Fund Your Work. Further Your Career.
In the classroom and in research, IHS grants help scholars pursue their best work.
Submit your information to receive our Funding Application Guide.
Academic Research Funding Opportunities
Fund Your Work. Further Your Career.
In the classroom and in research, IHS grants help scholars pursue their best work.
Flexible Research Grants for Scholars
IHS offers more than two million dollars in highly competitive grants for projects within our areas of focus.
Expense Support
Grant Amount
Based on Need
Grant Amount
Typical awards range from $500 to $5,000. Larger awards will be considered for exceptional projects.
Program Overview
Through our Hayek Fund, graduate students and faculty can request support for expenses related to research on themes within the liberal tradition.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Grants are typically supplemental and are designed to offset a project’s total cost. Applicants will be notified of decisions within six weeks of submission.
Eligible Expenses
The following are common expenses supported by IHS. We also welcome uncommon requests.
- Travel for conference presentations and archival research
- Research collaboration and hiring a research assistant
- Journal submission fees
- Purchase of data sets
- Book publication expenses (e.g. copy editing, indexing)
Ineligible Expenses
- Living expenses (e.g. rent)
- Hardware costs (e.g. laptops, printers)
- Tuition expenses
- Salary support
- Retroactive expenses
Applicant Eligibility
- Applicants must be full-time students or faculty at an accredited college or university
- Preference will be given to research directly tied to IHS areas of focus and to applicants from top research institutions
- Preference will be given to projects that outline specific publishing goals
- Previous applicants and winners are welcome to apply
- Applications must be submitted six weeks before the expense is incurred
- Applications may only pertain to one project (multiple applications are welcomed)
- Typically, the same project will not be funded more than once
Indirect Costs
IHS grants cannot support institutional overhead or indirect costs.
Event Support
Grant Amount
Based on Need
Program Overview
Graduate students and faculty can request funds for hosting in-person and online events, such as research workshops or academic conferences. Research workshops include exclusive access to our IHS Digital Community and self-organizing digital solution to support you in running a successful event.
Application Process
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the proposed event. For events that are run through the IHS Digital Community, decisions will be announced within three business days of submission. All other event decisions will be announced within eight weeks of submission.
Events Supported
These grants can be used to support a variety of events including:
- Book manuscript, single paper, and multiple paper workshops (honoraria for participants)
- Awards of up to $5,000 for reviewer honoraria
- Honoraria of $500 for paper-length manuscripts
- Honoraria of $750 for book-length manuscripts
- Workshops to include 2–10 reviewers
- Awards of up to $5,000 for reviewer honoraria
- Academic conferences
- Note: If you wish to be considered for funding to support the expense of presenting at an academic conference, please apply to Expense Support
Event Eligibility
- Events must be rigorously academic in nature and may take place either in person or online.
- Preference goes to events that deal with the IHS areas of focus.
- Events should feature speakers or texts that represent the diversity of views within the broad liberal tradition.
Indirect Costs
IHS grants cannot support institutional overhead or indirect costs.
Grants for Course Buyouts
Grant Amount
Based on Need
Grant Amount
Typical awards range from $10,000 to $50,000. Higher funding awards and sabbatical grants will be considered for exceptional projects.
Program Overview
Faculty can request course buyouts and salary support to help prepare work for publication. A small number of applications are selected for full sabbatical funding, based on need and the expected influence of the work. Junior scholars are particularly encouraged to request full sabbatical grants.
Priority for these grants goes to:
- Manuscripts under contract with top academic publishers
- Papers likely to be accepted in top peer-reviewed journals
- Research directly tied to IHS areas of focus
- Applicants from leading research and teaching institutions
Awardee Expectations
Awardees are expected to make significant progress on their project during the grant period and share that progress with IHS.
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants must be full-time faculty (including post-docs) at an accredited college or university.
Application Timeline
We recommend submitting applications six months before the relevant semester to allow time for institutional planning. Decisions will be announced within eight weeks from submission.
Indirect Costs
IHS grants cannot support institutional overhead or indirect costs
Graduate Student Funding
IHS offers support to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, awarded on a rolling basis:
Academic Mentorship
PhD Students and Candidates for the 2025–2026 Academic Year
Grant Amount
Up to $8,000
Humane Studies Fellowship
Grant Amount
Up to $5,000
Program Overview
The Humane Studies Fellowship provides up to $5,000 to support students completing major research projects, presenting their work at top conferences, and publishing their work in major journals. This award is intended to foster those key projects which maximize a recipient’s research impact and career prospects.
