Student Opportunities
NOTE
The University has temporarily, but formally, suspended all Brown-related undergraduate international travel and programming for Summer 2020.
This doesn't mean that students' pursuits of research and internship opportunities need to come to a halt!
Students applying for funding are permitted to propose an alternative project that is domestic and/or remote. Please note that a detailed budget outlining all projected expenses is still required.
Funding
Michael Bhatia Fund for Peace-keeping and Conflict Studies
study abroad, field work, internship
Established in memory of Michael Vinay Bhatia '99, who died in May 2008 in Afghanistan, where he was working as a social scientist in consultation with the U.S. military, the Fund underwrites field work, study abroad, or thesis research by IR concentrators working on peace-keeping and conflict studies. It is awarded to a student who, like Michael Bhatia '99, hopes to deepen his/her understanding of a region or culture by traveling and studying there, with the ultimate goal of helping to promote cross-cultural understanding that might end or avert violence or military conflict.
Amount: Project-dependent
Eligibility: IR concentrator doing work for IR concentration credit
Application deadlines: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: July 31
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
IR Research and Travel Grant
travel, research, conferences, internships, special projects
Awards that support academic activities for IR students—for example, senior thesis research, research related to independent work, conference participation, internships, and special projects. Students must complete an online application, including resume, transcript, and personal statement, secure an internship that is unpaid or pays $1,000 or less (includes salary, housing, and transportation) if the application is for an internship, and complete post-award requirements. Questions about the application process should be directed to Anita_Nester@brown.edu.
Amount: Up to $2,000
Eligibility: Undergraduate student concentrating in International Relations in good academic standing, and returning to study at Brown the following fall
Application deadlines: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: July 31
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
KoChon Fund
public service, travel, research, conferences, internships, special projects
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
Application deadlines: Spring term: Nov 30; Summer term: Mar 31; Fall term: July 31
To apply: Learn more and apply online via UFunds
The Marla Ruzicka International Public Service Fellowship
public service, internship, research
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
Application deadlines:
To apply: Learn more and apply online via UFunds
Jack Ringer Summer in Southeast Asia Fellowship
research, internship
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
Application deadlines:
To apply: Learn more and apply online via UFunds
Student Conferences
Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA)
fall semester
The Student Conference on US Affairs is an annual four day conference hosted at The United States Military Academy at West Point. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate interaction and constructive discussion between civillian student delegates and West Point cadets in order to better understand the challenges that the United States faces in an increasingly global society. SCUSA delegates attend panel discussions, hear from high-profile keynotes speakers, and develop policy recommendations during roundtable sessions.
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC)
spring semester
The Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference has become a way of bringing together the nation's future Navy and Marine Corps officers with their peers from other colleges and universities, both civilian and military, from across the country and around the world. Participants include prominent politicians, leading academics and public intellectuals, government officials, and foreign dignitaries—providing a unique forum for scholarly discourse.
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
United States Air Force Academy Assembly
spring semester
Convened annually since 1959, the Academy Assembly is an undergraduate student conference held by the United States Air Force Academy, co-sponsored with Columbia University's American Assembly. Held on the Academy grounds at the base of the Rampart Range, this student- planned and executed conference provides a unique opportunity for qualified undergraduates to discuss a topic of contemporary significance. Student delegates are divided into small round tables and moderated by senior representatives from academia and government. Distinguished speakers provide expert perspective and information on the topic at hand.
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
Mellon Foundation Crisis Simulation
spring semester
The Mellon Foundation Project on Civilian-Military Educational Cooperation bridges the worlds of liberal arts and military education to the benefit of both. A five year project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Project on Civilian-Military Educational Cooperation facilitates joint projects between educational institutions preparing the next generation of leaders in both sectors. The aim is that members of each group should better understand the other, reducing the “civilian-military gap” that could be a problem for U.S. democracy and society.
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
Senior Prizes and Awards
THESIS PRIZES
Mark and Betty Garrison Prize
Awarded for the best thesis in international relations, foreign policy analysis, or diplomatic history. The prize honors the work of Mark and Betty Garrison who helped create the Center for Foreign Policy Development (CFPD) at Brown University in 1981.
Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Outstanding Thesis Award
Best IR thesis related to the Institute’s core research areas of security, development, or governance
NON-THESIS PRIZES
Anthony Riccio Prize in International Relations
Awarded in memory of Anthony Brian Riccio, Brown Class of 1996, who lost his life in Moscow on September 20, 1994, to that graduating senior who has demonstrated an unquenchable curiosity about another part of the world, a commitment to the rigorous learning of a foreign language, an intrepid pursuit of study abroad, and a pride in his university and in his country. Applications must include a statement from the student justifying the nomination, a written faculty recommendation from Brown, and any pertinent supporting materials.
Nomination deadline: Rolling deadline until April 15
Eligibility: IR senior
To apply: Log into UFunds and submit application
Academic Excellence in International Relations Prize
Given to members of the IR graduating class who demonstrated outstanding academic performance in the IR concentration.
International Relations Concentration Service and Leadership Award
First presented in 2009, celebrates that graduating senior who demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to the IR concentration and his or her fellow concentrators.