Olin Program Student Fellowship Memo
TO: STUDENTS AT STANFORD INTERESTED IN LAW AND ECONOMICS
FROM: PROFESSOR A. MITCHELL POLINSKY, DIRECTOR, JOHN M. OLIN PROGRAM IN LAW AND ECONOMICS
SUBJECT: AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT DURING THE 2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 2024
DATE: JANUARY 21, 2024
I want to bring to your attention the availability of funds to support students interested in law and economics during the current academic year and this coming summer. Fellowship awards of up to $7,000 will be made for the current academic year and up to $8,500 for the summer.
These awards are made possible as a result of gifts from the John M. Olin Foundation, the Gregory Terrill Cox Fellowships in Law and Economics Fund, and the Wollenberg Foundation.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE *FELLOWSHIP AWARDS* AND THE *RESEARCH GRANTS* WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A ROLLING BASIS AND MAY BE SUBMITTED AT ANY TIME. (It is advantageous, however, to get your application in sooner rather than later; I am hoping to have most applications submitted by the end of March.) The application procedure, which is quite simple, is described below.
2023-24 Academic Year Fellowship Support:
Requests may be made for up to $7,000. The fellowship award may be used to defray a student’s tuition expenses or for any other purpose that promotes the furtherance of studies in law and economics. Ordinarily, only students pursuing joint degrees in law and economics will be considered for academic year fellowship support. Students who typically are awarded such support are pursuing a J.D. in combination with a Ph.D. (most often from the Economics Department or the Graduate School of Business), though other joint degree combinations will be considered. Fellows are expected to make a significant commitment of time and effort to do research and writing (which can include papers undertaken to satisfy degree requirements). Fellows also are expected to attend various activities sponsored by the Olin Program, including the law and economics “free lunches” for students and the Law and Economics Seminar.
2024 Summer Fellowship Support:
Requests may be made for up to $8,500 on the following basis. A student should submit a request for support for a certain number of weeks, not fewer than three weeks and not more than ten weeks. The total award will equal the number of weeks supported at the rate of $850 per week. Fellows are expected to work full-time on law and economics research during the period of support and to be in residence at Stanford (exceptions to the residency requirement will be considered). During the summer weeks in which you obtain support from the Olin Program, you ordinarily should not be receiving support from other sources (such as from the University, other fellowships that pay summer research support, or undertaking private paying jobs). It is expected that the Fellow’s research will result in some type of written product, especially if the Fellow is supported for most of the summer. Support may be requested for non-contiguous periods (e.g., several weeks at the beginning and at the end of the summer).
Application Procedure for Fellowship Support:
Both types of fellowships may be applied for by a letter, sent via email, addressed to me in my capacity as Director of the Olin Program. Applications may be submitted at any time. You will usually be notified regarding whether your application has been approved within two weeks after submitting it. In the application letter you should summarize your training in law and/or economics (including your current status at Stanford), and the research that you plan to undertake if supported. THE APPLICATION LETTER SHOULD BE BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR SINGLE-SPACED PAGES (LONGER APPLICATIONS WILL BE RETURNED). YOU SHOULD ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR RESUME TO THE LETTER, as well as any relevant writing sample(s). If you would like to discuss your proposal before formally submitting it, I will be glad to communicate with you about it in advance, by email, phone, or an in-person meeting (contact me by e-mail at polinsky@stanford.edu).
Your completed application should be submitted electronically to me at polinsky@stanford.edu.
Research Grants:
Research grants are available to pay for out-of-pocket research expenses in connection with the Law and Economics Seminar, an independent research project (supervised by a faculty member), or dissertation research (for students writing a masters or doctoral thesis in law and economics). Funds may also be requested to attend research conferences in law and economics, such as the annual meeting of the American Law and Economics Association.
Application Procedure for Research Grants:
Applications for this support also may be made at any time. All you need to do is to send a brief letter or memorandum to me as director of the Olin Program, stating your request and justifying it in terms of your law and economics research. Feel free to contact me by e-mail at polinsky@stanford.edu if you have a question about what is appropriate.