The Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research (ISI) is an interdisciplinary research center at LMU Munich dedicated to the study of social inequality, with a particular focus on wealth inequality. Its website provides information on research projects, publications, events, funding opportunities, and current debates in international inequality research.

– research-oriented website of an interdisciplinary research center – focus on wealth inequality, distributional issues, research infrastructure, and comparative inequality research – regularly updated website featuring research projects, events, fellowship programs, and contributions from international inequality research

For more information about the Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research (ISI), visit their website.

Detailed content

The ISI investigates the causes, mechanisms, and societal consequences of social inequality, with a particular emphasis on wealth inequality. Its research combines empirical analysis with theoretical approaches and takes an interdisciplinary perspective, bringing together insights from sociology, economics, political science, and related disciplines. The center aims to advance knowledge about the extent, causes, and consequences of unequal wealth distribution and to contribute these findings to both academic and public debates.

Its research is organized around three core areas: fundamental research on social inequality, comparative research on political and institutional approaches to reducing inequality, and the development of research infrastructure for inequality studies. To support this work, the institute uses a range of data sources, including tax and administrative records, to analyze individual wealth and income distributions and to facilitate international comparative research.

In addition to its research activities, the website provides information on conferences, lecture series, publications, and funding opportunities. These include international fellowship programs for researchers, the annual ISI Wealth Conference, and public event series covering topics such as wealth taxation, housing markets, gender wealth inequality, and social protection. The website also features news from the institute and an annual report summarizing its research activities.