Swearer Center for Public Service

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 community-engaged research projects of their own design in locations across the United States and around the world.

Fellows conduct their research under the guidance of a faculty member and/or a community partner while being part of an interdisciplinary cohort of students from across the university. The program confers lifetime membership in the Society of Royce Fellows, 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.

Eligibility

  • Applicants from all concentrations are welcome, but the fellowship requires the support of a faculty or community mentor. Recipients must reside at Brown for at least one semester following the summer research. 
  • 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.

Application Process

The Royce Fellowship application opens every Spring in UFunds.

Fellowship Expectations

  • Once selected, fellows are inducted into the Society of Royce Fellows in a ceremony in April and participate in a cohort orientation in early May. 
  • 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 their 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 a SPRINT semester stipend to support their continued research, writing and analysis.
  • Royce Fellows are required to present their research findings to the broader campus and Providence community at the annual Royce Fellowship Presentations in February. Students graduating in December or studying abroad in the spring semester are permitted to present in the fall. 

Contact

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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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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