Deadline for Applications: March 30, 2018
The Strauss Center has announced the call for applications for the 2018-19 Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows and Undergraduate Scholars programs. These unique opportunities provide research training and mentorships to exceptional undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. The program is made possible by the generous support of Jon and Rebecca Brumley.
Undergraduate Students: Next Generation Scholars
The Strauss Center launched the Next Generation Scholars (NGS) program in 2010 with the goal of providing new research and mentorship opportunities for promising UT undergraduate students interested in careers in international security and law. This program now also includes a focus on civic engagement, expanding the reach of the program by engaging more students and involving faculty members on a wider range of local, national, and international policy issues. Involving undergraduates in international affairs and civic engagement early in their career is an important part of the Strauss Center’s mission to prepare the next generation of leaders to help develop solutions to the most pressing public policy challenges.
This one-year program includes two key components: First, students will take a 3-credit research training and professional development course, taught in the Fall of 2018. This course is designed to introduce students to policy work, including basic skills in policy research, analysis, and writing. Students will be trained on designing research strategies and proposals, conducting policy analysis, writing resumes and statements of purpose, crafting op-eds and blog posts, and planning for the steps in their career development. This course will be led by UT professors and Strauss Center Distinguished Scholars Dr. Kate Weaver and Dr. Michael Mosser.
Second, in the spring semester, the Next Generation Scholars will work closely with Dr. Weaver and Dr. Mosser on a collaborative policy research project and report. Students should expect to maintain regular contact and meet biweekly for short meetings to assess progress on research and writing. The exact schedule for the spring will be determined at a later date to work around students’ course schedules. Students will also be awarded a stipend of $500 for the spring semester. Students may use this stipend for independent research, travel to a study abroad program or summer internship, travel to a professional conference, or other experiential and scholarly pursuits with prior approval. Funding permitting, and contingent on positive performance evaluations, students may have the possibility of continuing as research interns at the Strauss Center after the year-long Next Generation Scholars program concludes.
Graduate Students: Next Generation Fellows
Now in its third year, the Next Generation Fellows is an exciting opportunity open to graduate students from any program at UT who share our interest in international affairs and who wish to participate more directly in the intellectual life of the Strauss Center. Selection is highly-competitive, with only one person chosen for each of the Center’s various program areas.
Graduate Fellows will be paired with a Distinguished Scholar at the Strauss Center conducting research relevant to the Fellow’s degree. Fellows will engage in their own research on a program-relevant topic, and will also assist their Distinguished Scholar with his or her existing research initiatives. In addition to the research component, Fellows are expected to maintain a deep level of engagement with the Strauss Center, attending conferences and events. There will be a monthly Graduate Fellow Colloquium, during which Fellows convene for a lunchtime discussion with a policymaker, practitioner, or visiting scholar to discuss current research work as well as career advancement and development. During these colloquia Fellows will also share their own research, and provide feedback on their peers’ projects. For application information, click here.
Please visit the Strauss Center’s NextGen program website for application information.
The application deadline for both the Brumley Next Generation Fellows and Scholars programs is March 30, 2018.