NBER Entrepreneurship Research Boot Camp 2026
The NBER will host the 19th annual Entrepreneurship Research Boot Camp (ERBC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in July 2026. This intensive workshop introduces leading research topics in the economics of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance and is intended to promote research in these areas. The program is particularly well suited for those in economics, finance, or strategy who are exploring research ideas in this space.
The boot camp will convene in Cambridge, MA, on Monday, July 20, 2026, and conclude on Friday, July 24, 2026. Jorge Guzman (Columbia) and David T. Robinson (Duke Fuqua) will serve as co-organizers. The program will begin with the Entrepreneurship Working Group Summer Institute meeting on Monday, July 20, and continue from Tuesday to Friday with two 3-hour lectures each day. These lectures will be presented by active researchers specializing in various topics of interest. In addition to the co-organizers, previous speakers have included Ufuk Akcigit (Chicago), Shai Bernstein (Harvard Business School), Nick Bloom (Stanford), John Haltiwanger (Maryland), Sabrina Howell (Harvard Business School), Josh Lerner (Harvard Business School), Song Ma (Yale), Ben Pugsley (Notre Dame), Rafaella Sadun (Harvard Business School), Antoinette Schoar (MIT Sloan), and Scott Stern (MIT Sloan). There will also be a keynote lecture at a joint gala dinner with the Innovation Policy Boot Camp.
The boot camp will include around 25 participants and is restricted to those currently enrolled in PhD programs. Applicants must have completed at least one year of PhD coursework in economics or a closely related field. Participants are expected to carefully prepare for the workshop by reading a syllabus of over 50 papers. Travel expenses and four nights of lodging will be reimbursed subject to NBER policies. Participation is restricted to admitted applicants.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of Nick Bloom, Jorge Guzman, Yael Hochberg, Josh Lerner, David Robinson, Antoinette Schoar, and Scott Stern. Applications from scholars from all backgrounds and institutions who are interested in entrepreneurship research are welcome.
Applicants should assemble the following materials in a single PDF file:
1) A one-page summary document clearly indicating their name, complete contact information, school, area of interest, year of entry into the PhD program, expected year of completion, and the name of a faculty member supplying a letter of recommendation.
2) A curriculum vitae.
3) A brief, one-page essay describing their current and future research as well as their reason for wanting to attend the boot camp. This application packet should be submitted via the link below by midnight EST on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Applicants should use their name when completing the “Title of application” field. Please also indicate in the "Optional comments” field how you heard about the boot camp.
Submit Application
In addition, a confidential letter of recommendation of no more than two pages from a current or former PhD advisor, or another scholar familiar with the applicant’s work, should be sent via email, by the same deadline, to Brett Maranjian at NBER (maranjian@nber.org). Acceptance decisions will be announced by mid-March. Applications that are not complete by the deadline will not be considered.
Questions about logistics of the boot camp may be addressed to Brett Maranjian (maranjian@nber.org). Questions about the content of the boot camp may be addressed to Jorge Guzman (jorge.guzman@columbia.edu) and David Robinson (david.robinson@duke.edu).