Summer Workshop in Causal Inference

August 10-13, 2025
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX

Visit the Free Market Institute this summer for a 3-day, hands-on workshop covering Difference in Differences (DiD) and Synthetic Control (SC) research methods. The Summer Workshop in Causal Inference will focus on both theory and practical applications of DiD and SC methods. The practical sessions will cover coding (Stata will be used for demonstrations of examples) and include advice for how to handle questions often asked by journal referees. There will also be sessions dedicated to brainstorming and developing a project using one of these techniques.

Advanced graduate students and early-career professors and professional researchers seeking to improve their understanding and ability to apply these research methods should apply. Given the interactive nature of the workshop, admission will be limited and by application to the Free Market Institute.

Applicants should propose a project that will apply the causal methods being taught in the seminar to examine some aspect of market liberalizing reforms. Priority topics include policy reforms, immigration, corruption, and empirical public choice, but all proposals broadly relevant to free markets will be considered. The participants with the most promising projects will be invited to a mini-conference hosted at the Free Market Institute during the 2025-26 academic year, in which they will present and receive feedback on their developing work.

Workshop Facilitator

Kevin Grier is the Gordon Tullock Professor of Political Economy at the Free Market Institute and a professor of political science in the College of Arts & Sciences at Texas Tech University. He has authored more than 60 articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals including The Journal of Finance, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Development Economics, and The Journal of Law and Economics.

Kevin has taught causal inference at Texas Tech University for 8 years and has published extensively using these methods. Some recent examples of his research in these areas follow:

• Uncertain Times: The Causal Effects of Coups on National Income
  American Journal of Political Science (with Robin Grier and Henry Moncrieff)
• The Consequences of CIA-Sponsored Regime Change in Latin America
  European Journal of Political Economy (with Samuel Absher and Robin Grier)
• The Washington Consensus Works: Causal Effects of Reform, 1970-2015
  Journal of Comparative Economics (with Robin Grier)
• The Economic Consequences of Durable Left-populist Regimes in Latin America
  Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization (with Samuel Absher and Robin Grier)

Workshop Details

There is no fee for invited applicants to register for the workshop. To support the participation of successful applicants, the Free Market Institute will provide all program materials, lodging in Lubbock, TX (up to 4 nights), local ground transportation, and some meals during the program. The Institute will also provide a small number of travel stipends (up to $500) for selected participants. Applicants seeking travel support should request it in their application letter.

A tentative outline of the workshop follows:

Sunday, August 10

• Arrival to Lubbock (afternoon)
• Welcome Reception (evening)

Monday, August 11

• Session I: Classic Difference in Differences (DiD) and Event Studies
• Session II: Examples of Code; Examples of Modifying the Code for Your Project
• Session III: Two-Way Fixed Effects is Not DiD; New Estimators, Theory, and Examples

Tuesday, August 12

• Session IV: Coding; Using and Interpreting the New DiD Estimators
• Session V: Developing Your DiD Project
• Session VI: Synthetic Control (SC)

Wednesday, August 13

• Session VII: Examples of SC Code
• Session VIII: Advanced Approaches to SC
• Session IX: Developing Your SC Project

How to Apply

To apply, please address the following application materials to Prof. Kevin Grier and submit them as a PDF document to the Free Market Institute at free.market@ttu.edu:

• A One-Page Application Letter Describing Your Interest in the Workshop;
• Your Resume/CV; and
• A Brief Outline of Your Project and the Data You Will Use.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2025.
• Notification Date for Successful Applicants: Friday, May 30, 2025.

Contact

Interested applicants may contact the Free Market Institute at free.market@ttu.edu for more information.