IDB Honors Young Economists for Groundbreaking Research in Latin America

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced the winners of the 2025 IDB Young Economist Award, a prestigious annual recognition that celebrates the work of recent PhD graduates in economics who are producing innovative, policy-relevant research on Latin America and the Caribbean.

This year’s award attracted 66 submissions from candidates across the IDB’s 48 member countries. Submissions were evaluated by a selection committee of IDB economists and researchers, based on originality, methodological rigor, and direct relevance to public policy in the region.

First Prize: Online Delivery Platforms and Informality in Brazil

The first prize was awarded to Pascuel Plotkin, an Argentine researcher from the Center for Monetary and Financial Studies (CEMFI). His paper, “Dinner at Your Door: How Delivery Platforms Affect Workers and Firms”, explores how online food delivery platforms are reshaping the restaurant industry and labor markets in Brazil.

Plotkin’s research highlights both the opportunities and challenges created by digital platforms, particularly in economies characterized by high levels of informality. His findings shed light on how digital innovation interacts with precarious labor markets, offering important insights for policymakers navigating the balance between technological innovation and worker protections.

Second Prize: Crime and Reintegration in Ecuador

Daniel Jaramillo Calderón, an Ecuadorian economist from the Paris School of Economics, won second prize for his research on the aftermath of a mass prisoner amnesty in Ecuador. His study examines how the reintegration of former convicts influenced local crime rates, offering evidence on the social consequences of criminal justice reforms and the challenges of reintegration.

Third Prize: Fiscal Policy and Government-Backed Loans in Brazil

The third prize was awarded to Renata Motta Café, a Brazilian economist from the Getulio Vargas Foundation, who currently serves as a fiscal policy specialist at the IDB. Her paper evaluates how access to government-backed loans affects municipal public spending in Brazil, highlighting the interplay between credit availability and fiscal decision-making.

Honorable Mentions: Outstanding Research Contributions

In addition to the top three winners, the selection committee recognized several other young economists with honorable mentions for their exceptional research contributions:

• Francisco Eslava Sáenz (Colombia) – University of British Columbia

• Karla Hernández (Costa Rica) – University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Isaac Martínez Centeno (Chile) – London School of Economics and Political Science

• Laura Pérez Cervera (Spain) – Queen Mary University

• Víctor Zuluaga (Colombia) – University of Houston

These researchers addressed a wide range of pressing issues, from financial systems to social policy, each offering new perspectives to inform evidence-based policymaking.

Celebrating Excellence in Economic Research

Commenting on the awards, Laura Alfaro Maykall, Chief Economist and Economic Advisor at the IDB, praised the winners:

“At the IDB, we are proud to recognize the talent and dedication of the young economists who participated in this year’s award. We extend our warmest congratulations to the winners for their rigorous, creative, and policy-relevant research addressing the pressing challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean. This award not only honors academic excellence but also highlights the transformative power of economic research to improve lives.”

Recognition at IDB Research Conference

The winners will be formally honored at the 2nd IDB Research Conference, scheduled for September 15–16, 2025, at IDB headquarters in Washington, DC. The event will feature high-level presentations and panel discussions with academics, policymakers, and development professionals. This year’s theme will focus on how digital technologies—such as artificial intelligence, digitization, and automation—are reshaping economic development in Latin America and beyond.

Supporting the Next Generation of Policymakers

The IDB Young Economist Award continues to serve as a platform for emerging scholars to showcase their work and influence public policy debates in the region. By connecting academic research with policymaking, the award underscores the importance of evidence-based approaches to solving Latin America’s development challenges, from informality and inequality to fiscal management and digital transformation.