With a new call the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) is opening up new opportunities for researchers to contribute their own questions to sub-studies of the National Education Panel Study (NEPS) or to conduct independent additional studies with participants and link them to existing NEPS data. This opens up the potential of Germany's largest long-term education study to external research projects, which can access the proven infrastructure of the NEPS. Interested parties are invited to participate in one of three online information events in December 2025 and to submit their short outlines and other documents by January 23, 2026.
Since 2025, respondents from some of the seven NEPS starting cohorts have been surveyed in wider intervals using so-called outcome surveys which primarily enable research on long-term impacts and effects of education and usually take place every five years – participants are contacted directly by LIfBi under the study title NEPSnext. External researchers can now also contribute their own research questions to this group of participants.
Model 1: Additional items in regular NEPSnext surveys
In Model 1, researchers can contribute their own questions in the form of additional items to the planned outcome surveys. In total, additional questions with a total duration of up to two minutes are possible per survey. Participants in the add-on project will receive the data as part of the regular publication of scientific use files by the LIfBi Research Data Center. An overview of the planned fieldwork periods, the expected number of cases and participating start cohorts, and the possible question types can be found in the detailed documentation for the call (see below).
Model 2: Self-directed studies with NEPSnext participants
The second model enables external researchers to conduct their own qualitative or quantitative studies with NEPSnext participants . To this end, NEPSnext participants are invited to take part in supplementary studies in addition to the outcome surveys. The selection of participants is based on research-specific criteria defined by the external researchers. Contact with participants is organized by LIfBi to ensure compliance with data protection regulations. The collected data can then be linked to the regular NEPS Scientific Uses Files. The data protection principles and procedures are described in detail in Fact Sheet No. 10 of the series “Fact Sheet | Data Protection in Social Science Surveys” (à www.lifbi.de/Fact-Sheets). A corresponding contract for order processing is concluded between LIfBi and the implementing institutions.
Information event in December and submission of brief outlines by mid-January
The call “NEPS Add-on 2025” is aimed at the scientific community, including applicants for DFG projects within the framework of the Priority Program “New Data Spaces for the Social Sciences” (SPP 2431). All interested researchers can submit a short outline and a completed questionnaire by January 23, 2026, in which they describe the relevance of the research question, its suitability for NEPS, and the added value for the panel study. Beforehand, participation in a virtual information event (December 1, 3, or 10, 2025) is mandatory. Applicants for selected projects will be notified in mid-2026.
To the complete call
Direct links to documents:
Call NEPS Add-on 2025
Overview of add-on models
NEPS Add-on Questionnaire
Fact sheet on data protection No. 10