Acton Institute Names Dr. Paul J. Radich as Recipient of 2026 Novak Award

$20,000 prize recognizes outstanding scholarship on religion, freedom, and the virtuous society

Grand Rapids, Mich., May 12, 2026 - The Acton Institute has named Dr. Paul J. Radich as the recipient of the 2026 Novak Award in recognition of his outstanding research in ethics and social thought.

Named after distinguished American theologian Michael Novak, the $20,000 award recognizes new scholarly research on the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and a free and virtuous society. The award honors early-career scholars who demonstrate outstanding intellectual merit in advancing understanding of religion's connection to human dignity, the rule of law, limited government, liberty, and freedom in economic life.

Dr. Radich recently completed his Ph.D. in Markets and Morality at the Catholic University of America, where he serves as assistant professor of business ethics, marketing, and social thought at the Busch School of Business. He brings extensive business experience to his doctoral work. His research has been presented at Oxford and Cambridge University in the U.K., and at Harvard and Notre Dame in the United States. His dissertation, "Alasdair MacIntyre on the Role of the Economy in Fostering the Political Common Good," examines the ethical, political, and economic dimensions of MacIntyre's thought and offers a Thomistic response to Marxian critiques of capitalist culture. His current work explores the role of virtue and religion in entrepreneurship and human flourishing, both philosophically and empirically. He has served on the Ethics Committee of the American Marketing Association and holds appointments as a Scholar with the Institute for Human Ecology and through the Röpke-Wojtyła Fellowship.

The Novak Award is part of a range of academic grants and awards from the Acton Institute that support serious reflection and research on religion, the free market, limited government, and the rule of law. Details on these academic scholarships are available at acton.org/grants-awards.

Dr. Radich will discuss his research and receive the Novak Award at the Calihan Lecture later this year. Follow Acton news and events for more information.