Skip to main content

Cornell University Cornell Brooks Public Policy

Brooks School Student Opportunity Grants

We are excited to share the upcoming launch of the new Brooks School Student Opportunity Grants. This donor-sponsored funding is designed to give Brooks School students additional access to unpaid opportunities in the field of public policy and public affairs.  

Grant Areas:

Race, Racism and Public Policy Grant:

The Brooks School is dedicated to confronting the role of public policy in producing, perpetuating, and addressing racism and related forms of injustice—both in the past and the present.  While this goal will be supported and given priority through any of the funds listed below, this fund specific fund will directly support students’ participation in research, service or engagement opportunities aimed at tackling systematic racism within the field of public policy or public affairs.  

Research Grants:

Research experiences can be a transformative part of the academic experience, by allowing students to participate in the academic process of discovery and knowledge generation.  This fund is intended for research activities in the field of public policy or public affairs. Priority will be given to student-led research costs, such as data purchases for theses or independent study. Students may also request funding to work in unpaid research assistant positions on faculty projects, but these will be reserved only for students who cannot participate in such activities otherwise.  Opportunities that focus on issues of race, racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged. Priority will be given for projects in any of the seven identified areas of priority for the Brooks School:  Data Science and Technology Policy; Global Security; Health Policy; Politics and Economics of Development; Race, Racism and Public Policy; Social Policy and Inequality; Sustainability and Environmental Policy. Support of a Brooks School faculty mentor is required to be eligible for the funds.

Unpaid Internship Grants:

Internships deepen learning through the application of the Brooks curriculum, while making an impact on society. This fund is intended for students who without funding would otherwise be unable to participate in an unpaid internship.  The unpaid internship experience must be in the field of public policy or public affairs. This funding opportunity is available for Brooks students participating in unpaid internships through the Cornell in Washington program and other related Cornell programs, as well as internships arranged outside of Cornell. Opportunities that focus on issues of race, racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged.  Students may apply for funding before receiving the internship. Proof of internship receipt will be required for fund distribution.  

Application and Eligibility: 

Any current undergraduate or professional master’s student enrolled in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and in good academic standing is eligible to apply. Each funding opportunity will support multiple students across all programs. The total number of awards will depend on the size and nature of the requests.  Students are encouraged to keep budgets as small as possible while still allowing themselves opportunity to complete their goals.

Applicants are required to submit:

  • A 1–2-page proposal outlining how the funding will further your Brooks School studies and/or help you be successful in your professional life, describing how the proposed opportunity meets the funding purpose, and noting any specific details surrounding personal need for funding. Where applicable, please also describe how the proposed opportunity connects to the Brooks School’s goals in diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism.
  • A budgeting narrative, with a table outlining each expected expense and the total requested amount for the opportunity, as well as a brief summary of each expense and why it is justified. This should be 1 page maximum.
  • Your resume and a copy of your most current transcript.

Online applications are now open.  Applications will be reviewed monthly, on the 1st of the month.  For full consideration for summer funding opportunities, applications should be submitted by April 1, 2023..

 

For questions, contact your appropriate program representative: 

Undergraduate Students – Jen Wright,  jrd292@cornell.edu
Master of Public Administration Students – Millie Reed, mrr6@cornell.edu 
Sloan Master of Health Administration – Shannon Lupo, sl2836@cornell.edu