Call for Papers - Global Research Network

In the perspective of its 2026 research conference, the Global Research Network invites submission of papers addressing its main areas of research (see below).

Special consideration will be given to papers that foster policy dialogue and can be translated into concrete policy recommendations, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies.

Extended abstracts only will be accepted for review according to the following model.

1. Description of the research question (10 lines max.)
2. Contemplated methodology (10 lines max.)
3. Contemplated policy recommendations (10 lines max.)

Proposals should be submitted by Friday, January 23rd 2026.

Submitted papers should address the following topics, but are not limited to:

Economic Theory and Public Banks

• Definition, raison d'être and typology of public financial institutions (PDBs, Export-Import Banks, Caisses des Dépôts, Guarantee Funds, Investment Funds).

• Business model, development effectiveness and risk profile of PDBs.

• Comparative advantages of different financial instruments and the development of innovative financial instruments.

• Governance, regulation, capacity constraints, and political economy of public financial institutions.

Global Financial Architecture

• The comparative advantages of public development banks in addressing market failures and incubating markets in comparison with direct fiscal support and other forms of state intervention.

• PDBs as a system: examining complementarities, comparative advantages, and incentive structures needed across the ecosystem to enhance joint mobilization and crowding in effects.

• Role of public development banks in implementing national policies and tackling global challenges, e.g., through the use of country platforms.

• Working within broader country systems: examining the non-financial role of PDBs in driving policy and regulatory reform, convening stakeholders, coordinating with governments and development partners, and aligning public and private investment around national priorities.

• Public development banks and their role in the fiscal and monetary policy coordination during macroeconomic cycles.

• PDBs and their role in unlocking fiscal space and debt solutions (in the context of debt relief, refinancing tools, climate-resilient debt clauses, etc.)

• Examination of the reconfiguration of North–South and South-South relations amid growing geopolitical rivalries; assessment of the positioning, instruments, and governance of development finance institutions in an increasingly fragmented global financial order.

Sustainable and Solidarity Investments

• PDBs' own alignment and role in aligning broader financial flows with climate and environmental objectives.

• Opportunities for public development banks to accelerate a just transition and other social outcomes in Africa and other vulnerable regions.

• Green industrialisation: the role of PDBs in supporting value addition and equitable supply chains.

Private Sector Mobilization

• The evolving role of PDBs in mobilising private capital: including how different types of PDBs (national, regional, multilateral) deploy instruments, how mandates, and business models vary (including originate to distribute).

• Use of blended concessional finance: how concessional resources are structured and targeted to unlock private participation, the balance between demonstration effects and mobilisation at scale, and lessons from case studies across sectors and geographies.

• The contribution of PDBs to pipeline development and market creation: how they identify, originate, and prepare bankable projects and partnerships that enable crowding-in of private capital.

• The role of PDBs in local capital market development, strengthening domestic financial systems, expanding local currency financing, and developing local bond markets as part of a systemic mobilisation agenda.

• Access of PDBs to capital and concessional resources, including how access to capital markets, guarantees, and concessional windows (including vertical climate funds) influences their ability to leverage balance sheets, and collaborate effectively with other PDBs.

• PDBs as a distinct asset class: addressing key challenges related to shrinking public resources, regulatory frameworks, credit rating practices, and the high cost of capital to enable large-scale, development-sensitive private investment.

• Understanding what kinds of investors are being mobilized: mapping which domestic and international investor groups (institutional investors, banks, funds, corporates, high-net-worth individuals) are responding to PDB interventions; how mobilization patterns differ by instrument, sector, or market; and what incentives or de-risking mechanisms most effectively shift private portfolios.

• Exploration of how public development banks can leverage trade finance, investment facilitation, and support to global value chains to promote sustainable and inclusive development; analysis of their role in addressing trade-related financing gaps and fostering productive capacities in developing economies.