The Microdata Access Grant offers financing for research projects using CBS microdata. In the 2024 round of the Call for Proposals for the Microdata Access Grant, we received 19 applications. The reviewers in this round were: Govert Bijwaard (NIDI), Peter Lanjouw (VU), Deni Mazrekaj (UU), Kim Stienstra (EUI).
The following projects were awarded in 2024 (in alphabetical order):
Nursena Aksunger (VU University Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics), Titus Galama (VU University Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics), Wendy Janssens (VU University Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics).
Navigating Change: The mental health effects of Dutch student finance reforms.
The Dutch government abolished the universal student grant for higher education in 2015 but reinstated it in 2023. Debates persist on whether the financial challenges faced by cohorts without access to the basic grant contributed to mental health issues. However, conclusive causal evidence is still lacking, especially regarding reinforcement. This study aims to provide robust evidence on how the changes in the universal student grant in the Netherlands affected the mental health of higher education students, using a difference-in-differences design. It will also explore the different mental health effects of the shift to loans based on gender, migration status, and socioeconomic background. Lastly, the study will examine the potential role of genetic factors in shaping the impact of student finance reform on mental health.
Lizbeth Burgos-Ochoa (Tilburg University, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (TSB)), Felix Clouth (Tilburg University, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural), Jeremy Labrecque (Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam).
Does moving matter? Impact of residential relocations on school performance.
Moving during childhood, although common, is viewed as a potentially stressful life event associated with disruptions in learning and social networks. Relocations during the last years of primary school may have important consequences due to their potential impact on the results obtained from the final assessment. Educational institutions frequently consider this assessment when formulating their recommendations for secondary school type, thereby having a direct influence on a student’s academic trajectory. In this project, we will investigate the impact of residential mobility on the CITO test results. We will examine the effects of various types of moves, considering the timing, distance, motive, and neighbourhood characteristics. Furthermore, employing a novel approach—proximal causal learning—we aim to disentangle the impact of residential moves from that of school changes. The project results could offer valuable insights for schools contemplating how to support students who have experienced relocations, aiding in their catch-up with peers.
Anne Gielen (Erasmus University Rotterdam, School of Economics (ESE)), Esmee Zwiers (University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB)).
Hormones at work: The impact of (peri)menopause on women’s careers.
The share of middle-aged working women has increased over the past decades. This implies that an increasing number of women experience a major biological transition during their working lives: the menopause. Although most women experience various types of physical and mental discomfort in the years around menopause, we know little about the impact of these symptoms on their careers. This project fills this gap in the literature by studying how experiencing menopausal symptoms influences the labor market and health outcomes of women in the years around menopause. To causally identify these effects, we use two sources of naturally occurring variation. First, we exploit variation in the age at menopause across women. Second, we use variation in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment due to controversy in the early 2000s that was alleviated in 2017. The results of this project will provide important results to bolster gender equality in the labor market.
Maarten Hogeweij (Radboud University, Nijmegen School of Management), Huub Ploegmakers (Radboud University, Nijmegen School of Management), Francisco Macedo Filho (Radboud University, Nijmegen School of Management).
The relation between hot weather, greenspace, and active travel behavior – a natural experiment using plausible routes.
Hot weather can discourage people from going outside and being active, because staying inside helps them stay cooler. One possible field in which this is true, is travel. It is possible that people are less keen to walk and cycle during hot weather. Hot weather does not have the same effect everywhere. For example, greener areas with more trees are less prone get less hot than grey areas, because trees provide shade and cool the air. Therefore, we investigate whether the relationship between hot weather and travel is different in green neighbourhoods compared to grey neighbourhoods. We use travel data to investigate how hot weather changes the way people travel, and how their environment plays a role in this. To do so, we use a new way to model the possible routes a person can follow to get from A to B, and investigate the environment of their route on a more detailed scale than ever before.
Judith Koops (NIDI).
Unintended births and the motherhood penalty in the Netherlands.
The economic position of Dutch women continues to lag behind that of Dutch men and becomes most apparent after parenthood (also referred to as the ‘motherhood penalty’). This project explores if circumstances surrounding the pregnancy influence the economic consequences for women. Specifically, it explores if the motherhood penalty depends on the level to which the pregnancy was planned or not. In addition, it will examine if the association between unintended births and the economic position of women differs by educational level, ethnic background, and relationship status. By doing so, the project aims to shed new light on the origins of vulnerable families with young children.
Verena Seibel (Utrecht University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences), Alzbeta Bartova (KU Leuven), Mara Yerkes (Utrecht University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences), Mehri Zamanbin (Utrecht University).
Navigating Dutch Childcare: The role of social networks for migrants’ childcare knowledge, perceptions, and use.
Easily accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare is important for both children and parents. It particularly helps children with a migration background with their social and language development and enables migrant parents to increase their economic integration within Dutch society. Yet, parents with a migration background use childcare services less than parents without a migration background. Our recent research shows that migrant parents often lack knowledge about childcare and perceive it as less accessible. This study investigates why this is the case, taking a social network approach by examining whether the childcare behavior within migrant parents’ social network (connections with families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues) influences their childcare knowledge and perceptions and thus their childcare usage. The results of this study will provide much-needed information that policymakers can use to improve Dutch childcare accessibility for migrant parents in the Netherlands.
Kristina Thompson (Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Social Science Group), Johan van Ophem (Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Social Science Group).
Investigating socio-economic status’s role in the intergenerational transmission of mortality.
Mortality – both in terms of the timing and cause from which someone dies – may be transmitted through families. An individual’s own socio-economic status is also related to their survival chances: the wealthier individuals are, the longer they tend to live. Although there is a great deal of research into these relationships individually, there is scant evidence of the interplay between socio-economic status and the intergenerational transmission of mortality.
This project will add to the literature by using the linked Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN) and the System of Social-statistical Datasets (SSD). This dataset stands out for the ability to link up to three generations of kin, and for containing the cause of death of the final generation. With this data, we will explore the moderating role of socio-economic status on the intergenerational transmission of mortality. Using cause-of-death information will further illuminate any inherited and/or socio-economic patterns in mortality.
Conducting Research with CBS microdata
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) collects a wide range of data for its statistical tasks, many of them microdata at the level of individual persons or organisations. Protection of the confidentiality of the data has the highest priority for CBS. Within strict safety conditions however, universities and other authorized research institutes can get Remote Access to such data to perform statistical analyses for their own scientific or statistical purposes. The microdata themselves remain strictly within a secure environment within CBS. Under applicable conditions researcher can also bring in additional dataset to be linked with CBS microdata. Before aggregate statistical results are exported from the secured environment, CBS will check whether these results do not contain any risk for disclosure of information on individual persons or organisations.
Read more about using microdata within the CBS Remote Access Environment.
Next Microdata Access Grant call
The next round of the Microdata Access Grant (MAG 2024-2) will open in spring 2024 (with the closing date in early Autumn). Subscribe to our newsletter to receive all updates on ODISSEI calls and events.
RELEVANT LINKS