“Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the efforts of an entire community, should belong to the community and not to the individual who might hold title.”— John Stuart Mill
2026 Land Economics Fellowship Applications are now open. Due March 1st at Midnight.
Apply nowOverview
We are seeking independent, curious, and analytically minded researchers to apply for the Center for Land Economics Land Economics Fellowship.
Ideal applicants are interested in investigating land speculation, land value, land value taxation (LVT), and related land-based economic questions through empirical analysis, descriptive research, or investigative and narrative-driven work. We welcome a wide range of perspectives, methods, and backgrounds, including researchers, analysts, journalists, and independent scholars.
This fellowship supports focused, time-blocked projects designed to produce clear, public-facing insights that push our understanding of land value forward.
The fellowship is grounded in a simple premise: While full academic research often takes years, substantial insight can be generated through descriptive data analysis, investigative work, and narrative-driven research, particularly when applied to land.
Why Apply
The Land Economics Fellowship is designed to give you time, money, and a platform to pursue a focused land-related research project—and to help that work reach an audience that actually cares.
As a Fellow, you will receive:
- ✓A $3,000 stipend to support 4–6 months of dedicated, time-blocked research
- ✓A public platform for your work, including editorial and dissemination support from the Center for Land Economics
- ✓Direct access to CLE leadership, including Greg and Lars, for research guidance, feedback, and strategic input
- ✓Institutional backing to pursue projects that are difficult to do independently but don't fit neatly into academic or journalistic pipelines
Fellowship Details
Who Should Apply
The fellowship is open to anyone, regardless of formal credentials. We expect strong applications from:
- •Data analysts, economists, and applied researchers
- •Predoctoral researchers, master's students, or advanced undergraduates
- •Journalists or investigative researchers
- •Independent scholars or practitioners with strong analytical skills
No degree or institutional affiliation is required. Selection will be based on the proposal itself.
Research Scope & Themes
Projects should be empirical, descriptive, or investigative and directly related to:
- •Land value taxation (LVT) implementation or evaluation
- •Land value dynamics (assessment, capitalization, speculation, development patterns)
- •Property tax systems where land plays a central role
- •Land speculation instances and their impacts
- •Case studies that illuminate land value through data or narrative investigation
Illustrative Examples (Non-Exhaustive)
- •Baden-Württemberg
- •Pennsylvania
- •Altoona, PA
- •Estonia
- •Other jurisdictions of interest
Advocacy projects will not be funded.
Expected Deliverables
Each fellow will produce at least one substantive public-facing deliverable, such as:
- →A research report or white paper
- →A data-driven case study
- →An investigative or journalistic report
- →A blog post accompanied by original analysis
- →A dataset, visualization, or reproducible analysis with written interpretation
The emphasis is on clarity, insight, and narrative power, not academic formalism.
Application Process
Round 1: Initial Screening
Applicants submit a 250-word proposal describing:
- •What they intend to study
- •How they intend to conduct the research
- •The expected deliverable(s)
Applicants also submit a resume or equivalent.
Round 2: Final Selection
Short-listed applicants will be invited to a second round for further discussion or clarification.
Why This Fellowship Exists
There are plenty of brilliant individuals interested in ideas around land, and we think we can provide them a platform for that work. CLE believes many important questions about land value can be explored through well-scoped, time-limited research, producing outputs that meaningfully advance the data and narrative around land economics.
Apply NowQuestions about the application? Email greg@landeconomics.org.