August 11, 2025

On August 17-19, the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) will invite the next generation of public policy leaders to showcase their ideas for the future of public pensions via the NCPERS-Harris School Pension Lab: NextGen Competition, an interactive initiative with roots in the Harris Policy Innovation Challenge, an earlier University of Chicago program.

The NextGen Competition will feature two teams of students from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy who will pitch their ideas to improve the long-term sustainability of public pensions to a live audience. The winning team will receive a $5,000 honorarium to participate in a research internship with NCPERS that will culminate with the publication of the students’ work. The competition is a central part of NCPERS Public Pension Funding Forum, the August 17-19 event that will convene public pension professionals at the University of Chicago’s David Rubenstein Forum for three days of research insights, expert presentations, engaging discussions and real-world case studies.

The two teams have been working with Chicago-based pension leaders throughout the summer to refine their proposals for the live pitch competition that will be judged by a panel of experts and the Forum’s audience.  The proposals emerged from a Harris School Policy Labs class – supported by NCPERS -- during Spring Quarter that immersed the students in a range of potential pension solutions, including pension obligation bonds; redevelopment of vacant properties to boost revenue; governance best practices in pension systems; economic development strategies to support long-term pension health; and new taxes to fund liabilities.

“Public pensions have always adapted to meet new challenges, and this partnership with the University of Chicago reflects our commitment to long-term innovation in this space,” said NCPERS Executive Director, Hank Kim. “By engaging bright, motivated students, we’re investing in the future of our industry and ensuring that public pensions continue to evolve and thrive for generations to come.”

The NCPERS-Harris School Pension Lab: NextGen Competition was directly inspired by the inaugural Harris Policy Innovation Challenge (HPIC), which was held during the 2023-2024 academic year. The first HPIC urged students to find solutions to a critically important policy challenge: Chicago’s $35 billion unfunded pension crisis. The winning team of the first Harris Policy Innovation was selected at a live Shark Tank-style pitch event by a panel of finance and civic leaders who chose the winners based on the novelty, efficacy, and political feasibility of their solutions.

The Center for Municipal Finance (CMF), housed at the Harris School and an important architect of HPIC, is proudly partnering with NCPERS for this competition.

“This new initiative extends our collaboration with NCPERS and represents an important new effort to bridge academia and professional practice—to foster fresh ideas and shape the future of public retirement systems.” Speaking about HPIC and the NCPERS Public Pension Funding Forum, Justin Marlowe—research professor at the University of Chicago Harris of Public Policy and director of CMF added, “Simply put, the ideas that our students generate here are ones that policy makers should take seriously. Going forward we hope to expand on this work with NCPERS, offering students fresh opportunities to apply their research and analytical skills, while developing a deeper appreciation of the career opportunities in public retirement systems.”

About NCPERS

Established in 1941, the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) is the largest trade association working on behalf of public sector retirement systems. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a diverse membership that includes 500 plans, plan sponsors, and stakeholders who collectively oversee approximately $6 trillion in retirement funds, NCPERS works to protect and expand pension access through essential education, innovative research, and unwavering advocacy. From the largest statewide systems to the smallest local funds, NCPERS members make possible the work to safeguard the retirement security of more than 20 million teachers, police, firefighters, and other public servants.

MORE INFO: https://www.ncpers.org/funding-forum

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