George W. Bush Institute Doctoral Fellowship

In June 2018, The George W. Bush Institute and the SMU Department of Economics launched the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative. By leveraging the strengths of both institutions, The Initiative promotes policy relevant research at the frontier of many important economic issues.

The Initiative funds Ph.D. Fellowships to attract and support world class scholars as Ph.D. students to the Department of Economics. Bush Ph.D. Fellows earn a high quality Economics Ph.D. while also contributing to the policy research work of The Initiative. These five-year Fellowships are generously funded at $33,573/year in 2024-2025 and come with a full tuition waiver and health insurance. All SMU Economics Ph.D. applicants will be considered to have applied for a Bush Ph.D. fellowship.

Click here for more information on the Ph.D. program.

Click for more information on the policy work of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative.