Mercatus Center
Mercatus Center is a university-based research center standing at the forefront of shaping future leaders. For more than 40 years, Mercatus has supported leading talent and scholarship in the mainline economics tradition, applying rigorous research to real-world concerns. The Center advances knowledge about how markets work to improve people’s lives by training graduate students, conducting research, and applying economics to offer solutions to society’s most pressing problems. The Center’s hallmark includes robust programs for scholars, targeted policy research, and thought leadership across urgent policy areas, making it a prominent player in shaping free-market, evidence-driven policy solutions.
ABOUT THE MERCATUS CENTER
The Mercatus Center was originally founded at Rutgers University by Richard Fink in the late 1970s, under the name the Center for Market Processes.
The Center works with policy experts, lobbyists, and government officials to connect academic learning and real-world practice.
The Center is dedicated to bridging academic economic ideas with real-world policy solutions, embracing classical liberal principles and market-oriented thinking.
They graduate-level programs including the Graduate Scholars Program, supporting MA/PhD students with scholarships, mentorship, and research opportunities.
NOTABLE PROGRAMS & FELLOWSHIPS
PhD Fellowship.
The PhD Fellowship is a competitive, full-time fellowship program for students pursuing a doctoral degree in economics at George Mason University.
MA Fellowship.
MA fellows take specialized courses which provide analytic training in applying economic ideas to solve problems in the world.
Adam Smith Fellowships.
For Graduate students outside GMU. Fields include Law, political science, history, philosophy, and economics, with focus on classical liberal thought from Smith, Hayek, Buchanan, etc.
Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship.
For Graduate students interested in policy, communications, or media. It focuses on how economic ideas influence the policy process.
Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship.
For Doctoral students in economics or closely related disciplines. It focuses on Public choice, Austrian economics, and institutional analysis.