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Emergent Ventures

Bold Ideas.
Transformative Social Change.

Emergent Ventures is a low-overhead fellowship and grant program administered by Mercatus Center Faculty Director Tyler Cowen, supporting thinkers and doers worldwide who pursue highly scalable, “zero to one” ideas to meaningfully improve society. 

Before you apply: Emergent Ventures no longer accepts AI-written applications. We will test all submissions and reject those using AI for anything other than proofreading.

Apply Now

Please submit only one application per applicant and project. The application includes all instructions needed to complete and submit your proposal.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must be at least 13 years old.

Areas of Focus and Dedicated Tranches

In addition to our general grant program, Emergent Ventures has dedicated support for projects focused on:

  • Africa and the Caribbean
  • Archaeology
  • India
  • Travel for Career Development
  • U.K. Dynamism
  • Ukraine
  • U.S. Science Policy
Please note

Because of the volume of applications we receive, we cannot:

  • Advise on individual applications
  • Provide feedback on proposals
  • Answer questions about application status
Problems with the application?

If you experience a technical problem with the application, please contact us at [email protected].