Graduate School

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Brown offers interdisciplinary opportunities to support advanced graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. These opportunities provide an enhanced context for advanced doctoral students, allowing them to engage in the activities of interdisciplinary Centers and Institutes at Brown.

They are designed to embed students in a community of scholars, with professional development and research opportunities, in order to support students as they complete their degrees and launch their careers.

The Graduate School anticipates supporting approximately 16 fellows through this initiative each year, with most Centers and Institutes hosting one fellow.

Only students in the humanities and social sciences who will be entering their fifth- or sixth-year of doctoral study in 2025-2026 are eligible. (Students who are off-cycle are eligible one semester earlier, as rising 4.5 or 5.5 students.) Interested students should submit the Interdisciplinary Opportunity Application to the Graduate School (deadline TBA, through UFunds under “Graduate School Humanities and Social Sciences Advanced Student Funding.” Please review the descriptions for each opportunity below as some programs may require additional application materials.

Application Components

  • For students submitting applications to two centers, two applications are required.
  • Student Application in UFUNDS includes:
    - Dissertation Project Description
    - Dissertation Completion Plan
    - CV or Graduate School Digital CV
  • Recommender form in UFUNDS (applicant enters the appropriate email addresses; recommenders will receive an email with the form):
    - Faculty Advisor: Brief letter of Support
    - DGS: Brief Message of Support and Confirmation of Good Standing

Application

2025-2026 Opportunities

Brown University Digital Publications (BUDP), based in the University Library’s Center for Digital Scholarship (CDS), has one position available for a doctoral student in the humanities or humanistic social sciences with interest in digital scholarship development and academic publishing. For AY2025-26, the appointment carries a time commitment of up to 10 hours per week.

BUDP supports Brown faculty in the creation of new scholarly forms that present research and advance arguments in ways not achievable in a conventional print format, whether through multimedia enhancements or interactive engagement with research materials. This program of distinction is committed to integrating diversity, equity, and social justice into the practice and production of digital publications for both scholarly audiences and the wider public. Learn more about the award-winning born-digital publications already published and those currently in development.

Working with the entire BUDP team, the fellow will be exposed to the full range of activities involved in the creation of a born-digital scholarly publication. By working across a portfolio of projects at different stages of completion, the fellow will hone their editorial judgment and gain an understanding of current practices and debates surrounding the development of longform, interactive scholarship intended for publication by leading university presses. The fellowship aims to build analytical, creative problem-solving, and project management skills. This opportunity is particularly suited for students interested in exploring careers in the digital humanities or scholarly publishing.

Questions about this fellowship can be addressed to Allison Levy, Director, Brown University Digital Publications.

The contact person for this program is Ashley Champagne, Director for the Center for Digital Scholarship.

The University’s digital scholarship hub, the Center for Digital Scholarship (CDS), provides inspiration, expertise, services, and teaching in digital scholarship methodologies, project development, and publication to Brown faculty, staff, and students. CDS is looking for one fellow with interest and/or experience in using digital tools and methods for research for 2025-2026. The anticipated time commitment is up to 10 hours per week.

The fellow will serve the Brown community in collaboration with the CDS staff experts by offering consultations to faculty and students, presenting on their own scholarly work, and participating in CDS meetings and other activities. The fellow will have the opportunity to assist with each of the current CDS specialities: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and humanistic research, text mining, data visualization, data analysis, scientific data management, geospatial information, critical data studies, scholarly communications, web design, and digital publishing. There is room to shape the position to fit the fellow’s specific expertise and interests. 

The fellow will also receive direct training and assistance from CDS staff experts in digital scholarly methods and practices germane to their dissertation work, experience with digital tools and methodologies for a wide variety of projects is valuable for a range of future career possibilities. 

A few examples of how the fellow might contribute to the Library's dynamic environment for digital scholarship are:

  • Developing a faculty digital project with the CDS team
  • Creating documentation and other materials related to the fellow's own work to contribute to knowledge of digital scholarly practice
  • Advising other graduate students on using digital tools for their research 
  • Presenting research at the Digital Humanities Salon
  • Collaborating with CDS staff to serve as a co-instructor for one of our workshops that count towards the Digital Humanities Doctoral Certificate Program

At the conclusion of the fellowship, the fellow will submit an evaluation of their experience, reflecting on substantive issues, needs and capabilities that might be appropriate for the Library’s future work with other graduate students and faculty in their research endeavors.

