Deadline: March 15, 2026
Applications are open for the Elinor Ostrom Fellowship 2026-2027. The Elinor Ostrom Fellowship is a one-year, competitive fellowship program awarded to PhD students from any university and any discipline, including but not limited to economics, philosophy, political science, and sociology.
The aim of this fellowship is to expose students to the themes of markets, culture, morality, and sociality within the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy and to provide them with the tools needed to utilize this framework in academic research that explore these themes. Elinor Ostrom Fellows spend three weekends during the academic year participating in colloquia on these three schools of political economy. Fellows will join a network of Mercatus students, alumni, and scholars who are conducting and engaging with cutting-edge research in contemporary political economy.
Benefits
The total award of up to $7,000 includes:
- A stipend
- All required readings
- Travel and lodging to attend colloquia hosted by the Mercatus Center
Eligibility
Open to:
- Students that will be enrolled in an accredited PhD program during the upcoming academic year.
- Students that are able to commit to traveling 3 weekends for colloquia during the upcoming academic year.
- Students who have research or teaching interests in the themes of markets, culture, morality, and sociality and who would benefit from a greater understanding of key contemporary writings in political economy.
Application
Complete the online application, including:
- A 1-2 page cover letter explaining:
- your graduate school career to date,
- your research interests and current projects, and
- how your research and current projects would benefit from a greater understanding of the themes of markets, culture, morality, and sociality within the Austrian, Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy
- A current resume/CV
- A few short answer questions
For more information, visit Elinor Ostrom Fellowship.

