Programs
Educating people on the value of personal freedom, free enterprise, property rights, limited government, and sound money.
Harwood Salons
AIER’s Harwood Salons invite you to explore the ideas that bolster freedom, free markets, sound money, and more. Whether you’re a curious newcomer or a seasoned expert, these events in your community offer a platform for thoughtful, engaging dialogue on the most pressing issues in economics and public policy today.
The structure is designed to promote deeper interactions through salon-style gatherings in cities across the country. We also host larger events under this banner for our most popular speakers. These events provide a unique opportunity for leaders, thinkers, and professionals to connect, share ideas, and explore solutions in an atmosphere that fosters intellectual growth.
By attending, you’ll have the chance to deepen your understanding, share your insights, and build connections with others committed to advancing economic and personal freedom.
Sound Money Project
The Sound Money Project of AIER was founded in January 2009 to conduct research and promote awareness about monetary stability and financial privacy.
The project is comprised of leading academics and practitioners in money, banking, and macroeconomics. It offers regular commentary and in-depth analysis on monetary policy, alternative monetary systems, financial markets regulation, cryptocurrencies, and the history of monetary and macroeconomic thought.
As an example, in a discussion titled “Cronyism and the Morality of Sound Money,” project director, Dr. William Luther and other scholars explored the destructive effects of the Federal Reserve’s discretionary monetary policies and asserted that through its discretionary policies, the Fed is actually “stealing from the average Americans. “An ideal monetary system should maximize gains from exchanges,” explained Luther, who provided a consequentialist approach when tackling the question of the morality of sound money, and noted, “Changes in the supply of money should not be aimed at fooling individuals to producing or consuming more than they’d like to. … Money should be neutral.”
The Sound Money Project also hosts an annual essay contest designed to promote scholarship in monetary and macro-economics. More specifically, it aims to encourage those working at the cutting edge of the discipline to consider the monetary institutions that would reduce nominal disturbances and promote economic growth. The contest is open to graduate students, post-graduates, untenured professors, and tenured professors from any discipline.
The prizes for the essay contest are, First Prize $10,000, Second Prize $2,000, and Third Prize $1,000. The winners are also invited to attend the Sound Money Project annual meeting in Great Barrington which brings together prominent and emerging scholars to discuss cutting-edge ideas in monetary economics and macroeconomics.
Visiting Scholars Program
AIER works closely with scholars in the fields of economics, political science, philosophy, history, and law. Those involved in other disciplines are also considered. Our visiting scholars include professors, post-doctoral fellows, PhD students, and master’s students. Applications from independent researchers and authors are also welcome. Selected fellows are encouraged to reside on the AIER campus in Great Barrington for the majority of their fellowship.
AIER provides visiting scholars with a $250/week living stipend and lunch during most work days. A travel stipend of $750 is also provided for fellowships lasting 10 weeks or more ($1500 for those outside of the US & Canada). Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Douglas B. Rogers Essay Competition
The Douglas B. Rogers Essay Competition honors the memory of Douglas B. Rogers, PhD and serves as a means of continuing his legacy of inspiring young minds to seek knowledge through truth. The great works and stream of ideas that formed the underpinnings of our Western Civilization were of great importance to Doug. This competition is designed to invite students to thoughtfully research and opine matters of critical relevance to our society and future governance.
The Douglas B. Rogers Essay Competition is open to all full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled at the time of essay submission in any field of study at a college or university in North America. This annual program invites students to submit essays prompted by a provocative quotation from one of Doug’s favorite economists, political theorists, or philosophers.
Student Programs
Internships
AIER’s Internships are unparalleled professional opportunities for students considering careers in economic research, academia, or the private sector. They provide college students and recent graduates the opportunity to work closely with staff on projects that align with both their interests and AIER’s mission. Whether it’s contributing to scholarly research, policy analysis, or editorial writing, our interns gain invaluable exposure.
Our interns have leveraged their experiences to launch careers at organizations like The World Bank, The Institute for Justice, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and many other research institutes and companies across the world. A significant number of our former interns now teach and research at well-respected universities across the country.
Through a series of workshops, interns learn and practice the essentials of academic and popular writing, various research methods, fundamental and advanced techniques in econometrics, economic analysis through AIER economic indicators and Bloomberg terminal data, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency trading, and more.
Harwood Graduate Colloquium
These four-day events are intended for graduate students and consist of a combination of interactive discussions and provocative lectures based on pre-assigned readings. Participants are given ample time to interact with each other and prominent scholars. Topics vary by year and may include: Alternative Governance, Monetary Policy, Economic Freedom, The Business Cycle, Economic Methodology, and Property Rights.
The goal of the program is to encourage promising graduate students to push the frontiers in their understanding of governance institutions, forge new research collaborations and network with their peers and established scholars from this field.
Upon successful completion of the colloquium, participants are awarded an honorarium ($1000 for US & Canada / $1500 for others). Meals and accommodations are provided.
Graduate Fellowships
AIER’s Graduate Fellowships are transformative, semester-long programs for graduate students who are working in areas that advance AIER’s mission. Successful projects have included; classical liberalism, free market economics, economic liberty, property rights, sound money, and legal institutions that shore up the rights of individuals to be free to the extent that their actions do not impinge on the rights of others.
Each Graduate Fellow is expected to make substantive headway on a project like a dissertation, thesis, or other project that will directly advance their academic studies. Through their fellowship, each Fellow will develop a customized project plan, present their research to AIER staff and visitors, and share their work with the general public through written pieces for AIER’s website.
Each fellow should expect to work closely with AIER’s scholars to build skills, work through research issues, and cultivate professional networks. Fellows will leave AIER having made substantive progress on their project as well as having developed intellectually and professionally.
Graduate Fellowships are awarded through a competitive application process for Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters. Fellows are expected to arrive on campus for orientation by the start date.
Regional Conferences
AIER hosts regional conferences for like-minded scholars, think-tank leaders, students, business people, and philanthropic foundations.
The PRogram
Join us for our next event.
Push the frontiers in understanding of governance institutions, forge new research opportunities, and network with established scholars.
