Fellowships
The Mercatus Center offers fellowships providing training and support for students studying political economy at Mason and universities around the world.
Browse our fellowships below!
Exploring Complex Solutions for a Complex World Fellowship
The Exploring Complex Solutions for a Complex World Fellowship is a competitive, renewable, and online fellowship program for high school students. Fellowships are open to students from any high school program (whether public, private, or home school) who are interested in understanding political, economic, and social life.
- Enrolled in high school
- At least 16-years-old by the start of the fellowship
Don Lavoie Fellowship
The Don Lavoie Fellowship is a competitive, renewable, and online fellowship program for advanced undergraduates, recent graduates considering graduate school, and early-stage graduate students. Fellowships are open to students from any discipline who are interested in studying key ideas in political economy and learning how to utilize these ideas in academic and policy research.
- Undergraduate considering graduate school
- Young professionals considering graduate school
- Early-stage graduate students
Ideas at Work: A Summer Internship Program
Ideas at Work: A Summer Internship Program is a paid, nine-week internship program – running June through July each summer in-person in Arlington, VA – designed to equip undergraduate students, recent graduates, and early-stage graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to pursue a career in ideas, policy, and social change. This program blends rigorous academic exploration with hands-on experience within a dynamic and supportive environment intended to help students explore their individual interests and produce work that can have a real impact.
- Undergraduate students
- Recent grads
- Early-stage graduate students
Undergraduate Scholars Program
The Undergraduate Scholars program is a competitive fellowship program for undergraduate students at George Mason University. The program is open to full- and part-time Mason students from any discipline who are interested in studying key ideas in political economy and learning how to utilize these ideas in academic and policy research.
- Working towards an undergraduate degree
- Attending George Mason University
Graduate Scholars Program
The Graduate Scholars program is a competitive program for graduate students at George Mason University. Fellowships are open to full- and part-time degree-seeking Mason students from any discipline who are interested in studying key ideas in political economy and learning how to utilize these ideas in academic and policy research.
- Working towards a graduate degree
- Attending George Mason University
PhD Fellowship
The PhD Fellowship is a competitive, full-time fellowship program for students pursuing a doctoral degree in economics at George Mason University. Our PhD Fellows take courses in market process economics, public choice, and institutional analysis and work on projects that use these lenses to understand global prosperity and social change.
- Working toward a PhD in economics
- Attending George Mason University
Adam Smith Fellowship
The Adam Smith Fellowship is a one-year, competitive, renewable fellowship program awarded to PhD students from any university in a variety of fields including economics, philosophy, political science, and sociology.
- Working toward a PhD in any discipline
- Attending any accredited university
Carl Menger Fellowship
The Carl Menger Fellowship is a one-year, competitive, and online fellowship program awarded to PhD students from any university and any discipline, including but not limited to economics, philosophy, political science, and sociology.
- Working toward a PhD in any discipline
- Attending any accredited university
Elinor Ostrom Fellowship
The Elinor Ostrom Fellowship is a one-year, competitive, renewable fellowship program awarded to PhD students who are from any university and any discipline–including but not limited to economics, philosophy, political science, and sociology–and interested in the themes of markets, culture, morality, and sociality in political economy.
- Working toward a PhD in any discipline
- Attending any accredited university
Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship
The Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship is a one-year, competitive fellowship program awarded to graduate students attending master’s, juris doctoral, and doctoral programs in a variety of fields including economics, law, political science, and public policy.
- Working toward a graduate degree in any discipline
- Attending any accredited university
Ronald Coase Fellowship
The Ronald Coase Fellowship is a one-year, competitive, and online fellowship program awarded to graduate students attending master's, juris doctoral, and doctoral programs in a variety of fields including economics, law, political science, public policy, sociology, and history.
- Working toward a graduate degree in any discipline
- Attending any accredited university
Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship
The Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship is a one-year online program for scholars, practitioners, and graduate students from any discipline with interest in political economy and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
- Graduate students, scholars, and practitioners
- Pursuing research, policy analysis, or teaching on emerging technologies and AI
James Buchanan Fellowship
The James Buchanan Fellowship is a one-year, competitive fellowship awarded to scholars in any discipline who have recently graduated from their doctoral programs.
- Graduated with a PhD within the last 6 years
- Working at an academic or research-based organization
John Stuart Mill Fellowship
The John Stuart Mill Fellowship is a one-year fellowship program awarded to technology, business, and social leaders who are interested in political economy.
Archived Fellowships
MA Fellowship
The MA Fellowship is a competitive fellowship program for students in George Mason University’s MA economics program who are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in applied economics in preparation for a career in public policy. Our MA fellows take specialized courses which provide analytic training in applying economic ideas to solve problems in the world.
We are not currently accepting applications for the MA Fellowship.