Macroeconomic Indicators for Mortality Forecasting
Funds research on how macroeconomic factors influence mortality trends to improve actuarial forecasting and risk management models.
Funder: Society of Actuaries
Due Dates: June 15, 2026 (intent to submit) | July 13, 2026 (full proposal)
Funding Amounts: Typical project budget: $25,000–$50,000; literature reviews: $15,000–$20,000; surveys: $28,000–$55,000.
Summary: Supports research on the relationship between macroeconomic indicators and mortality to improve actuarial forecasting models.
Key Information: SOA generally does not fund academic institution overhead; proposals must be ≤5 pages (excluding bios/references).
Description
This grant opportunity from the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute seeks research proposals evaluating how macroeconomic indicators—such as GDP growth, unemployment, inflation, and disposable income—relate to and can help forecast mortality trends. The goal is to determine if and how these indicators can enhance the predictive power of mortality forecasting models, particularly for insured populations and during periods of economic stress or shocks. Proposals should take a hypothesis-driven approach, clearly defining expected relationships, timing, and lag structures between economic variables and mortality. Comparative or international analyses are encouraged if data is available. Outputs that improve actuarial assumption setting, scenario analysis, or risk management, with a focus on methodological rigor and practical application, are especially valued.
