St. Lawrence University Fellowship Description

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The St. Lawrence University Fellowship program aims to:

  • Provide new opportunities for student intellectual growth.
  • Support students in undertaking new initiatives that require special financial support.
  • Promote close student-faculty collaboration outside of the regular academic calendar.
  • Enable students to explore lines of inquiry without the immediate expectation of academic credit, in order to lay the foundation for integrative, credit-bearing activity that can take place during the next academic year.
  • Encourage interdisciplinary lines of inquiry, as well as those within traditional disciplines.
  • Recognize seriousness of purpose in students who seek to build imaginatively on their past achievements.

The following guidelines apply to the St. Lawrence University Fellows program:

1. Eight weeks of full-time study during the summer months are normally required. Ordinarily, students are expected to begin their work in late May. However, exceptions will be made for students returning from the study abroad programs in Australia and New Zealand, provided that these students present a clear plan, approved by their faculty mentors, for making progress on their summer projects prior to their return to campus.  Students who are seniors at the time of application are NOT eligible for this fellowship.

2. Students awarded a Fellowship receive a $4,000 stipend to replace earnings from summer employment. (The IRS requires the university to withhold 30% on stipend payments to international students, but the U.S. has tax treaties with some countries that exempt this tax. International students should contact Sebastian Notaro, Controller, for further information). Unless required by the nature of the research project, it is expected that fellows will spend the preponderance of the grant period on campus working in close contact with their faculty mentor.  For on campus work, housing on campus is provided but the project must be conducted when the residence halls are open for summer session. Students are expected to provide for their own board out of the stipend received. If some or all of the work must be completed off campus, a $500 maximum housing allowance may be requested. Such support, however, is exceptional, and a rationale should be provided with the application.

3. An additional award is available to reimburse project-related expenses, such as travel and supplies. Ordinarily, the upper limit of this award is $300. A budget with estimated expenses should be included with the proposal if the student wishes to have project-related expenses paid for by the SLU Fellowship program. If more than $300 is needed for research expenses, both the student and his/her mentor are required to make a clear case for additional funding in the application and in the mentor’s supporting letter. Importantly, there is no guarantee that requests for large sums of support in excess of $300 can be supported by the SLU Fellows program. If the excess funds requested are essential for the project’s completion, but are not available, the project may be deemed unfeasible by the committee, and rejected. Capital items purchased under this award remain the property of the sponsoring department.

4. In order to minimize conflicting and competing time constraints that might interfere with successful completion of the Fellowship project, students chosen as SLU Fellows may enroll in only one summer session course or work up to eight hours per week.

5. Normally, the project mentor will be a full-time teaching member of the St. Lawrence University faculty, in a continuing position. If a student wishes to have a part-time teaching member (such as an adjunct faculty member) serve as his or her mentor, a full-time continuing faculty member must be willing to serve as a sponsor of the project and as a back-up project mentor if needed.

6. Faculty mentors will help shape each student’s project and work actively with the student, as appropriate to the nature of the project and the discipline(s) involved. Normally, this will entail several meetings per week. For this reason, it is expected that students will work with only one faculty mentor. For his/her mentoring, the faculty member will receive an honorarium of $1,500 per student. If a student has a compelling rationale for working with more than one faculty mentor, the rationale must be fully addressed in the student’s proposal. In this case, the per-student stipend will be shared by the faculty mentors. Normally, no faculty member will supervise more than three students annually.  The evaluation committee will give preference to the two highest ranked students working with a particular mentor.

7. Faculty mentors do not necessarily have to be in residence at SLU during the fellowship period. If the mentor will be absent, she/he will have to describe how the student will be supervised, mentored and evaluated on a regular basis.

8. SLU Fellows will report collectively on their Fellowship projects during a public presentation in the 2022 fall semester. The presentation generally takes place at the Honors Reception during Family Weekend. Usually, students present a research poster or display creative works. Students who are interested in alternative means of presenting their work must contact the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs several weeks prior to the Honors Reception.

9. Many projects culminate in a final research paper, a collection of findings, digital media, exhibitions or performances, or other types of creative projects. By two weeks after the end of the grant period, students must complete submission of all requirements on the Scholars website (instructions will be provided to you during the summer).

10. The final $250 of the student’s stipend will be withheld until the following requirements of the Fellowship have been completed:

  • Completed project
  • Scholars website submission
  • Public, on-campus presentation of fellowship project

11.  Application forms for the St. Lawrence University Fellowship program will be available starting Monday, October 22, 2023 from the Academic Affairs webpage. The completed application form must be submitted electronically to the Academic Dean’s Office no later than 11:59PM on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Applications consist of the following:
a. A completed SLU Fellows Application Form.

b. A proposal that follows the Fellowship Proposal Guidelines. Proposals will be evaluated upon the following criteria:

  • The student has played a primary role in the project’s design.
  • The scholarship goal(s) is/are clearly communicated, demonstrating sophistication of thought.
  • Quality of writing is concise, clear for a general audience with a comprehensive bibliography, if relevant.
  • An explanation, if relevant, of how this project relates to the faculty mentor’s research/scholarship.
  • The student is prepared academically and personally to succeed in the project.
  • The project’s scope is feasible within the outlined time period for the work.
  • Mentor and faculty recommendations are strong.
  • The student receives regular faculty mentoring and assessment throughout the project.
  • Itemized budget if project will entail expenses.

c. An unofficial academic transcript.

d. Completed recommendation forms from the faculty mentor and a recent faculty instructor who can provide an academic reference for the student.

12. Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants Committee, which will make recommendations to the Dean of Academic Affairs. SLU Fellowships are for students who have demonstrated seriousness of purpose and initiative during their college experience. Such demonstration may include, but shall not be limited to, consideration of their grade point average. The Committee will give priority to students who have not previously been funded under the SLU Fellowship program. In some cases, the Committee may give priority to students who use this project in preparation for integrative work with St. Lawrence University faculty during the next academic year.

For further information or questions, please call the Academic Dean’s Office at acadean@stlawu.edu or x5993.