For Doctoral Students
The Academic Mentorship Program provides up to $8,000 to support a year-long research collaboration between a doctoral student and an established faculty mentor. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year open January 15 and close April 15, 2026.
A Year of Focused Intellectual Partnership
This program supports a doctoral student and a faculty mentor working together on a focused research project over the course of an academic year. The goal is twofold: to produce meaningful scholarship and to prepare participants for confident engagement in the serious conversations that shape their fields.
If selected, IHS will work with you to identify and confirm a strong mentor match. Applicants are welcome to suggest a preferred mentor in their application.
Awarded participants retain full independence over research design, analysis, and publication.
What the Grant Provides
Open to students enrolled as a PhD student or doctoral candidate during the 2026–2027 academic year with a demonstrated commitment to sustained research collaboration and defined scholarly outputs.
Preference will be given to proposals aligned with IHS’s current research priorities: the political and legal foundations of liberal democracy; economic freedom and the policy conditions for abundance; and the institutional design questions that make self-government stable and effective.
Yes. Each mentorship pair is expected to attend and participate in at least one academic conference or scholarly event together during the grant period. This is a core part of the program’s professional integration goals.
No. Mentors do not need to have prior IHS affiliation. What matters is that the mentor is an established scholar with relevant expertise and a genuine commitment to the collaboration.
Yes, in principle. If you are applying for or hold another IHS grant, note this in your application so reviewers can assess how the projects relate.
Other IHS funding opportunities for doctoral researchers.