Call for Papers
Reimagining the Economics of Late Life Institutions, Systems, and Investments
Spring 2026 Conference – May 1, 2026 | The New School, New York City
We invite early career economists and other social scientists to submit papers for our Spring 2026 Conference, “Reimagining the Economics of Late Life Institutions, Systems, and Investments,” to be held May 1, 2026, at The New School in New York City. This one-day event is aimed at research that challenges dominant economic paradigms and reconsiders how the discipline regards and values investments in the financial security of older adults and people with disabilities.
The conference is organized by Teresa Ghilarducci (Irene and Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Analysis, The New School for Social Research), Frank Heiland (Associate Director of the Center for Innovation in Data and Research [CIDR] and Professor of Public Affairs, Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, CUNY Graduate Center), and Na Yin (Associate Professor, Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College, CUNY).
Conference Themes
Mainstream economics has largely failed to conceptualize or measure the value of investing in older adults and disabled people except in forensic economics and policy evaluation where the lives of older non-workers are rated of less value than that of children or workers. As populations age and disability becomes a defining public policy issue, economists must engage more deeply with the systems, structures, and ethics that shape life in older age.
We invite leading scholars in philosophy, ethics and other disciplines as well as prominent economists in aging research to explore the typical economic framework and empirical insights under three broad themes:
How Systems and Institutions Are Failing Older Adults
Research exploring how public and private systems—healthcare, labor markets, retirement programs, housing, financial services—overlook or undermine the well-being of older adults.Why Investing in Late-Life Systems Matters
Work that engages with economic, ethical, or philosophical arguments for sustained and equitable investment in aging populations. This could include theories of intergenerational justice, distributive equity, or alternative welfare models.Strengthening the Late-Life Social Safety Net
Visionary proposals or analyses of policies and programs aimed at reimagining the social contract—social insurance, caregiving systems, community-based supports, or long-term care financing.
Who Should Submit
We strongly encourage submissions from:
Doctoral students (any stage)
Postdoctoral fellows
Junior faculty and early-career researchers (within 5 years of PhD)
Scholars from economics, demography, gerontology, philosophy, political science, public policy, sociology, and related fields.
Scholars whose work addresses race, gender, migration, labor precarity, and community-engaged approaches to aging and disability.
Submissions from researchers who are underrepresented in academia or working on populations historically excluded from economic analysis are especially welcome.
Why Submit?
Share your work with a community that is redefining economic priorities for aging and disability.
Receive constructive feedback from established scholars in your field.
Contribute to the development of a new intellectual and policy agenda.
Build connections across New York City’s extensive university and research network.
Be part of a broader effort to center new voices and challenge long-standing gaps in the economics of late life.
Submission Guidelines
Please use this google form to submit your proposal, including title and abstract (about 500 words) and CV as one PDF.
Submissions will be reviewed by a committee. Selected authors will be invited to present on one of the three panels.
Questions?
Contact: Desiree Lavecchia
Deadline for Submissions: December 31, 2025