Any Ph.D. student at Brown can participate in GPD activities, including courses, workshops and specialized training modules.

GPD is a training program, not a degree-granting program. All GPD trainees must first be admitted as Ph.D. candidates in AnthropologyEconomicsHistory, Political Science, or Sociology. When applying to Brown, prospective Ph.D. candidates can indicate their interest in GPD. Students admitted to these Ph.D. programs can participate in GPD hosted events and activities at any time during their years of study at Brown. At the end of their first year, students can also apply for a GPD fellowship.

GPD fellowships provide a full year of support (stipend, health fees, and tuition).  During the fellowship year, students cannot accept Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant positions. Fellowship support can be in the second or third year of Ph.D. training. In most cases, GPD Fellows will fulfill their GPD course requirements during their year of fellowship support. The GPD program has been designed to integrate into existing Ph.D. programs and requirements.

 

How to apply for a GPD fellowship for 2024-2025

We are happy to announce that the Watson Institute’s Graduate Program in Development (GPD) is seeking applications for fellowships for 2024-2025. The fellowship is for a period of one year. But applicants should keep in mind that they are expected to stay active in the program beyond their fellowship year. The fellowships are supported by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and the Dean of the Faculty.

The goal of the GPD program is to provide support for graduate training and research in the area of development, broadly understood as the study of the complex interaction of markets, governance, social structures, and culture in societies undergoing rapid transformation. The program seeks to provide Fellows with interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological skills, the capacity to engage with research from other disciplines, and opportunities for per-dissertation fieldwork.

Eligibility: all PhD students who are currently in their first, second or third year of PhD training in Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, or Sociology are eligible. All candidates must meet the following criteria: 1) a research interest in development broadly defined, 2) an interest in acquiring and using interdisciplinary skills and knowledge, and 3) a commitment to dissertation research that includes field-based research.

Requirements: in addition to completing the requirements for normal progress in their home department, Fellows are expected to complete all the requirements of the GPD program. The requirements are as follows:

All fellows must fulfill the following:

§  IAPA 2000 (formerly, DEVL 2000), the foundational interdisciplinary course

§  One module (short methods courses specifically designed for GPD)

§  Attend the Graduate Program in Development hosted events

All fellows must also fulfill ONE of the following:

§  One course outside their home department (not including IAPA 2000). These should be methods courses or substantive courses related to development.

§  One additional module (short methods courses specifically designed for GPD)

§  Traineeship: Working with a faculty member on a research project (roughly understood to be 10 hrs a week)

Fellows must take IAPA 2000 in their fellowship year (unless they have already taken it). Other requirements need not be completed during the fellowship year though they must be completed before dissertation work begins. All Fellows receive funding equivalent to standard department support and are eligible for summer field research support (see a separate call). Work space in the Watson Institute is available to all Fellows. During the course of the fellowship year, Fellows cannot accept RA or TA assignments and should be taking courses that advance their disciplinary or interdisciplinary training.

GPD offers 3-4 modules a year. These are short, non-credit courses offered at non-regular times that are designed to introduce trainees to different methods (spatial analysis, experiments, survey techniques and ethnography). Two to three modules are offered in May and one is offered in January.

Application: In order to apply, please submit the following items to the GPD administration by email to GPD@brown.edu by 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2024:

1) A recent CV.

2) A statement of 500-750 words explaining your interest in the program and how your research would benefit from the program.

3) A statement discussing your involvement in GPD activities so far

4) A letter of recommendation from a Brown faculty member who can speak to your research and the suitability of your research to this program.

5) A copy of your internal Brown transcript.

Applicants with questions should contact Hayden Reiss at GPD@brown.edu or the GPD director, Prerna Singh at Prerna_Singh@brown.edu

Decisions will be made in late April 2024.

 

 

How to apply for GPD 2024 summer funding:

Preference will be given to PhD students who participate in GPD sponsored events and activities.

The grants cover fieldwork or other forms of original research. Preference would be given to research conducted in the Global South but we will also consider research on development (broadly defined) conducted in the Global North.

Preference will be given to students who participate in GPD sponsored events and activities, and to pre-dissertation students (students who have not defended their prospectus) .

The maximum grant award for exceptional grant awards is $3,000, but typical awards are between $500 and $1,500. Students are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding depending on the scope of their project.

Recipients will be required to present at the Back from the Field event in fall 2024 and required to submit a 1,000 word written reflection on their fieldwork to be posted on our website.

To apply, please send the following items to GPD@brown.edu

Deadline for submitting the application: April 3rd at 5pm 

Please include your name and “GPD Summer Funding” in the subject line of the email.

(1) A one-page summary of the purpose of your research and how it relates to your graduate studies at Brown and to your dissertation project

(2) On a separate page, a budget showing anticipated expenses. It should also state other sources of support (including any you plan to apply for).

For questions regarding the application, please contact the GPD director, Prerna Singh at Prerna_Singh@brown.edu.

Decisions will be made in late April 2024.