Winter Study Fellowships

Fellowship applications were due by 11:59 p.m. on October 2, 2024.

Winter Study Independent Projects (99s) are eligible for:

  • Roche and Gomez
  • Levien
  • Gaudino (group projects only)

Winter Study thesis students can apply for:

  • Roche and Gomez

Please carefully review fellowship criteria and application process details.

  • For Winter Study, any upper class student pursuing independent research either through a Winter Study Independent Project (99) or through a thesis is eligible to apply for the Roche and Gomez Student Research Fellowship.

    Preference will be given to juniors for whom a proposed Winter Study 99 research project will catalyze a full-year honors thesis and to seniors doing a thesis or for whom a proposed Winter Study 99 research project will be their last opportunity to undertake advanced independent research at Williams. Though sophomores for whom the project might catalyze an independent study on the same or related topic are also eligible to apply, but much less likely to receive a fellowship due to priority going to juniors and seniors. Proposals are not limited to any specific academic discipline.

    In the past, this fellowship supported the following expenses:

    • Travel
    • Housing and food
    • Lab materials, equipment, books
    • Conferences

    The Roche and Gomez Student Research Fellowship does not support purchases for computers, laptops, and iPads.

  • The Levien Family Winter Study Journalism Fellowship provides one or two students the chance to pursue independent journalism projects through a Winter Study Independent Project (99) by providing them funding to travel and conduct reporting. The maximum award available to an individual student is $1500.

    A key goal of the award’s establishment is to augment the quality and reach of student journalism for the benefit of the entire Williams community. Therefore, award recipients will be required to produce a piece of journalism to be published in student media as the work product of the experience. Prior assurance from the editor of the Williams Record or a similar student news media organization that the final piece will be published is a key consideration for the committee in evaluating proposals. Ideally, ideas for stories that could be of interest to the Williams community could even come from the Williams Record editor.

  • The Gaudino Fellowship sponsors self-designed projects and travel for teams of students, in their sophomore year or above, to be completed during the Winter Study term. It is sponsored by the Gaudino Fund at Williams, which seeks to promote the teachings and methods of the late Professor Robert L. Gaudino. Students interested in the fellowship should familiarize themselves with the history and mission of the Gaudino Fund by exploring the Fund’s website as well as the fundamentals of Gaudino’s Pedagogy.

    The purpose of a Gaudino Fellowship is to provide teams of students (at least 2, at most 4, per team) with the funding and resources necessary to complete a research project away from campus that is both viable and sustainable. In addition, such a project should, by its very nature, be designed to engage deeply with self-reflection as well as to prompt learning experiences that push students out of their comfort zones and challenge them to reflect on their lived assumptions. 

    In preparation for applying for a Gaudino Fellowship, students are required to attend an introductory meeting, led by the current Gaudino Scholar, offered in the spring term prior to each Winter Study period. At this meeting, students will be given detailed information about the fellowship and provided with college resources intended to aid them in the development of their  proposals.

    In addition to working with the current Gaudino Scholar, students are required to secure a faculty member as their project sponsor. This faculty sponsor should be able and willing to provide academic guidance in the development of the proposed project and its research methods. They are not, however, responsible for helping to facilitate and coordinate the logistics of the project. Note: students who do not secure a faculty mentor willing to sponsor their project in advance of submitting their proposal will not be considered for the fellowship.

    All students applying for a Gaudino must complete and submit an individual 99 application. This is partly to ensure that students who do not receive a Gaudino Fellowship will still be eligible for an independent project. Students should select “Gaudino Fellowship” on their 99 application form. The Gaudino Scholar will review those proposals using the criteria below.

    A complete Gaudino Fellowship application includes:

    1. A project proposal. A 2-3-page description of the research project, including: a clear presentation of the intellectual aims and goals of the project; an overview of the work that will take place (internships, field research, community engagement, volunteer work, etc.); the methods that will be employed in service of the project’s realization; and a description of the final product or culminating summary of outcomes of the project (paper, documentary video, etc.). In addition, you must include a brief statement regarding your preparedness for the intended course of study (please share details of any coursework or other relevant experience). If the project involves an ethnographic approach, or any work involving human subject research, please assess whether review by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) is needed. Note that the environment of a Gaudino project should include a deep immersive experience embedded in a safe environment. Please include an overview of the environment and the measures taken to secure it.
    2. A statement of Gaudino alignment. In addition to the project proposal, each individual student must submit a 1-2-page explanation of how their project and its work will fulfill the aims of the Gaudino Fellowship. Please discuss how this project will endeavor to take each student, as an individual, outside of their learning comfort zone and provide a means of challenging their assumptions. Please also describe what methods of “self-reflection” you will employ as part of your project (journaling, etc.).
    3. A substantial and annotated bibliography, consisting of 5-7 sources or materials to be used and consulted in the research process, either before or during the course of the project.
    4. A proposed budget, with a detailed breakdown of items, including: accommodations, travel expenses, food, research expenses, etc. We reward a maximum grant of $4000 per person. Given our limited funding, we encourage projects with more modest budgets.

    If awarded a fellowship, each student will receive an individual grant of up to $4000 to support their project, based on their specific need. Upon receiving confirmation that their proposal was approved, each student, in collaboration with the Gaudino Scholar, must align on the final location(s) for the entirety of the travel experience. That final determination is made by the Gaudino Scholar with input from the Gaudino Fund Board of Trustees.

    For questions or to discuss your project and proposal, please reach out to Professor Amy Holzapfel, the current Gaudino Scholar, at [email protected].