Dear NBER Researchers and Staff Colleagues -
The logistical runway for the 2020 Summer Institute spans several months.
While I sincerely hope that by early July, the number of COVID-19 cases will be
low, and that many of the current social distancing requirements will have been
lifted, there is a significant chance that this will not be the case and that it
will be very difficult to host a conference with high levels of interpersonal
contact in crowded spaces. In light of this situation, I have reluctantly
concluded that shifting to a "virtual 2020 Summer Institute" is the best course
of action. We will all miss the in-person networking and fellowship that the
Summer Institute permits, but health and well-being considerations must take
precedence.
I will be working with conference organizers and NBER staff members in the
coming weeks to plan the details for a set of virtual meetings, and in
particular to identify ways to promote interaction without an in-person
gathering. I expect that most meetings will occur on their initially-planned
dates, although some may be cancelled, and the daily schedule for those that do
take place may be somewhat different than in past years. Meeting agendas will
be posted as they become available at
http://conference.nber.org/confer/2020/SI2020/SI2020.html and will be finalized
by early June.
I know that collectively we will be able to make this year's Summer
Institute a great success. All best wishes for staying safe and healthy during
this extraordinary time.
Jim Poterba
Received on Sat Apr 11 2020 - 00:45:59 EDT
