Innovation Project
Individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace
You propose the job. Cato funds it.
We make it happen together.
The Cato Innovation Project creates two-year paid positions at the Cato Institute. You design and propose your own full-time paid job to advance the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Cato decides whether to fund it by hiring you. Together, we decide what success looks like.
Project details
Compensation: Starts at $100,000 annually. This is a competitive, full-time salary with standard Cato employee benefits.
Project budget: The size of the budget will depend on the Project.
Term: Two years, with the possibility of renewal or conversion to a permanent employee position.
Location: Cato Institute headquarters,1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Cohort size: Cato will bring on up to three applicants through a selective and competitive review process on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Cato start the Innovation Project?
Talent is the most important factor in any organization or movement. The pace of change is accelerating, and the problems and methods for advancing liberty today arenʼt the same as in the past. The Innovation Project is an attempt to find talented people with fresh ideas and give them room to run.
Can I propose a Project outside Cato’s current policy focus areas?
Yes, and we encourage it. The Innovation Project is explicitly designed to surface ideas that fall outside our established priorities. It could be a job in communications, marketing, fundraising, government affairs, scholarship, any other department, or something that doesn’t even exist at Cato or anywhere else. If you think you see something we’re missing, make that case.
Will Cato’s communications, marketing, and government affairs department provide support?
Yes. You would join Cato as an employee with all the ability to leverage our resources and expertise to maximize your chance of success.
What are the expectations for the role?
There will be a formal midpoint evaluation, and then you’ll give a final comprehensive presentation near the end of your term. All other deliverables and role expectations should be outlined in your proposal and will be jointly decided upon. You’re applying for a job that you’ve designed.
Can current Cato employees or interns apply?
Yes.
Can I propose a part-time Project?
No. The Cato Innovation Project is a full-time, two-year commitment.
What if it’s a risky proposal?
Cato encourages disciplined risk-taking as essential to meaningful innovation. We are entirely comfortable with smart failure because innovation requires risk, so long as the expected benefits exceed the expected costs. What we are not comfortable with is complacency. Successful applicants are expected to execute with rigor and steward institutional resources responsibly.
Who reviews applications, and what are you looking for?
Applications are reviewed by a selection committee that includes senior Cato staff with subject-matter expertise relevant to your proposal. We are looking for mission alignment, a clearly articulated problem you want to resolve, a realistic and innovative plan, evidence that you are the right person to execute it, an honest accounting of expected costs and benefits, indicators of success and failure, and any details that you think we would want to know in advance.
Do I need a background in policy or academia to apply?
No. We welcome applicants from any and all professional backgrounds, such as business, journalism, technology, law, communications, entrepreneurship, creative fields, and beyond. What matters is the quality of your idea and your ability to execute it in a way that advances liberty.
Should I apply?
You should apply if you are a builder with an entrepreneurial mindset who sees gaps that others miss, have a principled commitment to Cato’s core values, have a clearly defined and strategic idea, a demonstrated record of turning your ideas into tangible outcomes, the discipline and drive to build something new, want to push the frontiers of principled libertarian research, and live in or are willing to locate to the Washington, DC area.
What other oversight can I expect?
You’ll have a Cato mentor internally, somebody to work with to make sure that you’re making progress, to help solve problems, and to be a sounding board for ideas. You will report to your mentor or somebody else in Cato. Cato’s Senior Vice President for Policy Alex Nowrasteh will also oversee your progress.
Is the Project open to international applicants?
Yes. Cato may be able to sponsor visas for successful applicants.
Does the Cato Innovation Project support remote work?
Successful applicants are expected to work on-site at Cato’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Exceptions may be considered.
How many Project members are selected per cohort, and how often does Cato run the program?
Cato selects up to three Innovation applicants at a time through a selective and competitive review process.
What happens at the end of the two-year term?
At the conclusion of the Project, Cato will evaluate whether to convert the role into a full-time employee position, extend the Project by mutual agreement, or conclude the engagement. Those participating in the Projects should not assume conversion to longer-term full-time employee positions. Most will complete their term and move on with the satisfaction that they gave it their all and the reputational boost that comes from undertaking such an endeavor. We consider that a successful outcome and so should the fellows.
What does success look like?
You tell us.
Additional questions? Contact catoinnovation@cato.org with questions about the Cato Innovation Project.
The Cato Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our commitment to individual liberty. In submitting your application, you license to Cato the right to retain and use the materials and information (and any part thereof) submitted. Any individuals selected will be proffered an offer letter setting forth the terms of employment, and joining the Project is contingent upon your acceptance of those terms.