Overview
Biodiversity and natural resources are central to our future. Preserving their richness and abundance is essential for the wellbeing of our ecosystems and human societies. Capital markets have an important role in driving the change needed for this preservation. Innovative research connecting financial economics and biodiversity is critical to achieving this.
The Review of Finance, with the support of the Centre for Endowment Asset Management at the University of Cambridge and the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, has launched a global research competition to encourage research in this emerging area.
Research has an important role in linking biodiversity to questions related to capital markets. It can spur the development and analysis of novel datasets, methodologies and findings to address important issues that affect the welfare of current and future generations. This body of research is new however, and only a few high-quality finance working papers have been published in the world’s leading finance journals. This competition is designed to encourage researchers to develop innovative research on the emerging topic of biodiversity and natural resource finance.
The Review of Finance, with the support of the Centre for Endowment Asset Management at the University of Cambridge and the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, is issuing a call for proposals. The deadline for entering this research competition is August 15, 2024. Successful candidates will be invited to take part in a 2-stage editorial process that will culminate in 2 research conferences and a Special Issue published by the Review of Finance.
Timeline
| 1 May 2024 | 15 Aug 2024 | 2 Sep 2024 | 9 Oct 2024 | May 2025 | Summer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review of Finance launches call for proposals and researchers are invited to submit their proposals. | Call for proposals closing deadline | The Scientific Committee selects successful proposals | Successful candidates are invited to present their proposals at a research workshop in Cambridge, UK. | Candidates are invited back to present the findings of their research at a conference. | Review of Finance Special Issue published. |
People
Elroy Dimson
Professor of Finance and Director of Research at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Co-Founder and Chairman of Centre for Endowment Asset Management
Laura Starks
Research Fellow (Finance), Cambridge Judge Business School
George Kozmetsky Centennial University Distinguished Chair at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
Marcin Kacperczyk
Professor of Finance, Imperial College London
- Patrick Bolton, Professor of Finance and Economics, Imperial College London
- Elroy Dimson, Professor of Finance, University of Cambridge, and Chairman of Centre for Endowment Asset Management (CEAM)
- Caroline Flammer, A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Economics, Columbia University, and Director of Sustainable Investing Research Initiative (SIRI), Columbia University
- Harrison Hong, John R. Eckel, Jr. Professor of Financial Economics, Columbia University
- Marcin Kacperczyk, Professor of Finance, Imperial College London
- Laura Starks, George Kozmetsky Centennial University Distinguished Chair, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
Sarah Carter
CEAM Executive Director
Sarah Carter is Executive Director of the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Endowment Asset Management, and previously set up and managed the Master of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School. Before that, she worked for Plan International and for the United Nations Association. She has undertaken PhD coursework and research at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and was awarded an MA with distinction in International Studies by Durham University and a BA (Hons) in Psychology by the University of Hertfordshire.
Merve Karakaş
CEAM Centre Manager
Merve is Centre Manager of the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Endowment Asset Management (CEAM). Prior to joining CEAM, she was practicing corporate law in Turkey as an in-house lawyer in Istanbul. Merve holds LLM in Economic Law from Galatasaray University, and LLB from Istanbul University.
Programme events
Two events will be held through this Call for Proposals: a research workshop and a conference.
An opportunity for researchers, who have been shortlisted for the Review of Finance Biodiversity and Natural Resource Initiative, to receive feedback on proposals.
Biodiversity Finance & Natural Resource Finance Conference
Date: May 2025 (exact date TBC)
Open to: researchers and practitioners with an interest in research focused on the financial economics of biodiversity change
Location: UK (exact location TBC)
Sponsors
