AFIT-AFEE Annual Student Scholars Award Competition

This competition seeks to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to pursue research topics in the field of Evolutionary-Institutional Economics, and related heterodox schools of thought such as Social and Solidarity Economics, Post-Colonial Studies, and other pluralist methodologies. As a professional association, AFIT is devoted to encouraging and fostering the development of institutional thought. Extensions and modifications of the foundational contributions of Thorstein Veblen, John Dewey, Clarence Ayers, John Commons, and Wesley Mitchell; of Karl Polanyi, Gunnar Myrdal, Hyman Minsky, and John Kenneth Galbraith; and of new Evolutionary-Institutional approaches that advance the fields of social sciences and humanities are welcome. Students doing research in this vein are encouraged to submit papers that carry on and further advance Evolutionary-Institutional Economics.

Current Contest

The Association for Institutional Thought (AFIT) will be announcing the 21st Annual AFIT-AFEE Student Scholars Award Competition soon. Awards will be given to the top three student papers drawn from the pool of submissions. Winners will be expected to present their research findings during a special session at the 47th Annual Meeting of AFIT as part of the 68th annual conference of the World Social Science Association (WSSA), March 25-28, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A.

The winners will receive:

$500.00 prize
One-year student membership in AFIT
One-year student membership in AFEE, including subscription to the Journal of Economic Issues
Paid WSSA Conference Registration
Paid Admission to the AFIT Banquet and Presidential Address

To be awarded the prize, winning papers must be presented by the student at the special AFIT session. Acknowledgements will be offered at the AFIT Banquet.

Application Procedures and Deadline

To enter this competition, the person submitting must be identifiable as having student status. Submitted papers should be 3,000-6,000 words in length, including references and appendices, and must include a title page with the title, abstract, author, educational affiliation, and email address. Papers should be submitted electronically, preferably as a .pdf file. Check back soon for the deadline and more information. Winners of previous competitions can be viewed below.