Funding Opportunities

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth seeks to invest in policy-relevant research that is related to how inequality affects economic growth, and in scholars who are interested in engaging with nonacademic audiences.

Equitable Growth periodically releases Requests for Proposals on specific topics that are open to researchers affiliated with a U.S. university. Every fall, we also release an RFP specifically aimed at supporting graduate students and early career researchers.

To receive notifications about our funding opportunities, sign up to get the latest updates from Equitable Growth. Click here for a searchable database of our past funded research.

If you have questions about the grant program, please contact us at grants@equitablegrowth.org.

MEET OUR GRANTEES

Our grantees hail from a range of academic institutions, backgrounds, and disciplines, and are at different points along the career ladder. Their research interests are equally broad, though focused on the ways in which inequality effects economic growth.

MEET OUR GRANTEES

Promoting competition and supporting workers in an era of AI innovation

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth seeks to support research that will generate actionable insights for policymakers and inform policies that lead to strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth.

How can we encourage use of artificial intelligence technologies that is more beneficial for U.S. workers and society? We are currently requesting proposals for research that will inform policies that would harness the potential of generative AI and other emerging technologies to boost growth, innovation, and productivity while ensuring robust competition and making sure that productivity gains are broad-based and lead to improved job quality. We are open to research on a range of technologies, such as generative AI and large language models, but also algorithms, electronic surveillance, and various forms of automation.

This Request for Proposals is now closed. Awards will be announced publicly in September 2025.


Early Career grants

Equitable Growth is excited to offer funding specifically for graduate students and early career researchers.

To be eligible for an early career grant, one must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at a U.S. university, in a postdoctoral position at a U.S. university, or a scholar affiliated with a U.S. university who is within 8 years from Ph.D. issuance. If you have received tenure, you are not eligible for an early career grant.

Funding for students and postdoctoral scholars will be $15,000 over 1 year, while funding for early career scholars in faculty, research, or similar positions will be $30,000 over 1–2 years.

The 2025 Request for Proposals is now closed. Awards will be announced publicly in September 2025.


American Economic Association Summer Economics Fellows Program

Equitable Growth is a host institution of the AEA Summer Economics Fellows Program. Through our participation, we seek to promote efforts to increase diversity of women and members of underrepresented groups in the economics profession. We support one early career faculty to pursue academic research that explores how inequality affects economic growth and stability.

The program includes opportunities for presenting and receiving feedback on ongoing research, professional development and mentorship, trainings, and exposure to how to make research relevant to today’s policy debates and accessible for the policymaking community. Fellowships are 8–12 weeks during the summer and are open to all economists without regard to gender, race, or ethnicity, although the goal of the program is to advance the careers of women and members of underrepresented communities. Fellows are given a prorated stipend of $30,000.

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