Political science concentrators at Brown have opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research projects. Our faculty-student research teams have won a number of Undergraduate Research and Teaching Assistant (UTRA) grants for work during the academic year and summer months.
Students also secure internships in government, policy institutes, and non-governmental organizations. While students generally do not receive credit for internships, internships provide valuable, hands-on experience. Brown University's LINK award provides funding to help offset the costs of unpaid internships for many of our students.
Below is information on research and funding opportunities at Brown:
Internships and Research Opportunities
Brown Programs
Brown Semester Internship Program
The Brown Semester Internship Program combines a 12-week internship experience with academic coursework for the fall semester. Students have the opportunity to gain direct experience in a dynamic field, immerse themselves in a new culture and community, and collaborate with fellow Brown students in small cohorts.
Students can also opt to arrange their own internship in a location of their choosing in the Brown Semester Internship Program, Open Campus option.
In-person and virtual information sessions will be offered throughout the start of the spring semester, and interested students can email Kelly Watts, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning Programs, (kelly_watts@brown.edu) for additional information.
The Brown in Washington Program offers students a semester in Washington, D.C. during their junior or senior year, interning with public and nonprofit sector agencies and completing coursework that complements their internship placements. The program is the product of a partnership between the Swearer Center and the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Important Resources
Part of President Paxson’s plan to increase student access to internships and research positions, BrownConnect allows students to search for real-world opportunities while still on campus. By bringing the Brown community together to support students, BrownConnect enables undergraduates to follow their own paths beyond the classroom.
The Dean of the College has a small budget to fund undergraduate research projects that fall outside the boundaries of other research award programs. Students will normally have exhausted all other University grant sources before seeking support from the Dean. Special requests of all sorts are considered, but projects that incorporate an international or global component are especially encouraged.
Fellowships at Brown represent university-sponsored programs including nationally competitive fellowships that fund faculty-student research collaborations, unpaid internships, independent research and travel, and post-baccalaureate work or study both in the United States and abroad. Here you will find information about the range of opportunities at Brown as well as selected external awards of potential interest to Brown students.
Office of Global Engagement Grant Opportunities
Priority will be given to requests that demonstrate an effort to advance the inclusion of the international community on campus and beyond, and/or that contribute to academic research and scholarship.
UFunds coordinates applications for funding from offices at Brown. You will find opportunities here for members of the Brown community, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty.
Brown sponsors a number of fellowship and grant programs that support undergraduate research during the summer or the academic year. Many of the awards are specifically designed to facilitate faculty-student research collaborations, including Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards and Royce Fellowships.
Specialized Opportunities
Taubman Center Undergraduate Research Fellowship on Political Underrepresentation
The Taubman Center for American Politics and Politics is pleased to provide resources to students interested in research on political underrepresentation at the city, state, or federal level. This fellowship of $2,500 will be awarded to five students per semester, and will provide research funding to undergraduate students who have experience in, or a commitment to, working with issues relating to underserved communities.
Check link for application deadline.
Stone Inequality Initiative Funding
The Stone Inequality Initiative invites undergraduate and graduate proposals for internships, research grants, collaboration with faculty or other student projects. The funds are available to students from any discipline. Work should be focused, broadly, on the issues surrounding great wealth in American society, on the American gilded age(s). Ten awards are available.
Please submit a letter in which you describe the proposed project, your proposed budget and the name of a faculty mentor or committee chair.
We will accept applications immediately and make the awards on a rolling basis.
Please send applications or inquires to megean_bourgeois@brown.edu.
Amount: Up to $5,000
Eligibility: Available to students from any discipline.
Deadline: We will accept applications immediately and make the awards on a rolling basis.
Jack Ringer Summer in Southeast Asia Fellowship
The Jack Ringer Summer in Southeast Asia Fellowship is made possible through the generosity of Jack Ringer '52, who served in Burma after graduating from Brown. The award supports summer travel to Southeast Asia to conduct research or work in an internship.
Amount: Up to $4,000
Eligibility: All Brown Undergraduates
Deadline: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: August 31
Learn more and apply online via UFunds
Marla Ruzicka International Public Service Fellowship
The Marla Ruzicka International Fellowship supports the summer plans of one Brown undergraduate who displays the characteristics of compassion, determination, and selflessness in the pursuit of international human rights, post-conflict rehabilitation, or international public service in its most noble spirit, and whose summer plans reflect those traits.
Amount: up to $4,000
Eligibility: All Brown Undergraduates
Deadline: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: August 31
Learn more and apply online via UFunds
KoChon Fund
A permanent endowment administered by the Watson Institute, the KoChon fund is utilized for a wide variety of research and academic activities related to Korea. For undergraduates, the Institute accepts applications to advance student research interests on Korean topics, offering one to two awards per year, which include the option of pursuing field research in Korea.
Amount: Project-dependent
Eligibility: All Brown Undergraduates
Deadline: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: August 31
Learn more and apply online via UFunds
Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia
Undergraduate Research and Internships: The purpose of undergraduate summer funding is to facilitate research for a senior thesis or to provide internship experience with an academic or civil society organization. Students are invited to propose work with any organization or indicate their interest in one of the Center’s partners by contacting our Center Manger. Students who are unsure of where they would like to intern or are interested in one of the initiative's partners are encouraged to discuss their interests with a faculty member as early as possible. Students who already have contacted an organization are required to attach a letter of interest from the organization. Details about the Center’s partners, such as Janaagraha (Bangalore) and Centre for Policy Research (Delhi), and PRADAN (various) can be found on our partners page.
Amount: Up to a $5,000 maximum per project.
Eligibility: Sophomores and Juniors (Brown University Only).
Deadline: Check link for application deadline.
Application requirements: A two-page project proposal, unofficial transcript, resume, budget, and a letter from the organization (if proposing an internship).
Winter Break Travel Awards: Subject to university guidelines regarding spending and travel, the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia would like to offer winter research and travel awards of up to $3,000 to graduate and undergraduate students of Brown University. Students in any discipline whose research develops knowledge about South Asia may apply. Pending university guidelines funds may be used for travel to visit archives or conduct fieldwork where possible, attend conferences virtually or in person, language training, unanticipated research expenses due to COVID-19, or other non-travel efforts to further one's research during these challenging times. It is highly recommended that students review current university travel policies as it may be necessary to submit your travel plans for university review in October or early November, even before the committee has reached a decision about awards. Please reach out to their staff with questions.
Award: Up to a $3,000 maximum, students may apply for smaller amounts.
Eligibility: Undergraduate and Graduate Students (Brown University)
Deadline: Check link for application deadline.
Application Requirements: Up to a one-page project proposal including budget (a paragraph may be sufficient), unofficial transcript, and resume.
Apply at UFunds