The SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) is a mixed-mode household panel survey data collection infrastructure established in 2011. It was designed to enable innovative data collection for the research community and is particularly well suited to establishing new and target-group-specific measurement instruments in long-term surveys, to conducting short-and long-term experiments, and to collecting non-survey data (such as biomarkers). Past SOEP-IS modules include economic behavioral experiments, implicit association tests (IAT), and complex procedures for measuring time use with day reconstruction method (DRM).

At its core, SOEP-IS collects survey data from approximately 4,500 individuals nested within 2,500 households. Approximately 25% of the SOEP-IS sample can be used for data collection projects which require interviewer assistance (CAPI mode), for example for collecting biomarker data. The remaining 75% of the sample can be used for extensive experimentation in the online data collection mode (CAWI), for example for vignette surveys and studies with add-on features (e.g. apps and diary studies). To maximize the inferential properties of a study, the online and offline samples can also be combined. This is particularly useful for drawing inferences to the general population in Germany. Usually, studies get assigned a subset of the SOEP-IS sample which fits their research purpose (e.g. 1,000 online respondents).

SOEP-IS offers two submission pathways: standard applications and collaborative grant-based applications. The standard application procedure is open to researchers from all scientific disciplines who wish to propose new survey modules for inclusion in SOEP-IS. The collaborative grant-based application pathway is intended for researchers who plan to include a SOEP-IS module in a third-party grant proposal (for example, to the DFG or ERC) and who coordinate this with SOEP.

While both pathways follow the same principles of transparency, peer review, and scientific quality, each has its own allocation within the annual SOEP-IS data-collection schedule. Modules submitted via the grant-based pathway cannot displace or reduce the time reserved for standard applications. This ensures balanced use of survey resources and equal access for all researchers.

Grant-based applications must cover the data-collection costs, since they generate additional administrative and financial expenses that cannot be covered by SOEP-IS core funding.

Projects that wish to collect data through the grant-based applications in SOEP-IS will have to take the following steps:

• • Contact SOEP-IS management for an initial call by September 30, 2026 (via e-mail to soep-is@diw.de)
  • Fill out and submit the SOEP-IS proposal form by November 30, 2026
  • After submission, the SOEP team will determine the feasibility and suitability of conducting the studies in SOEP-IS.
  • Feasible proposals will receive a letter of intent from SOEP-IS in time for researchers’ submission of grant proposals to the DFG (i.e. before February 28, 2027).
  • Full proposals will be due in April 2027 and a final decision is expected in July 2027.
  • Proposals that are successful in receiving DFG funding will be implemented in SOEP-IS with data collection scheduled to take place between approximately between September 2028 and March 2029.
  • After data collection, researchers will be provided with their data between April and June 2029.

All proposals must follow the guidelines on the SOEP-IS website. Researchers are therefore advised to review the guidelines and FAQs carefully before submitting a module. SOEP-IS may reject a proposal even after initial feasibility approval if methodological, operational, budgetary (for example, time or sample size), or quality concerns emerge. In such cases, the SOEP Directorate Board will review the decision, and applicants will receive a written explanation.

Study Characteristics