The Graduate School actively recruits students who are and have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education, including but not limited to underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, women and people with disabilities. The Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion works in partnership with individual departments and programs at Brown and cultivates relationships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
In the fall, the Graduate School offers prospective students the opportunity to visit Brown’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, and to learn about Brown’s doctoral programs at Doctoral Preview Day.
The Graduate School works closely with the Leadership Alliance to identify potential graduate program applicants among the pool of undergraduate students who are conducting research at Brown for eight weeks during the summer. Similarly, the Graduate School works in close partnership with students from Tougaloo College who spend time at Brown throughout the year while participating in various aspects of Brown-Tougaloo Partnership programming.
The Graduate School attends conferences annually to share information about our graduate programs and provide prospective students guidance on the application process.
Recruitment Event | Date | Location |
---|---|---|
University of Central Florida Graduate/Professional School Expo | October 17, 2024 | Orlando, FL |
SACNAS: The National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference | October 31- November 3, 2024 | Phoenix, AZ |
MMUF Western Regional Conference Graduate Fair | November 9, 2024 | Whittier, CA |
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS) | November 13-16, 2024 | Pittsburgh, PA |
Annual Ivy Plus Puerto Rico Recruitment Event | November 18-22, 2024 | Puerto Rico |
The Graduate School offers fellowships to assist in the recruitment, enrollment and retention of students in doctoral programs who will contribute to the diversity of the graduate student body. Mae Williamson Simmons Fellowships provide a higher level of stipend support funding for three years and a one-time $1,000 research fund. The fellowships are named after Mae Belle Williamson Simmons, who earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Brown in 1962 — the earliest known Black woman to earn her doctoral degree from the University.
Applicants to doctoral programs can express their interest in being considered for the Mae Williamson Simmons Fellowship on the admissions application. As part of the holistic review process, graduate programs will identify candidates who demonstrate exceptional academic merit, scholarly potential and a commitment to contributing to the Brown community through their personal experiences, areas of scholarship and service.
Graduate programs must submit fellowship nominations by the end of January. The selection committee will review the nominations and candidate files, and awardees will be notified by the end of February.
The Graduate School sponsors events that highlight the experiences of students from underrepresented groups. These include dinners with guest speakers, academic and cultural celebrations and social networking activities. It also supports various student associations and clubs representing Brown’s diverse graduate student population. Additionally, the University provides individual and group support for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ).
In response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Anti-Black Racism, the Black at Brown [Graduate] Grant pilot grant supports programs and initiatives across campus initiated by graduate students that chiefly support the Black diaspora in the Brown University community, but also work to address or benefit the Black diaspora in the greater Providence community and beyond.