The Strauss Center is very pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2019-2020 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.

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 29, 2019.

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 2019. 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. Michael Mosser and Dr. Stephanie Holmsten.

The Strauss Center launched the Next Generation Scholars 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 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.

Second, in the spring semester, the Next Generation Scholars will work closely with Dr. Mosser and Dr. Holmsten 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. 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.