The Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST) is a leading French scientific institution for advanced research on quantitative methods applied to the social sciences.
CREST is a joint interdisciplinary unit of research and faculty members of CNRS, ENSAE Paris, ENSAI and the Economics Department of Ecole Polytechnique. Its activities are located physically in the ENSAE Paris building on the Palaiseau campus of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and secondarily on the Ker-Lann campus of ENSAI Rennes.
The scientific culture of CREST combines a strong regard for quantitative methods, data and mathematical modeling with the cross-fertilization of theoretical models and empirical evidence to analyze concrete economic and social issues.
CREST owes its wide international visibility to a diverse body of 180 professors, researchers and PhD students. Interdisciplinary at its core, CREST’s activities are deployed across the fields of Economics, Statistics, Finance-Insurance and Sociology.
CREST offers optimal research conditions and competitive financial packages and recruits every year on the international job market across its core disciplines at the Postdoctoral, Assistant and Associate Professor levels.
Research at CREST benefits from:
- Competitive external grants from the European Research Council and the Agence nationale de la recherche;
- A government-financed Laboratory of Excellence in Economics and Decision Sciences (LabEx EcoDec, in partnership with HEC Paris);
- HiParis, the brand new Center on Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Science, Business and Society created in the framework of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) and HEC Paris;
- Government-financed “Ecole universitaire de recherche” (EUR) to reinforce Master- and PhD-level training. At the Palaiseau campus of IP Paris, the EUR “Data Science for Economics, Finance and Management” in partnership with HEC Paris. At the Ker-Lann campus of ENSAI, the EUR “CyberSchool” and “Digisport” in partnership with Rennes University.
- Institut des Politiques Publiques (IPP, in partnership with Paris School of Economics);
- Laboratory of Economics and Decision Sciences (LabEDS);
- A secure on-site data hub (Equipex CASD);
- Research Chairs and doctoral grants supported by private-public partnerships.
In addition to its research mission, an important stake for CREST is the spin-off of its scientific culture and expertise through graduate education.
At the Master level, CREST research and faculty members teach in the various programs at Institut Polytechnique de Paris (in Economics; Data Science; Statistics for Smart Data; Statistics, Finance & Actuarial Science; Quantitative Sociology & Demography) as well as in the engineering cycles at Ecole Polytechnique, ENSAE Paris and ENSAI.
At the Doctoral level, CREST offers generous grants and optimal research conditions for students who wish to pursue doctoral research at Institut Polytechnique de Paris or at ENSAI. Our doctoral candidates have a stellar job placement record across private, public and academic sectors in France and abroad.
In addition, 5-year integrated PhD programs at Institut Polytechnique de Paris offer students the opportunity to develop advanced research skills throughout a PhD Track encompassing Master and doctoral training and leading to a PhD diploma. CREST participates in the PhD Track programs in Economics (in cooperation with HEC Paris), in Data & Artificial Intelligence and in Mathematics.
In this new video, discover our Graduate Program in Economics which is gently offered by Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE Paris within the Institut Polotechnique de Paris:
DOCUMENTS
CREST resulted from the fusion in 2015 of research institutions with a long history of collaboration but which evolved separately at Ecole Polytechnique and at Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE). Here is a brief institutional history:
1935: Creation of Laboratoire d’Économétrie as part of Chaire Ecole Polytechnique of François pisia
1968: Establishment of Département de la Recherche by Edmond Malinvaud at INSEE
1970: Claude Henry re-establishes Laboratoire d’Econometrie of Ecole Polytechnique with Vincent Renard
1972: Département de la Recherche becomes Unité de Recherche at INSEE with Jacques Mairesse as its director
1984: Unité de Recherche becomes Centre de Recherche of ENSAE (Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique) with Christian Gourieroux as its director
1988: Michel Balinski becomes director of Laboratoire d’Économétrie
1993: Centre de Recherche of ENSAE becomes Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique (CREST), following its merger with Département de la Recherche, with Alain Monfort as its director
1994: Establishment of GENES (Groupe des Ecoles Nationales d’Economie et Statistique) to bring together research and teaching activities at INSEE, specifically at ENSAE and ENSAI (Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Analyse de l’Information), with Alain Trognon as its director
1996: Establishment of Unité Mixte de Recherche 2773 GRECSTA (Groupe de REcherche en EConomie et STAtistique) between INSEE and CNRS, with Alain Trognon as its director
1999: Jean-Pierre Ponssard becomes director of Laboratoire d’Économétrie
2007: Pierre Picard becomes director of Laboratoire d’Econometrie. The Laboratoire leaves its historic site at Montagne Sainte Geneviève to settle at the Palaiseau campus along with the other departments of Ecole Polytechnique.
