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Academic Grants and Awards

Freedom and Prosperity Academic Grants

About

The Freedom and Prosperity Academic Grants are a collaboration between the Acton Institute and the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center, a new center which aims to increase the prosperity of the poor and marginalized in developing countries and to explore the nature of the relationship between freedom and prosperity. The Freedom and Prosperity Academic Grants are intended specifically to promote research using the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes, either by examining the relationship between freedom and prosperity in general or by enhancing the robustness of the Indexes themselves.

Details

Grants of up to $25,000 per quarter will be awarded to researchers who examine various aspects of the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes. Proposals considered for funding are:

  • those that conduct research that use the indexes to study topics covered by them
  • those that use the indexes to investigate country or regional trends related to freedom and prosperity are especially welcome

Upon research completion, grant recipients must deliver a concrete artifact (e.g., published paper, book chapter, etc.) and submit a report of their research and conclusions to the Freedom and Prosperity Center and the Acton Institute.

 

For examples of successful artifacts produced under this grant, see the 2024 Atlas: Freedom and Prosperity Around the World

Application Process

In order to be invited to apply, scholars should first submit a brief inquiry as follows.

The initial inquiry should:

  • Identify the aspect of the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes you intend to examine
  • Identify the specific dollar amount requested and a budget for the research
  • Be limited to 500 words
  • Identify output(s) of the research
  • Identify a target date for completion of the research

If invited to submit a full application, Acton Institute will request a more detailed proposal.

Proposals should be submitted to [email protected].

The proposal should:

  • identify the aspect of the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes you intend to examine
  • identify the specific dollar amount requested and a budget for the research
  • be limited to 1,500 words (excluding references)
  • identify output(s) of the research
  • identify a target date for completion of the research
  • be accompanied by the curriculum vitae of any contributing researchers

Proposals should be submitted to [email protected].

Award Communication

All award decisions are communicated via e-mail from Grants-Awards. Please ensure this email is on your safe recipient list to ensure timely delivery.

Performance Assessment

Like similar organizations, the Acton Institute does not enter into discussions with unsuccessful applicants concerning the particular reasons for their denial.