The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs announces a commitment of $2 million in funding to support a three-year pilot, the Watson Equity in Policy Scholars program. The program will support leadership development, mentorship and enriching experiences to select academically excellent students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives entering Brown's Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program beginning in June of 2025.
This funding is in addition to the eight full-tuition scholarships that Watson has already committed to support which will be awarded to members of the incoming 2024 MPA cohort.
Howard R. Swearer Director of the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Edward Steinfeld said, "Watson has long had a goal of using our MPA program to create a pipeline that will increase diversity — in the broadest sense of the term — in the making of and advocacy for public policy."
Steinfeld maintains that, to this day, many groups are not well represented in public policy circles. "It tends to be a narrow portion of the population that's involved in advocating for, designing and implementing policy," he said. That lack of diversity, Steinfeld maintains, is a serious barrier to creating good public policy that works for a broad array of people. We want to encourage participation in public policy careers by individuals with the widest range of backgrounds possible, including backgrounds that have required these individuals to overcome hardship and become personally acquainted with ongoing injustices and inequities in our society. Only through broader inclusion of diverse perspectives and experiences can we truly hope to solve the great societal challenges of our historic moment.”
To aid in removing financial barriers to obtaining an MPA degree, from June 2025, the Equity in Policy Scholars Program will provide a cohort of five graduate students per year with a full tuition scholarship, a generous stipend and professional development funds.
To be considered for acceptance into the Watson Equity in Policy Scholars Program, MPA applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Be working toward or possessing a four-year degree from an accredited historically Black college or university (HBCU), Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) or Tribal college or university (TCU)
- Be a current participant or alumni of public-service-oriented pipeline programs such as the Public Policy and International Affairs Program, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute or the Congressional Black Caucus Institute
- Be a first-generation college student or graduate
- Be a Rhode Island resident
- Or have demonstrated leadership experience and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in public policy or global and public affairs
Steinfeld said, "This is the result of a big team effort that involved a lot of people's creativity as well as feedback that we've gotten from students." He also emphasized that the program was necessary for Watson to stay competitive with its peer institutions. "At Brown, we always want to be at the cutting edge," he said, "and this funding is important for us to continue competing for great students with our peer institutions."
Steinfeld maintained that other aspects of the program will be "just as important" as the funding. "The program will involve mentorship, community building and leadership development components as well," he noted, "we already do these things to a large degree with our current students, but it will be enhanced with this particular program."
