Research funding

Economics

49 open programsCatalog updated

Economics has fewer open private programs than most disciplines its size, and the ones that exist cluster in a few places.

The History of Economics Society runs the largest block, which says something about where private money in the field goes: history of thought, methodology and the discipline's own institutions, rather than applied empirical work, which is more often funded federally or by a university. The Association for Social Economics, the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Trust, the National Bureau of Economic Research and the American Economic Association make up most of the rest.

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General awards and prizes are more than half the hub, and the median award is $10,000. Several listed programs are explicitly mentoring awards, meaning the funding pays for a relationship rather than a study, which is easy to miss when scanning for grant money.

This hub is deliberately academic. Community and economic development programs carry economics-adjacent labels but are not what someone searching for economics research grants is looking for.

Open programs 49

  1. AEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion

    The American Economic Association offers its annual Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion to recognize U.S.-based economics departments and organizations demonstrating exceptional diversity and inclusion practices.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Amount
    Not listed

  2. Small Group Breakfast Meeting for Underrepresented Scholars

    The American Economic Association and its Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession sponsor an annual Small Group Breakfast Meeting for Underrepresented Scholars, offering mentorship, networking, and career guidance with leading economists.

    Workshop/ConferenceEconomics

    Deadline
    Amount
    Not listed

  3. 2026 Chester O. McCorkle Jr. Student Scholarship

    The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Trust offers the 2026 Chester O. McCorkle Jr. Student Scholarship to support graduate student applied research on economic issues related to agriculture.

    ScholarshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,000

  4. Boehlje Agribusiness Management Fellowship

    The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Trust offers the $2,500 Boehlje Agribusiness Management Fellowship to support graduate students pursuing PhDs in agribusiness management and preparing for academic careers in agricultural economics.

    FellowshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,500

  5. Sylvia Lane Mentor Fellowship

    The AAEA Trust’s Sylvia Lane Mentor Fellowship supports early-career women scholars researching food, agricultural, or natural resource issues through collaboration with an established expert at another university, institution, or firm.

    FellowshipAgricultural and applied economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,500

  6. Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award

    The AAEA Trust’s Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award provides up to $5,000 to support travel and related expenses for an early-career scholar and distinguished mentor collaborating on high-quality, policy-oriented research addressing food insecurity and environmental pressures in a developing country.

    FellowshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $5,000

  7. William R. Waters Research Grant

    The Association for Social Economics offers the William R. Waters Research Grant to support promising research in social economics and social economy, with awards of up to $5,000 annually.

    Research ProjectSocial economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $5,000

  8. Business Attraction Prime Sites

    The **Business Attraction Prime Sites** grant, offered by the Illinois Commerce and Economic Opportunity Agency, aims to attract businesses to prime sites in Illinois, with a total program funding of $60,000,000 and individual awards ranging from $250,000 to $25,000,000.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Amount
    $120,000,000

  9. Business Attraction Prime Sites

    The Business Attraction Prime Sites grant, offered by the Illinois Commerce and Economic Opportunity Agency, provides funding for prime site development to attract businesses to Illinois.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Amount
    $120,000,000

  10. Anthropic Economic Futures Program — Research Awards, Policy Symposia, and Strategic Partnerships

    Anthropic’s Economic Futures program funds multidisciplinary research, policy development, and data-infrastructure projects to measure and inform responses to AI’s economic transformation, offering Research Awards ($10,000–$50,000), Claude API credits, consultation on the Anthropic Economic Index, and opportunities to present at policy symposia.

    Research ProjectEconomics; Public Policy; Artificial Intelligence

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  11. Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Grants

    Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation awards grants of $1,000–$2,500 to Arkansas organizations funding programs that benefit African American and other underserved populations, with priority areas including education, health and wellness, youth development, strengthening families, and economic development.

    OtherEducation; Health and Wellness; Youth Development; Economic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $2,500

  12. Asheville Merchants Fund

    The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina offers the Asheville Merchants Fund (AMF) to support innovative projects that enhance the quality of life in Buncombe County through economic initiatives.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  13. Business Innovation Funding (Maine Technology Institute)

    Maine Technology Institute (MTI) offers Business Innovation Funding — grants, loans, and equity investments typically ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 — to support scalable businesses developing innovative products, devices, or methods that drive economic impact and diversify Maine’s industries.

