The Don Lavoie Fellowship is a competitive, renewable, and online fellowship program for advanced undergraduates, recent graduates, and early-stage graduate students. Fellowships are open to students from any discipline who are interested in studying key ideas in political economy and learning how to utilize these ideas in academic and policy research.
Don Lavoie Fellows attend a series of online activities, including an online discussion portal and online reading discussion sessions led by various Hayek Program scholars that introduce them to key ideas in the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy as well as contemporary work in this tradition. Fellows will join a network of Mercatus students, alumni, faculty, and scholars who are conducting and engaging with cutting edge research in contemporary political economy.
Advanced undergraduate students, recent graduates, and early-stage graduate students interested in the Mercatus approach to political economy and policy analysis are encouraged to apply.
Yes, the Don Lavoie Fellowship is open to students from any discipline or program.
Any student of any nationality at any university, in the US or abroad, is eligible to apply for the Don Lavoie Fellowship. The program will be conducted entirely online.
To apply to the Don Lavoie Fellowship, click the "Apply" button above or below, and complete the online application, including:
A 1-2 page cover letter explaining:
your graduate school career to date,
your research interests and current projects,
your familiarity with the thinkers associated with the Austrian, Virginia, and Bloomington schools of political economy, and
what you hope to get out of the program.
A current resume/CV
A few short answer questions
Two short essays
Application review will begin after the deadline, and decisions will begin to be announced twelve or more weeks after the deadline.
The fellowship will focus on two major activities:
Online reading group sessions: Fellows will meet virtually four times throughout the semester in organized reading groups to discuss books written by Hayek Program scholars.
Online discussion portal: The main discussion forum will include videos, podcast episodes, and readings on the key ideas of the Austrian, Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy and prompts for written discussion.
Don Lavoie Fellows are required to have internet access to participate in this program.
Specific dates are subject to some variability and are communicated to successful applicants.
Don Lavoie fellows are required to be an advanced undergraduate, recent graduate, or early-stage graduate student at the time of application and throughout their participation in the Don Lavoie Fellowship Program, attend and actively participate in all aspects of the scheduled program of online events including regularly logging into the discussion portal to read and review all posted materials and meaningfully engage in the discussion portal, be well prepared for the online group discussion sessions by reading the required material, preparing questions or comments to bring up in the discussion, and joining the scheduled virtual video conferences on time, and be honest, responsible, fair, and civil in all activities of the Don Lavoie Fellowship Program.
Fellows are responsible for making sure the program has up to date contact information, including email and valid postal address. Readings will be distributed electronically (if applicable) and by post in advance of each online reading group discussion. Supplemental materials including podcasts, videos, and journal articles, will be posted in the online discussion portal for fellows to access anytime.
Yes, the Don Lavoie Fellowship is a supplemental program and fellows may hold jobs and other fellowships/assistantships during their time in the program.
Each fellow is responsible for making the appropriate verifications of their eligibility to receive funding from the Mercatus Center. Fellows should check with their home departments, international student offices, or private foundations (as appropriate) to verify their eligibility. Fellows are responsible for any taxes on the honoraria provided for participation in the Don Lavoie Fellowship.
Yes. Don Lavoie Fellows who continue their studies in graduate school are also encouraged to apply to the Mercatus Center’s graduate student fellowship programs.
Yes.
Don Lavoie was the David H. and Charles G. Koch Chair of Economics at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. He received a BS in Computer Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1973 and a Ph.D. in Economics in 1981 from New York University. His research focused on the use of knowledge in economic and organizational contexts. He is best known as the author of two books published in 1985, Rivalry and Central Planning and National Economic Planning: What is Left?, which elaborate on the “Austrian” school’s critique of centralized economic planning.
Don Lavoie was the embodiment of an academic entrepreneur, having been an active faculty member of the economics, public policy, and cultural studies PhD programs at George Mason University as well as innovator in teaching methods, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the pursuit of understanding in social science. He also advanced a teaching philosophy founded on a deep engagement with texts and discussions where students and teachers from multiple disciplines learn from, respect, and collaborate with one another. He was fascinated by and experimented with new technologies, including hypertext and online class discussions, where students could engage with texts in new ways, communicate with one another, and determine much of their own path of study. Lavoie’s intellectual curiosity and integrity has been an inspiration and guiding force for his students and their students, and his pedagogical philosophy has influenced much of the curriculum and activities critical to Mercatus fellowship programs. With this fellowship, we aim to continue his legacy by utilizing online discussion platforms to expose more students to the Mercatus approach to political economy and policy analysis.
For more information see: https://donlavoie.org/
Email [email protected] regarding general questions about the Don Lavoie Fellowship or questions about your application materials or application status.
