on improving access to high-quality and scientifically relevant data. These data originate from the activities of government, research-based and private-sector actors. The forum is an independent committee composed of empirical researchers and representatives of the most important public institutions involved in data collection. It advises the federal government and the federal states on research data infrastructure. It was established in 2004 by the then Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
