Mercatus Center Graduate Student Policy Fellowships

Sponsored by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Are you a graduate student interested in learning more about the key ideas and contemporary policy relevance of political economy?

The Mercatus Center offers several one‑year fellowship programs for students from any university and in any discipline.

These fellowships aim to expose students to key themes within the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy. They will critically engage foundational and contemporary texts in this tradition and learn how to apply this framework to today’s pressing public policy and social problems
. Fellows not only get to explore theory but also delve into the practice of doing contemporary public and social policy analysis and connecting with alumni working in policy, government, and advocacy

Fellows are asked to interrogate the required reading materials and participate in robust discussions with other participants and Mercatus scholars. They will also join an extensive network of alumni who are working in academia, policy, government, advocacy, and industry.

Fellows will receive:

• a stipend upon completion of the program,
• all required readings,
• research and career advice,
• travel and lodging to attend colloquia, as applicable.

To be eligible to apply, candidates must:

• be enrolled in a master’s, juris doctoral (JD), or doctoral degree program during the 2026-27 academic year at any university,
• be interested in learning more about key ideas in political economy, and
• be willing to participate in robust discussions with peers and scholars.

The application includes short essay questions and submission of a cover letter and an up-to-date CV.

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