Deadline Date: April 15, 2026
The Mercatus Center is inviting applications for its Don Lavoie Fellowship Program for undergraduate students, recent graduates and young professionals considering graduate school and early-stage students interested in political economy.
The Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy, key ideas in political economy, contemporary work in this tradition, and academic and policy research. The fellowship offers a total award of up to $1,250, which includes a stipend, all required readings for the online events and advice on research, jobs and graduate school.
Fellows participate in a structured online program that includes a series of virtual activities conducted throughout the semester. These activities are designed to introduce participants to core ideas and ongoing research traditions associated with political economy through guided academic engagement.
A central component of the fellowship is participation in online reading group sessions, where fellows meet virtually four times during the semester in organized groups to discuss books. These sessions emphasize preparation, active discussion and critical engagement with the assigned readings.
In addition to the reading groups, fellows are expected to engage regularly with an online discussion portal that features videos, podcast episodes and readings related to the program’s intellectual themes, along with prompts for written discussion and interaction.
The fellowship is open to applicants of any nationality and is conducted entirely online, making it accessible to students based both in the United States and abroad. It is open to undergraduate students, recent graduates, young professionals considering graduate school and early-stage graduate students from any discipline and any university. Applicants must remain eligible throughout the application process and the full duration of the fellowship.
Applicants are required to submit an online application that includes a 1–2 page cover letter detailing their graduate school career to date, research interests and current projects, familiarity with thinkers associated with the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy and what they hope to gain from the program, along with a current resume or CV, short answer questions, and two short essays. Application review begins after the deadline, with decisions announced twelve or more weeks later.