2007: Francis Kramarz becomes director of CREST
2011: GENES acquires the status of Grand établissement (a public institution of higher education and research) and legal oversight over its constituent entities: CREST, ENSAE, ENSAI, CEPE (ENSAE-ENSAI Formation Continue)
2015: Establishment of Unité Mixte de Recherche 9194 which combines three pre-existent research entities:
– CREST, a GENES entity
– GRECSTA, UMR 2773 (GENES/CNRS)
– PREG-CECO, Laboratoire d’Econometrie of Ecole Polytechnique, UMR 7176 (Ecole Polytechnique/CNRS)
The new UMR, temporarily called EXCESS (ENSAE-X-Centre d’économie, statistique et sociologie), takes the historic name of CREST in 2016. It is a multidisciplinary UMR (economics, statistics, sociology) with a strong majority of economists, as was the case with its two founding entities – the historic CREST was composed of economists, statisticians and sociologists, whereas Laboratoire d’Econometrie had, in addition to economics, a secondary disciplinary association with mathematics and informatics. Francis Kramarz is director of CREST succeeded in 2019 by Arnak Dalalyan.
CREST activities are located physically in the ENSAE Paris building on the Palaiseau campus of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and secondarily on the Bruz campus of ENSAI Rennes.
For directions to Bruz campus of ENSAI Rennes see here.
For directions to Palaiseau campus of Institut Polytechnique de Paris:
Just 20 km south of Paris on a site spanning almost 160 hectares, the CREST can be reached from several access points.
The reception service
The reception service of CREST is located in the hall of the ENSAE building, accessible from Avenue Fresnel.
The reception service welcome visitors on weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm and can be reached at +33 (0)1 70 26 67 00.
They are responsible for welcoming, informing and guiding visitors. They can also accompany them, if necessary, to their meeting places. They help with taxi bookings and lost items management as well.
The site
CREST – UMR 9194
5, Av Henry Le Chatelier
91120 Palaiseau,
FRANCE
Visit us through Google Maps:
Access using public transport:
2 routes are available: one from the Massy-Palaiseau station and the other one from the Lozère station.
Connecting buses link the stations to the campus.
- – RER B Massy-Palaiseau station
Map of Massy Palaiseau station and bus stops
At the station, use the TransEssonne 91.06 (B,C) or 91.10 bus
Drop off at: the “Polytechnique Lozère” stop.
Schedule for the Transessonne buses and map of the bus stops for the 91.06 on the campus. - – RER B Lozère station
15-minute walking route (and approx. 300 steps to climb).
Map of the Lozère station.
Map of the itinerary from the lozère station.
Find the train schedule and prepare your trip.
Access by road
From the Porte d’Orléans or Porte d’Italie: use the A6 highway.
From the Pont de Sèvres : use the N118 road.
Consult the traffic status in real time.
Local airports
– Orly airport (use the RER B and Orly Val)
– Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport (use the RER B)
– Villacoublay airport
– Toussus-le-Noble business airport
Download the map of airports, stations and RER stations.
Le Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique (CREST) est une institution scientifique française de recherche spécialisée en méthodes quantitatives appliquées aux sciences sociales.
Le CREST est une unité mixte interdisciplinaire composée de chercheurs et d’enseignants du CNRS, de l’ENSAE Paris, de l’ENSAI et du département d’économie de l’Ecole Polytechnique. Ses activités sont localisées physiquement dans le bâtiment de l’ENSAE Paris sur le campus Palaiseau de l’Institut Polytechnique de Paris et sur le campus Ker-Lann de l’ENSAI Rennes.
La culture commune du CREST est caractérisée par un fort attachement aux méthodes quantitatives, à la modélisation mathématique et aux allers-retours entre modèles et faits empiriques pour analyser des problèmes économiques et sociaux concrets. Les principaux axes de recherche du laboratoire sont l’économie, la finance, la statistique et la sociologie.
Un des principaux enjeux du projet de production scientifique du laboratoire est la valorisation nationale et internationale de ses activités. En découle la nécessité de quantifier la diversité et l’excellence de cette production, notamment à des fins de communication lors d’enquêtes externes destinées à produire des classements internationaux.
C’est dans ce contexte qu’une étude bibliométrique a été réalisée d’octobre 2021 à janvier 2022. Son objectif principal était de fournir des chiffres clés qui caractérisent l’excellence de la production scientifique entre 2018 et 2021. L’étude s’est plus précisément intéressée à l’obtention et l’affinement d’une batterie d’indicateurs pertinents présentés ci-après. Les données de l’étude ont été établies le 7 janvier 2022.
Palaiseau Campus IP Paris
Located on the Plateau de Saclay, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris campus brings together its five founding Schools: École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris, and Télécom SudParis. It offers students, faculty members and staff top-notch facilities to pursue their activities in a lively and stimulating environment. Set in the heart of one of the world’s top eight innovation hubs, the campus benefits from the dynamism created by the private and public players based within the cluster. Ideally located just outside Paris, the campus is easily accessible by public transportation, allowing students and faculty members to take advantage of the economic dynamism and rich cultural life of the French capital.Discover the campus:
Bruz-Rennes Campus ENSAI
ENSAI is located on the beautiful Bruz Campus, just outside Rennes, a festive, creative, vibrant, young city with medieval and modern architecture.The campus is located on a wooded, 165-hectare plot of land within the suburban town of Bruz. The calm, verdant campus is home to institutions of higher education, professional training centers, and businesses. Bruz’s mixed use makes it a unique place in Rennes and an enjoyable place to study.