    OtherTechnology; Business; Economic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $250,000

  14. Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize

    The History of Economics Society awards the annual Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize for the best article in the history of economics published in English during the calendar year preceding the Society’s Annual Meeting; the winner receives a $500 stipend and up to $1,000 for travel to the Society’s conference (53rd meeting, May 2026, Nice, France).

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,500

  15. Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize

    The History of Economics Society offers the Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize to recognize an outstanding article that advances scholarship in the history of economics.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  16. CSWEP-SSRC Women in Economics and Mathematics Research Consortium

    The **CSWEP-SSRC Women in Economics and Mathematics Research Consortium**, sponsored by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the American Economic Association (AEA), supports research aimed at evaluating and scaling interventions to increase the presence and success of women in economics and mathematics.

    Research ProjectEconomics; Mathematics; Gender equity in STEM

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  17. Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Cheyenne County

    The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, in partnership with the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, offers the Cheyenne County Community Grant to support charitable projects in Northwest Kansas.

    OtherCommunity Development; Education; Health Care; Economic Development; Conservation; Arts & Culture; Community Beautification; Social Services

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  18. Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Norton County

    The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, in partnership with the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, offers the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant to support charitable projects in Northwest Kansas, including Norton County, until the program's conclusion in 2025.

    OtherCommunity Development (Education; Health; Economic Development; Arts & Culture; Environment; Community Social Services; Community Beautification)

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  19. Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Sheridan County

    The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, in partnership with the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, offers the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant to support charitable initiatives in Northwest Kansas, including Sheridan County.

    OtherCommunity Development; Education; Health Care; Economic Development; Arts & Culture; Conservation; Community Social Services

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  20. Departmental Seed Grants for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion

    The American Economic Association and its Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP) offer Departmental Seed Grants—one-time awards up to $5,000 to U.S.-based economics departments to establish new bridge or training programs that increase representation of underrepresented minorities (URM) in economics.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $5,000

  21. Distinguished Service Award (History of Economics Society)

    The History of Economics Society awards the Distinguished Service Award to individuals with outstanding service contributions to HES and the broader history of economics community; recipients receive a commemorative plaque, lifetime honorary membership (online-only access to the Journal of the History of Economic Thought), and up to $1,000 toward travel to the HES annual conference.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

  22. Dorfman Dissertation Prize

    The History of Economics Society offers the Dorfman Dissertation Prize to recognize an outstanding doctoral dissertation in the history of economics.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  23. Early-Career Scholars Research Fund

    The History of Economics Society offers the Early-Career Scholars Research Fund to support research-related expenses for emerging scholars working in the history of economics and related fields.

    Research ProjectEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  24. Eastern Oregon Border Board Community Improvement Planning Grant

    Oregon Community Foundation’s Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board offers Community Improvement Planning Grants to fund planning projects that materially increase education, workforce, and economic development capacity in the Border Region, with priority for proposals that enhance regional prosperity, property tax base, competitiveness with Idaho, workforce skills, regional image, and leverage outside funding.

    Research ProjectEconomic Development; Workforce Development; Community Planning

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $100,000

  25. Eastern Oregon Border Board Ready Workforce Mobilization Grant

    Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board, administered through the Oregon Community Foundation, is offering Ready Workforce Mobilization Grants to support projects that significantly expand education, workforce, and economic development capacity in the Border Region, with priority for initiatives that enhance regional prosperity, property tax base, competitiveness with Idaho, workforce skills/availability, and leverage outside funding.

    OtherWorkforce development; Economic development; Education

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $100,000

  26. Eastern Oregon Border Board Scott Fairley Memorial Edge Grant

    Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board (via Oregon Community Foundation) offers the Scott Fairley Memorial Edge Grant to fund projects that materially expand education, workforce, or economic development capacity in the Eastern Oregon Border Region; application windows are Feb 1–Mar 31 and Aug 1–Sep 30, and awards are up to $25,000.

    OtherEconomic Development; Workforce Development; Education

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $25,000

  27. Elba Brown-Collier Student Paper Award

    The Association for Social Economics (ASE) awards the Elba Brown-Collier Student Paper Award to the author of the best graduate student paper presented at the World Congress for Social Economics; the prize includes $400 and a one-year ASE membership.

    ScholarshipSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $400

  28. ETIP Strategic Sectors Single Company Grant

    The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering the ETIP Strategic Sectors Single Company Grant (CSFA 420-45-0516, NOFO FY26-1), a state-funded program with an estimated $24.8 million available to award up to seven grants ranging from $150,000 to $10,000,000 for single-company projects in strategic sectors.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $24,800,000

  29. Future of Work program (Russell Sage Foundation)

    The Russell Sage Foundation’s Future of Work program funds investigator-initiated research on the causes and consequences of changes in job quality for low- and moderately paid workers in the United States.

    Research ProjectEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $142,895

  30. Grants to Support Data for Economic Measurement Research Projects

    The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) offers grants to support research projects that develop or use data to improve the measurement of economic activity and outcomes.

    Research ProjectEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  31. Growth and Outreach Fund

    The History of Economics Society offers the Growth and Outreach Fund to support projects that expand HES's international scholarly community and foster institutional collaboration through activities such as summer schools, workshops, podcasts, and cross-disciplinary engagements.

    Collaboration/Cooperative AgreementEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $30,000

  32. Jan Whitwell Prize

    The New Zealand Association of Economists awards the Jan Whitwell Prize—up to two annual awards of NZ$1,000 each—for research presented at the NZAE annual conference (one for doctoral research and one for Bachelor/Master research; a single award may be made if category entries are insufficient).

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

  33. JHET Early Career Scholar Award

    HES offers the annual JHET Early Career Scholar Award to recognize the best article in the Journal of the History of Economic Thought by an early career scholar, with eligible articles drawn from a rolling three-calendar-year window.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $600

  34. JHET Early Career Scholar Award

    The History of Economics Society offers the JHET Early Career Scholar Award to recognize outstanding early-career research published in the Journal of the History of Economic Thought.

    FellowshipEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  35. Lycoming Economic Development Foundation Fund (In Memory of Joseph L. Rider)

    The Lycoming Economic Development Foundation Fund, in memory of Joseph L. Rider, is a grant program offered by the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania to support economic development in Lycoming County.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $65,600

  36. Primary Grants

    The Community Foundation of North Louisiana is offering Primary Grants to support nonprofit organizations with a focus on specific program areas such as civic engagement, education, and health.

    OtherCivic Engagement; Economic Development; Education; Environment; Health & Science; Human Services; Organizational Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $78,317

  37. Professional Development Grant for URM Faculty

    The American Economic Association and its Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP) offer the annual Professional Development Grant for URM Faculty, a $2,000 prize awarded via an essay competition to junior economics faculty from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field, describing their research and its relation to economic education.

    OtherEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $2,000

  38. Residency Funding for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

    The Institute for Humane Studies offers Residency Funding providing up to $10,000 (with larger awards considered for exceptional projects) to support short-term research residencies—typically one week to one month—at universities, academic centers, or research organizations for access to archives, datasets, mentors, or collaborators.

    FellowshipPolitical Science; Economics; Law

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $10,000

  39. Seamus Hogan Research Prize

    The New Zealand Association of Economists awards the Seamus Hogan Research Prize (NZ$1,000) for the best public policy paper by a student presented at the NZAE annual conference, judged on clarity of presentation, critical application of economics to policy, and appropriate use of empirical and theoretical tools.

    ScholarshipEconomics; Public Policy

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

  40. Sloan Economics Program

    The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Economics Program offers grants for economic research, focusing on public good and policy-relevant studies.

    Research ProjectEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $250,000

  41. Small Organization Grants (Small Grants)

    The Community Foundation of North Louisiana offers Small Organization Grants to support programs in various fields, including arts, education, and human services.

    OtherArts and Culture; Civic Engagement; Economic Development; Education; Environment; Health & Science; Human Services; Organizational Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $10,000

  42. South Dakota Fund Grants — Unrestricted grantmaking program

    The South Dakota Community Foundation offers the Beyond Idea Grant to support non-profit organizations across South Dakota, with a focus on innovative projects benefiting the community.

    OtherCommunity development; Education; Health and Human Services; Economic Development; Culture

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $50,000

  43. Ste. Genevieve County Community Foundation Economic Development Fund

    The Community Foundation of the Ozarks offers the Ste.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  44. Summer Institute Support 2026-2028

    The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) administers a wide range of research projects and Centers—typically supported by government agencies and private foundations—to fund collaborative economic research, host capstone conferences, and disseminate findings through the NBER working paper series.

