FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAND RAPIDS (June 18, 2025) – Seven professors and administrators affiliated with universities and across the United States were recently awarded funding to support faculty research and advance course development.
The Acton Institute Mini-Grants on Free Market Economics program accepts proposals from faculty members at colleges, seminaries, and universities in the United States and Canada in order to promote the scholarship and teaching of market economics. This program allows for collaboration between faculty from different universities and helps future leaders to emerge, strengthening and expanding the existing network of scholars within economics. Entrants may submit proposals in two broad categories: course development and faculty scholarship.
Here is the complete list of the 2025 winners and their specific projects:
Catholic Social Thought in Historical Context, Online-Asynchronous Course Development
Thomas Behr, Professor at the University of St. Thomas - Houston
This course explores the development of modern Catholic Social Thought from the 19th century to today. Designed for fully online, asynchronous delivery, the course combines readings, video lectures, weekly essays, and discussions.
Curriculum Expansion and Course Development: Principles of Free-Market Economics Applied in Undergraduate Study of Macro and Micro Economics
Donald Granholm, Assistant Professor of Practice at Concordia University - Chicago
This curriculum expansion will create new course offerings that will introduce, develop and explore concepts central to an understanding of free-market economics. The project will result in the undergraduate course requirement being expanded from a single “Foundations of Economics” course to business majors taking both “Principles of Macroeconomics” and “Principles of Microeconomics” courses.
Economic Systems and Human Dignity
Stephen Miller, Franciscan University of Steubenville
This project seeks to produce a research paper on economic systems and Catholic moral principles as well as redevelop the University’s current course on Comparative Economic Systems to be offered in the Fall of 2025.
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Readings to Engage Students
Daniel Sutter, Professor of Economics at the Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University
This project supports a reading and discussion group on capitalism versus socialism offered at Troy University in the fall of 2025. The reading group aims to offer undergraduates information about the operation of economic systems and form their own opinion.
Course Development and Practical Application: Comparative Economic Systems
Timothy Taylor, Associate Professor at Wheaton College
This course will introduce students to the different economic systems of the world, to acquaint students with the arguments for and against these systems and to encourage them to develop their own thinking about the issues involved in comparing these systems.
Liberalism vs. Conservatism in America
Kevin Vallier, Professor of Philosophy at the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership at the University of Toledo
This course will connect three dimensions: economics determines empirical outcomes, philosophy addresses morality, and theology explores how policies impact the human spirit. This course will focus on the works of Hayek, Friedman, Meyer and Novak to connect Christian theology and economics to encourage economic incentives and spiritual purpose.
The Free Market in American Society
Christopher Wolfe, Associate Professor at the University of St. Thomas - Houston
This project will develop a learning module on “The Free Market in American Society” for the core course at the University of St. Thomas – Houston, “Politics and Society”. The module seeks to enhance the existing course’s themes of law, civil liberties and rights and forms of social and economic organization, by creating a “Free Market in American Society” module.
The Mini-Grants program forms part of a range of academic scholarships, grants, and awards available from the Acton Institute that support those engaged in serious reflection and research on the relationship between theology, the free market, limited government, and the rule of law. Details of these academic grants and scholarships may be found here.