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Emergent Ventures is a grant from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University that funds thinkers and doers around the world pursuing bold, scalable ideas with the potential to improve society. The program prioritizes novel ideas that are unlikely to receive funding from conventional sources, including projects in technology, science, social change, and policy innovation. Awards vary in size based on project scope.
Applicants must be at least 13 years old. The program operates a fast and lightweight application process with no rigid requirements, making it accessible to early-career researchers, entrepreneurs, and public intellectuals globally.
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Emergent Ventures | Mercatus Center Transformative Social Change. Launched in 2018, Emergent Ventures is a low-overhead fellowship and grant program that supports entrepreneurs and brilliant minds with highly scalable, "zero to one" ideas for meaningfully improving society. Mercatus Center faculty director Tyler Cowen administers the program.
Grants are awarded to thinkers and doers around the world, with dedicated support available for projects with a focus on India, Africa and the Caribbean, or Ukraine. Applicants with a specific geographic focus should select the appropriate region from a drop-down menu on the application form. To be eligible for an EV grant, all applicants must be 13 years of age or older.
If you have any questions about Emergent Ventures or the application, please contact us at [email protected] . Fast Grants: Fast Funding for COVID-19 Science Fast Grants launched in April 2020 as a spin-off of Emergent Ventures to swiftly support scientists working on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. In total, Fast Grants raised more than $50 million and awarded 260 grants toward critical research.
Learn more about the winners at https://fastgrants. org/ .
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Thinkers and doers around the world with bold, scalable ideas for improving society. Applicants must be 13 years of age or older. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Varies Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
The Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship is a grant from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University that funds a one-year online fellowship for scholars, practitioners, and graduate students with interest in political economy and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The competitive program introduces participants to Austrian economics and political economy frameworks as applied to technology policy. Eligible applicants include graduate students at any university conducting research on emerging technologies and AI, active academic or research scholars teaching or researching these topics, and practitioners working in research or policy related to emerging technologies. The total award is up to $2,250, with applications for the 2026–2027 academic year due March 15, 2026.
Emergent Ventures is a fellowship and grant program funded by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, led by economist Tyler Cowen. The program provides rapid grants to entrepreneurs, researchers, and students with ambitious ideas for improving society, including AI safety, AI innovation, and technology-driven solutions. The program values speed and unconventional thinking, with decisions typically made within weeks. AI-related proposals are a major funding priority, including work on AI alignment, AI governance, AI applications for social good, and novel AI research. The program has funded hundreds of fellows across multiple countries and operates on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines.
The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to four (4) Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) that will provide entrepreneurial development services to Native American communities, focusing on supplying services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing SBA resources. Eligible applicants must be Tribal Colleges and Universities as defined in the Higher Education Act HEA 316 (U.S.C. 1059c). Funding Opportunity Number: SB-GC7J-23-002. Assistance Listing: 59.007. Funding Instrument: G. Category: BC,ED. Award Amount: Up to $250K per award.
The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to two (2) private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs for the District of Columbia (DC) and the State of Oregon. There will be one award for each location. Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax exempt status from the U.S. Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the District of Columbia (DC) and State of Oregon. Funding Opportunity Number: SB-OEDWB-23-002. Assistance Listing: 59.043. Funding Instrument: G. Category: BC,CD,RD. Award Amount: $75K – $150K per award.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs (Phase I) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The USDA SBIR/STTR programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit in agriculturally-related areas. This can include app development for agricultural technology, rural development, and smart farming. Phase I aims to demonstrate technical feasibility.