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) invites applications for one or more Interdisciplinary Opportunity fellows. Fellows will contribute by collaborating with the Center’s Director and staff in the coordination of a graduate- and faculty-oriented Research Seminar, workshops and other related events; design and plan graduate and undergraduate student involvement in the Seminar, as well as community outreach; conduct research related to Seminar activities; and write up summaries of the events for publicity and reporting purposes.

The fellows will meet regularly with the Center Director, staff, and members of the CLACS steering committee members. We are especially interested in applicants whose own research focuses on Indigeneity and Indigenous Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, but are open to applications from all disciplines and areas of interest. The Interdisciplinary Opportunity positions aim to build communication, creative problem-solving, analytical, research, and management skills.

Fellows will be appointed to a Proctorship for Fall and Spring, with a half-time service appointment over the two semesters. Office space at the Center may be available.

The contact person for this program is Niamh McGuigan, Director for Library Exploration and Research.

The Center for Library Exploration and Research (CLEAR) at the Brown University Library seeks a graduate student fellow for 2025-2026 with interest and experience in data-driven research methodologies. The fellow will be appointed to a half-time proctorship for both semesters, with an anticipated commitment of up to ten hours weekly. They will serve the Brown community alongside CLEAR Data Services staff by collaborating on research consultations and projects, sharing expertise in data and social science research methods, and participating in CLEAR meetings and other activities. This fellowship offers a chance to engage with a large population of students, researchers, and educators across interdisciplinary communities. We welcome applications from students with varied technical, research, and pedagogical backgrounds.

CLEAR Data Services is a small team of library data science practitioners supporting the Brown community with data and coding needs. We provide support for finding, processing, and analyzing data (particularly geospatial, census, socio-economic, financial, and environmental), and offer programming to develop data literacy and analysis skills. The fellow will contribute to innovative data science programs and services, collaborating with librarians on tasks including, but not limited to: research consultations, ongoing research projects, workshop development and support, and student training and mentorship. The fellow will receive training from Data Services librarians, and gain technical and applied research expertise valuable for various career paths.

Some examples of how this fellow may collaborate with CLEAR Data Services include (but are not limited to):

  • Community engaged research projects in the local Providence and Rhode Island communities
  • Exploring avenues for teaching data science concepts
  • Creating tutorials and exploratory data projects
  • Contributing to federal data preservation efforts
  • Experimenting with research applications of generative AI

Fellowship details will be negotiated to support the goals of both the fellow and the Library. Fellows will be expected to be in residence in Providence, and to work regularly in the Sciences Library. At the conclusion, the fellow will submit an evaluation of their experience, reflecting on issues, needs and capabilities relevant for the Library's future work with students, faculty, and staff in their research endeavors.

The Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America (CSREA) is able to host up to two fellows. The contact person for this program is Associate Director, Stéphanie Larrieux.

This fellowship is for fifth- or sixth-year graduate students in any humanities or social science department or program whose dissertation is focused on questions related to issues of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity in the United States or in a transnational/comparative framework that includes the U.S.

This fellowship is designed for students who will benefit from an interdisciplinary environment where their research is supported and who wish to support the research associated with CSREA. All fellows at CSREA will be expected to share their research and consistently attend the CSREA Fellows Seminar, which meets approximately five times a semester and includes faculty and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, we expect our graduate fellows to spend regular time at CSREA, to be active and regular participants in seminars, workshops, and lectures organized by CSREA.

Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) is able to host up to one fellow. The contact person for this opportunity is Academic Program Manager, Jeanne Loewenstein.

IBES offers fellowships for fifth or sixth year graduate student who have an interest in the intersections between their research and environmental scholarship. The selected candidate will be expected to utilize their knowledge and experience to bolster IBES’ mission as an engine of real-world impact and a training ground for the next generation of changemakers building a just, sustainable world. Fellows will be expected to support an area of the IBES strategic plan, especially the goals related to Driving Solutions-Inspired Research and Engaging for Impact.

