Mike McCracken Award for Economic Statistics

Congratulations to the 2023 Winner: Andrew Sharpe

The Mike McCracken Award recognizes theoretical and applied contributions to the development or use of economic statistics in Canada. The award is presented every second year. For 2023, the prize committee selected Andrew Sharpe (Centre for the Study of Living Standards) as the winner of the Mike McCracken Award.

Through his founding and development of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) and the International Productivity Monitor (IMP), as well as his many other contributions, Andrew has contributed significantly to the policy relevance and public understanding of official economic statistics in Canada.

The committee noted Andrew's tenacity in ceaselessly working to increase understanding of productivity and living standards, two issues that are central to the health of the Canadian economy, and the well-being of Canadians. Throughout his career, he has had a strong focus on the public good.

The committee also noted Andrew's substantial contributions to the training of economists, and the development of official statistics.

The Mike McCracken Award for Economic Statistics recognizes theoretical and applied contributions to the development or use of economic statistics in Canada.

Recognized accomplishments may include development of the framework and concepts underlying economic measurement, new data sources, statistical or econometric tools or relevant information technology as well as contributions to the management, policy relevance, access or public understanding of official economic statistics.

The Award was established in 2010 and is now awarded every two years. It is endorsed by the Canadian Economics Association (CEA) and is presented at its annual meetings.

For the Winner

The award is for $2,000 as sponsored by the Canadian Economics Association, the journal Canadian Public Policy/Analyse de politiques and a generous contribution in 2017 from the McCracken family.
 

Nominations: Now Closed

The selection committee is seeking nominations for the Mike McCracken Award for Economic Statistics.  This award recognizes theoretical and applied contributions to the development or use of economic statistics in Canada. 

The deadline is April 21, 2023.

The award was established in 2010 and is now awarded every two years. It is valued at $2,000 and is sponsored by the Canadian Economics Association (CEA), Canadian Public Policy/Analyse de politiques magazine and a generous donation from the McCracken family.

Nominations consist of a letter of up to three pages and a c.v. and may be submitted by individuals or groups of individuals. Unsolicited nominations are welcome. Current members of the presidential cycle of the CEA board of directors are excluded from the 2023 award eligibility.

Nominations should be sent to the Chair, Frances Woolley, Carleton University, FrancesWoolley@cunet.carleton.ca.

About Mike McCracken

Mike was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was educated at Rice University and Southern Methodist University. He began his Canadian career at the Economic Council of Canada where he served as the first Director of the CANDIDE Canadian macro econometric modeling project. In 1972, he co-founded and became President of Informetrica, a Canadian-based economic research and information company, providing long-term national, provincial, and industrial forecasts to companies, governments, and other organizations across Canada and abroad.

He also served as president of the Canadian Association for Business Economics (1979-81 and 1988-90) and Chair of the U.S. Conference of Business Economists (1994). He is well known for the countless formal and informal ways he has contributed to the improvement and application of official economic statistics in Canada.  He died in 2015.

Past Winners

2021 David Green (University of British Columbia)

2019 Jane Badets (Statistics Canada), Ted McDonald (University of New Brunswick), and Sylvie Michaud (Statistics Canada)

2017 Andrew Heisz (Statistics Canada), Kevin Milligan (UBC) and Brian Murphy (Statistics Canada)

2016 Russell Davidson (McGill University) and James MacKinnon (Queen's University)

2015 Miles Corak (University of Ottawa), Nicole Fortin (University of British Columbia) and Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University)

2014 Evelyn Forget, Derek Hum and Wayne Simpson (University of Manitoba)

2013 Byron Spencer (McMaster University) and Michael Wolfson (University of Ottawa)

2012 Charles Beach (Queen’s University), Garnett Picot (Statistics Canada), Craig Riddell (University of British Columbia) and Ging Wong (Queen’s University)

2011 Erwin Diewert (University of British Columbia) and Ivan Fellegi (Statistics Canada, retired)

2010  Mike McCracken