College Fed Challenge
Take on the College Fed Challenge: Analyze data, shape policy, and present your ideas to Federal Reserve experts!
Project description
Are you fascinated by the forces that shape the U.S. economy or intrigued by the decisions that drive monetary policy? The College Fed Challenge offers an exciting opportunity to step into the role of an economist, tackling real-world economic challenges in a national competition organized by the Federal Reserve. Participants will work in teams to analyze real-time economic data, explore critical concepts like inflation, GDP, and unemployment, and present policy recommendations directly to Federal Reserve judges. The College Fed Challenge is your chance to make a meaningful impact while sharpening your skills. Join us and take your first step toward shaping the future of economic policy!
Project outcome
Students engaging in this project will achieve the following tangible outcomes:
- Data Cleaning: Prepare and organize raw economic data for analysis, ensuring accuracy and usability.
- Data Analysis: Analyze real-time economic data to identify trends and support policy recommendations.
- Clean Data Files: Produce organized and documented data files that can be used for further study or policy-making.
- Final Report: Develop a comprehensive report detailing findings, analyses, and proposed policy solutions.
- PowerPoint Presentation: Prepare a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the team's work.
- Video: Create a professional video submission presenting key insights and recommendations, showcasing critical thinking and communication skills, adhering to the competition guidelines.
Project details
| Length of commitment | About 3-5 months |
| Start time | Spring (January/February) |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | Hybrid Project (can be remote and/or in-person; to be determined by mentor and student) |
| Level of collaboration | Small group project (2-3 students) |
| Benefits | Academic Credit |
| Who is eligible | All UB undergraduate students who have completed ECO 181 Introduction to Macroeconomics or ECO 205 Money and Banking |
Core partners
- Federal Reserve
- College Fed Challenge (https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/educational-tools/fedchallenge.htm)
Project mentor
Opinder Kaur
Clinical Assistant Professor
Economics
Phone: (716) 645-8690
Email: opinderk@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Complete interest form using this link to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (UB Fed Challenge 2026 Interest Form)
- After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.)
Preparation activities
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
The specific preparation activities for this project will be customized through discussions between you and your project mentor. Please be sure to ask them for the instructions to complete the required preparation activities.
Keywords
ECO 498 Undergraduate Research, Monetary Policy, Federal Reserve, Data Analysis, College Fed Challenge, Economics