Ph.D. Fellows

Ph.D. Fellows Program

Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Brown University
111 Thayer St., Providence, RI, 02912
Phone: 401.863.9932

Ph.D. Fellows

A Ph.D. with a difference

The Watson Institute Ph.D. Fellows program supports Brown University Ph.D. candidates through a variety of funding and programming. 

Its signature program provides funding to support Brown University Ph.D. candidates in the social sciences for an academic year. Up to six pre-dissertation fellowships will be awarded to top candidates in the core areas of development, security, and governance. Fellows are expected to: 

  • participate in a regular Watson colloquia, 
  • enroll in a Watson graduate-level course,
  • TA one semester in an undergraduate International and Public Affairs (IAPA) Foundations course, and 
  • are eligible to request up to $5K in research funding. 

Up to two year-long Dissertation fellowships will be awarded to enable research, fieldwork and writing to complete a dissertation.

Additionally, Ph.D. students in Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, and Sociology who are not awarded fellowships have the opportunity to apply for Watson Ph.D. Research Funds to support research, travel, or fieldwork up to $5K, ​​provided they participate fully in academic programming and meet the course requirement. These awards are available for application three times a year. 

Who We Are

At its core the Ph.D. Fellows program is a community of scholars with a shared curiosity around, and a commitment to, exploring questions of development, security, and governance from diverse disciplinary perspectives.
Meet the Community

What We Do

The Ph.D. Fellows program is designed to elevate high-potential scholarship in an interdisciplinary setting. It provides training, research support and the opportunity to address challenges of Development, Governance and Security.
Program Information

Attend An Event

We host a variety of events, from our “What I am thinking now” sessions in which community members share their research, to our annual joint conference on Development with MIT to “Behind the scenes” discussion sessions with speakers as well as lectures and workshops.
Events Listing

Recent News
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Alumni Spotlight: Rehan Rafay Jamil ’22 Ph.D. Political Science, Graduate Program in Development

Watson's Graduate Program in Development (GPD) fieldwork opportunities informed Rehan Rafay Jamil's research focus. Jamil says the ability to cross traditional academic boundaries encouraged by the GPD improved his research, while the program's financial backing allowed him to do critical fieldwork.
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Ph.D. Fellows Program

Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Brown University
111 Thayer St., Providence, RI, 02912
Phone: 401.863.9932