    Workshop/ConferenceEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  45. Thomas F. Divine Award (Association for Social Economics)

    The Association for Social Economics annually awards the Thomas F. Divine Award to an individual whose lifetime work has made important contributions to social economics and the social economy.

    OtherSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

  46. TRRC/VSBFA Lending Partnership Program

    The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, in partnership with the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, plans to deploy up to $20 million in loans to support economic development and job creation in Southern and Southwest Virginia’s Tobacco Region.

    OtherEconomic Development

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $20,000,000

  47. URM Travel Grants

    The American Economic Association’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP) offers annual URM Travel Grants to support the career and professional development of junior faculty from groups traditionally underrepresented in economics by defraying costs to attend the ASSA meetings.

    TravelEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

  48. Warren Samuels Prize (best paper presented at January ASSA meetings)

    The Association for Social Economics awards the Warren Samuels Prize to the paper scheduled for presentation at the January ASSA meetings that best exemplifies high‑quality scholarship important to social economics and with broad interdisciplinary appeal, with preference (but not requirement) for papers in ASE‑sponsored sessions.

    OtherSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $500

  49. William R. Waters Research Grant

    The Association for Social Economics funds the William R. Waters Research Grant to support individual research in social economics that explores cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of the economy and to provide buy-out time and resources for publication and career development.

    FellowshipSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $5,000

Student funding

Programs for students and researchers on the move

Fellowship 6

  1. Boehlje Agribusiness Management Fellowship

    The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Trust offers the $2,500 Boehlje Agribusiness Management Fellowship to support graduate students pursuing PhDs in agribusiness management and preparing for academic careers in agricultural economics.

    FellowshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,500

  2. Sylvia Lane Mentor Fellowship

    The AAEA Trust’s Sylvia Lane Mentor Fellowship supports early-career women scholars researching food, agricultural, or natural resource issues through collaboration with an established expert at another university, institution, or firm.

    FellowshipAgricultural and applied economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,500

  3. Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award

    The AAEA Trust’s Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award provides up to $5,000 to support travel and related expenses for an early-career scholar and distinguished mentor collaborating on high-quality, policy-oriented research addressing food insecurity and environmental pressures in a developing country.

    FellowshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $5,000

  4. JHET Early Career Scholar Award

    The History of Economics Society offers the JHET Early Career Scholar Award to recognize outstanding early-career research published in the Journal of the History of Economic Thought.

    FellowshipEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    Not listed

  5. Residency Funding for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

    The Institute for Humane Studies offers Residency Funding providing up to $10,000 (with larger awards considered for exceptional projects) to support short-term research residencies—typically one week to one month—at universities, academic centers, or research organizations for access to archives, datasets, mentors, or collaborators.

    FellowshipPolitical Science; Economics; Law

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $10,000

  6. William R. Waters Research Grant

    The Association for Social Economics funds the William R. Waters Research Grant to support individual research in social economics that explores cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of the economy and to provide buy-out time and resources for publication and career development.

    FellowshipSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $5,000

Scholarship 3

  1. 2026 Chester O. McCorkle Jr. Student Scholarship

    The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Trust offers the 2026 Chester O. McCorkle Jr. Student Scholarship to support graduate student applied research on economic issues related to agriculture.

    ScholarshipAgricultural and Applied Economics

    Deadline
    Amount
    $2,000

  2. Elba Brown-Collier Student Paper Award

    The Association for Social Economics (ASE) awards the Elba Brown-Collier Student Paper Award to the author of the best graduate student paper presented at the World Congress for Social Economics; the prize includes $400 and a one-year ASE membership.

    ScholarshipSocial Economics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $400

  3. Seamus Hogan Research Prize

    The New Zealand Association of Economists awards the Seamus Hogan Research Prize (NZ$1,000) for the best public policy paper by a student presented at the NZAE annual conference, judged on clarity of presentation, critical application of economics to policy, and appropriate use of empirical and theoretical tools.

    ScholarshipEconomics; Public Policy

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

Travel 1

  1. URM Travel Grants

    The American Economic Association’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP) offers annual URM Travel Grants to support the career and professional development of junior faculty from groups traditionally underrepresented in economics by defraying costs to attend the ASSA meetings.

    TravelEconomics

    Deadline
    Not listed
    Amount
    $1,000

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