As such, the selected fellow will have primary teaching responsibilities or serve as teaching assistants for courses in the Environmental Sciences & Studies (ENVS) concentration during one term. Alternatively, IBES is open to a fellow interested in enriching our curriculum through community engagement (potentially through a proctorship). Students will be on fellowship and pursue their research in the alternate term.

We recommend reviewing our current ENVS curriculum guide to learn about our concentration requirements. If you are interested in teaching a stand-alone ENVS course, please discuss how it would complement our curricular offerings while advancing your interdisciplinary scholarly goals. Descriptions of the following courses taught by past fellows can be found through C@B - ENVS 1878 EJ and The City: Perspectives on Environmental Justice and Inequality (Spring 2025) and ENVS 1233 Underground Studies: Extractivism and Decolonization in the Americas/Abiayala.

If you are interested in serving as a TA in an existing ENVS course, please flag those courses that align well with your expertise and interdisciplinary scholarly goals. Interested students should indicate their preference and qualifications for these appointments. Active participation in the events and activities of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society will be expected.

Applicants must be in good standing and address in their application the ways in which their dissertation connects with IBES’s mission to understand natural, human and social systems.

John Carter Brown Library is able to host one fellow. The contact person for this program is Alyson Conroy, Administrative Coordinator for Fellowships.

The John Carter Brown (JCB) Library fellow should have a dissertation topic that relates to the early history and culture of the Americas and whose research and writing would benefit from privileged and sustained access to the resources of the John Carter Brown Library, one of the world’s most renowned collections of early Americana. While primarily engaged in dissertation research, fellows are expected to collaborate closely with leading curatorial experts on a Library project and be active and engaged members of the international community of scholars in residence at the Library. Fellows are appointed to a half-time proctorship both semesters. Applicants may be invited for an interview.

The John Nicholas Brown Center (JNBC) is able to host one fellow. The contact person is Kevin McLaughlin, Director of the John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study. 

The John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study announces one Interdisciplinary Opportunity fellowship for a fifth- or sixth-year Ph.D. student interested in working as an editorial assistant for the journal NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction, a triannual scholarly journal devoted to the study of the novel in all languages and from different disciplinary perspectives. NOVEL is edited at Brown and is housed at the JNBC in the Nightingale-Brown House. The fellow will support the Managing Editor and the Editorial Board for the journal, with particular responsibility for the following:

  • assisting with the selection and solicitation of books to be reviewed in the journal
  • preparing for and participating in the weekly meetings with the Managing Editor and the editorial team
  • developing topics for special issues of the journal focused on topics of particular interest

The anticipated time commitment for this position is 10 hours per week for the fall and spring semesters. The fellow will be provided with office space in the Nightingale-Brown House. The fellowship is structured to provide graduate students in literary studies with opportunities for enhancing their critical and writing skills, as they acquire a deep knowledge of developments in the field and gain valuable editorial experience. Applicants will be selected based on interest in editorial work and previous experience working with literature across disciplinary perspectives.

Joukowsky Institute for Archeology and the Ancient World is able to host one fellow. The contact person for this program is Sarah Sharpe.

The Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World (JIAAW) welcomes students from a wide range of fields to join in and extend our scholarship and interdisciplinary conversations. Interdisciplinary Opportunity Fellowships at the JIAAW are especially intended to support advanced doctoral students from disciplines that historically might not have strong connections to archaeology, material culture and/or the ancient world but nevertheless find themselves directly engaged with research that connects to one (or all) of these themes. Successful applicants will demonstrate how their research will benefit from increased engagement with Brown’s community of archaeology and ancient world specialists.

While some familiarity with archaeology, material culture, and/or ancient culture is encouraged as a shared basis for interdisciplinary dialogues, the JIAAW welcomes applications from students from any discipline. While the JIAAW will consider applications from students pursuing degrees in allied programs (Anthropology, Classics, Egyptology and Assyriology,

History of Art and Architecture, and Religious Studies), students pursuing degrees that have less well-established connections to archaeology and the ancient world are especially encouraged to apply.

