Graduate School
Deans’ Faculty Fellows Program
Deans’ Faculty Fellows Nominations
Graduate program chairs will have the opportunity to nominate one applicant for a Deans’ Faculty Fellowship. Nominations from programs without an active PhD program, including undergraduate programs or centers and institutes, will require prior review of budget availability.
Deans’ Faculty Fellows will teach or co-teach one course in a host department. Deans’ Faculty Fellows may take on additional research or teaching duties if funding is available from grants or other departmental sources.
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants must be nominated for a Deans’ Faculty Fellowship. Applicants must be Brown doctoral students, active in Fall 2025, who commit to completing all requirements for the degree (including completing, defending, and depositing the dissertation) by December 1, 2025. Applicants may be in any year of their graduate program at the time of application, including in year six or above.
The program is open to students of all nationalities. However, international students will have to arrange with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISSS) for authorization for employment for the term of the appointment (Optional Practical Training). Please note that many students are limited to just 12 months of OPT, and the appointment as a Visiting Assistant Professor will count for 4.5 months of the OPT. Interested international students should consult in advance with OISSS and follow all guidance as directed, as the process is time-sensitive and delays may prevent stepping into the DFF role.
Applicant Selection Criteria
The applicant selection criteria will include the applicant’s record of excellence in teaching and scholarship; their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; their timely progress toward degree completion and their plan for completion (with extra consideration for applicants completing in 6 years or less); and, for all applicants, the support from the advisor and department.
Application
The application will be available through UFunds (under “Graduate School Distinctive Opportunities”). Applicants should consult with their Chair (or DGS) before applying to confirm their department’s nomination in advance:
- Step 1: Applicant completes the Deans’ Faculty Fellows application form in UFunds, including the email address of their department chair, director of graduate study, and faculty advisor.
- Step 2: The Chair receives an email prompting them to complete the nomination form. When applicable, Chairs will also be asked to confirm funding availability.The DGS and advisor receive an email prompting them to complete the relevant section of the form in UFunds.
Timeline and Funding
Fellows appointed for the spring semester will receive a salary for 4.5 months. The position enables graduate students to continue their health insurance policy that they began in fall semester. For graduate programs that did not pause admissions for 2021-2022 admissions cycle, funding for positions will be drawn primarily from departmental resources.
- March 3, 2025: Application opens in UFunds
- March 21, 2025: DFF applications are due
- March 28, 2025: Nominations and recommender forms due.
Questions
For questions, please contact Vanessa Ryan, Senior Associate Dean of Student Development, or Byrd McDaniel, Assistant Director of Student Development, at Graduate_Dean@brown.edu.
Current Deans’ Faculty Fellows
- Olivia Lafferty
English - Courtney Lau
Theatre Arts and Performance Studies - Fosca Maddaloni
History of Art and Architecture - Sarah Pearlman Shapiro
History - Noah Tetenbaum
Religious Studies
Ethel Barja Cuyutupa
Alyce de Carteret
Natalie Adler