Swearer Center for Public Service

Royce Fellowship

Breadcrumb

Royce Fellowship

Independent, engaged research, cohort-based community-engaged learning domestically or internationally.

Established in 1996 through the generosity of Charles Royce, '61, the Royce Fellowship supports Brown undergraduates as they carry out independent engaged research projects of their own design in locations across the United States and around the world.

Fellows conduct their research under the supervision of a faculty member and as part of an interdisciplinary cohort of students from across the university. The program confers lifetime membership in the Society of Royce Fellow, a community of student scholars, faculty fellows and Royce alumni that offers a forum for reflection, inquiry and intellectual engagement within the university.

Royce Fellows receive research funding for an 8–10 week summer project and an additional semester during the academic year.

Applicants from all concentrations are welcome, but the fellowship requires the support of a faculty or community mentor and that recipients reside at Brown for one semester following the summer research. For further information, please email roycefellowship@brown.edu.

Structure and Timeline

  1. Applications open in UFunds, typically in December.
  2. In the spring semester, prospective applicants may work with Swearer Center staff to develop and propose an engaged scholarship research project.
  3. The Swearer Center hosts virtual application writing workshops each spring. Students may register for either workshop via the Swearer Events Calendar.

A slide deck from the application writing workshops is available to view here.


 

Once selected, Fellows are inducted into the Society of Royce Fellows in a ceremony.
Fellows participate in an orientation (once classes are over), getting to know one another and preparing to embark on their individual research projects by discussing key questions related to the research process.

Fellows receive a stipend (award amounts vary based on financial need) to pursue their proposed research project over the summer. Fellows participate in regular cohort meetings throughout the summer to discuss progress.

In the Fall semester following the project summer, fellows participate (as a cohort) in a fall retreat and workshops on applying for post-graduate fellowships, analyzing data, crafting presentations, and disseminating findings. Fellows receive an UTRA semester stipend to support their continued research, writing and analysis.

Fellows present their findings (in either Fall or Spring semesters) to the broader campus and Providence community.

Eligibility

  • All rising sophomores, juniors and seniors who will return to Brown for at least one full semester following the summer in which they conduct their research are eligible to apply to the Royce Fellowship.
  • Students who have applied in previous years are welcome to submit applications for the same or a different proposal to the program. Previous applications have no bearing on the candidacy of a current applicant. U.S. citizenship is not a determinant of eligibility. All eligible fellows receive a Summer Earnings Waiver.
  • If the proposal requires international travel, the applicant must agree to sign a contract and waiver stating that they will abide by the university’s protocols. Students will not be funded to travel to countries on the State Department's warning list.

Applying to the Fellowship

The Royce Fellowship application opens every December in UFunds.

Contact

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2wQIbawyRp4

Student Spotlight: Rishika Kartik ’26

Rishika Kartik ’26, a current Royce Fellow with the Swearer Center, has combined her interest in accessibility and art through her Fellowship project.
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Student Spotlight: Luke Hurton '24

Luke Hurton '24, a current Royce Fellow, came to Brown intending to study Psychology and soon declared his concentration in Anthropology as well.
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