Interdisciplinary Opportunity Fellows at the JIAAW are expected to attend the weekly Thursday noon lecture series and will be required to present their own research in that series. Fellows are also strongly urged to attend evening lectures and especially any conferences held during their fellowship period. While not a requirement of the fellowship, students may also propose their own collaborative projects with members of the Institute: an exhibition, public research project, or some other activity that directly builds from their doctoral project. Fellows will be offered shared space, and the opportunity for discussion about and feedback on their own scholarship.

Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women is able to host two or more fellows. The contact for this program is the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate Program, Denise Davis.

The Pembroke Center is a feminist research center devoted to critical scholarship on the struggles faced by people across national and transnational contexts whose gender identity or sexual orientation make them targets of epistemological, medical, economic, ontological, and other social violence. Since its founding in 1981, the Pembroke Center has sought to confront societal challenges across borders by interrogating the foundations of categories used to differentiate and hierarchize individuals and groups—including gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, citizenship, and class—and how those categories intersect and mutually produce each other.

The Pembroke Center invites applications from fifth- or sixth-year graduate students. This fellowship is designed for students who would benefit from interdisciplinary teaching experience or from experience working at an interdisciplinary academic journal. One or two will serve as teaching assistants for the Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies class in Fall 2025 (20 hours per week), with the spring 2026 semester being a research fellowship. Candidates familiar with critical methods and foundational questions in GNSS preferred. One or two will serve as an editorial assistant for differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies; this will be a half-time position (10 hours a week) for two semesters. Journal proctors work closely with the editors on submissions and assist with editorial tasks, as well as help to generate ideas for special issues.

Candidates for the editorial position should be versed in critical or cultural theory and interested in current trends and debates in the humanities, especially in gender and sexuality studies. Excellent writing skills in English are essential. Applicants’ preferences for teaching or editorial positions, where indicated, will be taken into consideration. Proctors will be encouraged but not required to participate in Pembroke Center programming, including the Pembroke Research Seminar, which will be led in 2025–26 by Professor Juliet Hooker, Royce Family Professor of Teaching in Political Science, and titled "The Civic Work of Monuments."

Population Studies and Training Center (PTSC) is able to host one or more fellows. The contact person for this program is the Training Program Director, Andrew Foster.

The PSTC welcomes applications from 5th or 6th year students in the social sciences. Applicants will be selected based on the quality of their research and its contribution to population studies. Priority will be given to students who have shown interest in and commitment to population studies through prior participation in the PSTC training program and population-related coursework. 

Fellows will be expected to be in residence in Providence, and to regularly work in the PSTC. They will be provided desk space with a computer and computing support. They will be expected to participate in the intellectual life of the Center through attending the weekly seminar series and participating in workshops and relevant working groups. In addition, they will contribute no more than eight hours a week over the course of the academic year to support PSTC research, teaching, and training activities. The nature of the activities will be individually negotiated in order to appropriately contribute to the professional development of the student. These activities could include research or teaching support, coordinating workshops or working groups, assisting with preparation of IRB applications in the student's general research area, working with the Center Director or Associate Director to prepare data for center grant applications, or assisting faculty with organizing a conference in the student's general research area.

The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning is able to support up to two fellows in:

  1. Educational Development
  2. Writing Pedagogy and Program Administration

Fellows should specify on their application what specific position(s) within the Sheridan Center for which they would like to be considered.

Educational Assessment: Faculty and university professionals are engaged in a variety of projects each year to assess student learning and teaching effectiveness at Brown. The Sheridan Center supports a wide variety of these efforts, including concentration reviews, instructor-requested early student feedback, student focus groups, and faculty scholarship on teaching and learning. This proctorship will include professional development around assessment in higher education and practical opportunities to participate in all stages of the assessment process. The knowledge and experiences gained will be valuable for both faculty roles and university professional careers.

