Adam Smith Fellowship

The Adam Smith Fellowship sits under the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and supports PhD students interested in political economy. It is a one-year fellowship open to students at any university and in any discipline, with Mercatus using it to connect graduate researchers to the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools. The award is up to $7,000 in total and covers a stipend, required readings, travel, lodging, and meals for three weekend colloquia during the academic year. The fellowship is open to any nationality, and recipients may reapply each year of doctoral study. The 2026-2027 cycle is closed, with the next opening to be announced later. The program is a good fit for a doctoral student who wants serious exposure to political economy without being limited by department or country. Its value is in the combination of modest funding and concentrated intellectual formation, especially for students who can use the colloquia to sharpen a long-term research agenda. The structure rewards curiosity, persistence, and the ability to engage across disciplinary lines.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.