These awards give you access to other IHS opportunities including job market support, in-person and online events, and much more.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified of their award within eight weeks of submission.
Awardee Expectations
- Submit copies of research completed, presented, submitted for review, or published during the fellowship period when and as available.
- Provide updates on significant progress made during the fellowship period.
Applicant Eligibility
- Applicants must be full-time students enrolled in a PhD program or a postdoctoral fellowship.
- Previous applicants and winners are welcome to apply.
- Prior participation in IHS programs is encouraged, though not required.
- This award is available to students at any university. International students are eligible; however, priority is given to applicants at top research institutions.
- Preference will be given to research directly tied to IHS areas of focus.
Please note, all applications might be subject to consideration under a different IHS funding opportunity. Should that happen and your application gets accepted, you will receive an acceptance email from the appropriate funding opportunity.
Indirect Costs
IHS grants cannot support institutional overhead or indirect costs.
Graduate Sabbatical Grants
Grant Amount
Up to $15,000
Program Overview
Graduate Sabbatical Grants provide up to $15,000 to PhD candidates (ABD) and postdoctoral fellows to buy out teaching or research assistance responsibilities for a semester so that they may develop dissertation chapters or other work into publishable paper drafts within six months. These highly competitive grants can be renewed for grantees who show exceptional progress. Summer fellowships for graduate students are available. Applicants who do not receive a sabbatical offer may be invited to receive a Humane Studies Fellowship.
Awardee Expectations
- Submit at least one paper, significantly developed during the sabbatical term, to a leading publication outlet within six months of receiving the awarded funds.
- Present their work at an online IHS event (e.g. our Graduate Conference).
- Keep IHS updated on their research progress.
Applicant Eligibility
- Applicants must have published previously or have an article currently under review.
- Applicants must be enrolled as full-time PhD students who have advanced to candidacy, or currently hold a postdoctoral fellowship.
- Previous applicants and winners are welcome to apply. Prior participation in IHS programs is not required.
- The fellowship is open to students at any university. International students are eligible; however, priority is given to applicants at top research institutions.
- Preference will be given to research directly tied to IHS areas of focus.
Application Timeline
We suggest that sabbatical applications be submitted at least three months before the semester begins. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified of their award decision within eight weeks of submission.
Indirect Costs
IHS grants cannot support institutional overhead or indirect costs
Junior Fellowship
Each year, IHS names a class of Junior Fellows from among the top graduate students who participate in our programs. This invitation-only award provides funds for summer research and includes access to a weekend of unforgettable conversations on the history and future of the classical liberal tradition.
Roger Pilon Fellowship
Grant Amount
$10,000
The Roger Pilon Fellowship awards $10,000 grants for the next academic year to up to two qualified Columbia University School of General Studies students selected each year by IHS.
The grant is paid to the winner’s account at Columbia University after the winner attends an IHS event (winners will receive information about upcoming IHS events) and after IHS receives notice from Columbia that the winner has registered for the fall 2023 semester.
The priority deadline for applications for the fall 2023 semester is September 15, 2023. Notice of fall semester awards will be given on September 29, 2023. Applications submitted after September 15, 2023, will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We also encourage you to explore other funding opportunities from IHS.
More About the Roger Pilon Fellowship:
The Roger Pilon Fellowship is generously supported by Roger Pilon, PhD JD (GS, 1971), and administered by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), which works to achieve a freer, more humane, and open society by connecting and supporting talented graduate students, scholars, and other intellectuals who develop and apply classical liberal ideas. The fellowships are intended for students planning careers that advance the ideas of the classical liberal tradition.
Am I eligible?
The Roger Pilon Fellowship is open to full-time students who will be enrolled at Columbia University’s School of General Studies during the 2023–2024 academic year. The fellowships are intended for students who plan to pursue either:
- Academic careers in political philosophy, American history, economics, or law, or
- Legal careers practicing public-interest law in the classical liberal tradition.
Veterans of US armed forces will receive special consideration.
What do I need to complete the application?
A completed online application form will include:
- CV or resume.
- Official transcript from Columbia University‘s School of General Studies (prospective students may submit their most recent transcript from a previous institution).
- Short essays on the following:
- List four books or thinkers that have influenced your worldview, and explain why (<100 words each).
- Autobiographical sketch (<500 words).
- Discuss your understanding of the U.S. Constitution (<1,000 words).
- Discuss your career plans, including why you have chosen them (<500 words).
- One letter of recommendation, sent from the recommender directly to the Institute for Humane Studies.
Please direct any questions and letters of recommendation to Funding@TheIHS.org.
