Research Teams jointly decide which experimental design will be implemented across all labs in the project. The goal is to identify a design that is theoretically important, methodologically sound, and feasible for large-scale, harmonized data collection.
All submitted designs will be evaluated by the participating research teams, and one design will be selected for implementation across approximately 20 laboratories in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Each participating lab nominates one Research Team (RT).
An RT consists of up to three members, which may include the scientific lab manager.
Each RT may submit one experimental design proposal.
Researchers affiliated with the CRC Rationality and Competition may submit one unified design proposal, coordinated internally by the CRC.
These researchers will jointly form one Research Team (RT), nominated by the CRC rather than by an experimental lab.
All standard RT rules apply to this CRC-nominated RT, including the maximum team size (e.g. up to three researchers) and the restriction that each researcher may participate in only one RT.
For example, researchers Alice, Bruno, and Clara, all affiliated with the CRC Rationality and Competition, may jointly form a single CRC-nominated RT and submit one unified proposal coordinated by the CRC. None of the three researchers may participate in another RT, and the CRC-nominated RT is subject to the same eligibility and participation rules as any other RT.
Researchers may collaborate across institutions and countries, but no researcher may be part of more than one RT.
Each RT must be clearly assigned to one experimental lab where all data collection will take place. This lab assignment must be explicit for each RT.
For example, a Research Team consisting of Anne (LMU) and Bob (HU) may jointly form one RT and collect their data at the LMU experimental lab (MELESSA). In this case, Anne may not participate in any other RT, and no additional RT may collect data at the LMU (MELESSA) during the same call period.
Labs that do not wish to propose a design can still form an RT and participate fully in the evaluation and data collection.
All RT members will be co-authors on the final paper, regardless of whether their design is selected. All RTs commit to conducting the selected experimental design in their laboratory.
Submitted designs must meet the following criteria to ensure feasibility, comparability, and statistical power:
The experiment may address any topic in economics.
Designs should aim to make a clear contribution to the existing literature.
Experimental duration: maximum 30 minutes.
Participants should earn approximately €15 per hour, including a €6 show-up fee.
Differences in local payment rules (e.g. Switzerland) will be coordinated centrally.
Between-subjects design with 2–4 experimental conditions, including a control group.
Randomization must occur within each experimental session.
Each lab is expected to collect 200–300 observations, resulting in a total sample size of approximately n = 4,000–6,000.
Designs should specify:
1–4 primary hypotheses
1–5 secondary hypotheses
Hypotheses must be testable using pre-specified regression analyses.
Secondary analyses may include interaction effects or additional outcome variables.
No deception is allowed.
Designs must comply with standard ethical guidelines and be eligible for IRB approval.
The IRB process will be handled centrally by the project team.
The experiment must be feasible both in the lab and online (online replication via Prolific).
If selected, the proposing RT will be reimbursed for participant payments when conducting the experiment but commits to:
Assisting with programming the experiment
Contributing to analysis code
Collaborating on PAP 2
Proposals must be written in English.
RTs must use the official template provided by the project team.
Maximum length must not exceed 5 pages.
Each RT must submit:
One non-anonymous version (with names and affiliations)
One anonymous version for evaluation