We invite applicants with experience conducting complex projects that require attention to detail and coordination with one or more key partners, strong communication skills, effective time management habits, and practical experience learning to use new digital tools. Familiarity with qualitative data collection (interviews, focus groups), thematic analysis, Qualtrics, or STATA increase opportunities to contribute to more advanced projects. Applicants should include information regarding any of these in a CV section titled “Relevant Experience.” 

A weekly commitment of 10 hours, structured as a proctorship, including routine office hours, occasional project meetings, timely updates to project management documentation, and participation in meetings with members of the Assessment and Transformational Programs hub of the Sheridan Center is expected. This work may be completed in a combination of in-person and remote work settings to accommodate the proctor’s schedule, with some in-person work required. Office space in the Sciences Library is provided.

Writing Pedagogy and Program Administration The Writing and English Language Support (WELS) hub of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning invites applicants for a one-year half-time (10/hours/week) Proctorship. The contact person is Dr. Jenna Morton-Aiken, Senior Associate Director for Writing and English Language Support and Lecturer in English.This opportunity is designed as hands-on professional development for graduate students seeking practical experience in: program administration; centers for teaching and learning; interdisciplinary approaches to teaching writing; and/or diverse and inclusive pedagogies. Candidates are not required to be familiar with writing center/pedagogy best practices, but should be able to demonstrate dedication to supporting others in their learning goals with empathy, inclusion, and genuine curiosity. In addition to teaching and learning experience, this position aims to build communication, creative problem-solving, analytical, research, and project and people management skills.

Though the particulars of the role will be discussed  to support the successful professional development goals and objectives, responsibilities may include shared management of the Writing Fellows program, co-teaching the Writing Fellows training course, supporting the WELS Hub through project management, andplanning and executing writing related programming. Additional responsibilities may include developing branding and marketing materials and strategies, developing writing resources related to generative AI; collaborating on professional development and DEI initiatives for Writing Center Associates and Writing Fellows, providing direct mentorship to undergraduate writing tutors, developing and implementing writing workshops and retreats for undergraduate and/or graduate students, or participating in programming for the Writing Center and Writing Fellows Program.

Applicants will be selected on their demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusive, and belonging and best practices for supporting learning. Priority will be given to those with teaching experience, evidence of engagement with the Sheridan Center, demonstrated organizational skills, program management experience, and/or familiarity with rhetoric and composition scholarship. Applicants may be invited for an interview.

The successful fellow will be appointed to a half-time proctorship (10 hours per week) for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. The fellow will be hosted in the Sheridan Center in the Sciences Library and will be expected on site on a regular basis. A private office will be provided as space allows. The fellow will meet regularly with Dr. Morton-Aiken and the WELS hub staff, and will have opportunities to build connections across the Sheridan Center as well as other partners across campus.

The WELS hub supports writing across campus for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty as writers and teachers of writing, offering specific resources for multilingual writers. We are dedicated to inclusive and antiracist teaching practices, supporting all writers towards their goals through multiple pathways to success, and cultivating a positive work environment committed to supporting each other as colleagues.

The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice (Simmons Center) is able to host one or more fellows. The contact person for this program is the director, Anthony Bogues.

The Simmons Center examines the historical forms of slavery, the ways that these forms have shaped the modern world and how questions of freedom and justice have been generated by this historical condition. The Simmons Center also focuses on contemporary forms of human bondage. It has a public humanities program which consists of an exhibition and series of public lectures. The Simmons Center research program circles around the following research clusters: forms of contemporary human bondage; scholarship on the historic forms of slavery; the relationship between slavery, colonialism and democracy; the relationship between race, slavery and capitalism; and curating an international exhibition on slavery and colonialism with international partners. The center hosts a vibrant interdisciplinary research cluster on race, slavery and medical knowledge.

The Simmons Center seeks fifth- or sixth-year graduate students whose research areas falls broadly within any of these clusters. Graduate students who are focusing on questions of historical injustice and racial slavery in any part of the contemporary world are also encouraged to apply. Responsibilities of the fellowship will include coordination and participation in the on-going seminar series of the center and present their research at the center during the fellowship period. The primary focus of the fellow should be to complete the dissertation, present it to the Center, and collaborate with the center faculty and staff in developing and participating in programming.