Community-Engaged Doctoral Fellowship

Overview for Summer 2025

This year, the Duke Center for Community Engagement, a joint effort of Duke Community Affairs and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Office of the Provost, is funding summer fellowships with local community organizations, available to both Ph.D. students and other doctoral students. For an example of a fellowship experience from last year, see this article about Divinity School student Reverend Angela Taylor.

Applications for Community-Engaged Doctoral Fellowship applications will be accepted until March 15, 2025. Students may also fill out a short inquiry to ask for help in identifying a partner organization before February 15th.

Students and potential local host organizations should review the information below. Anyone needing additional information, can contact the Duke Center for Community Engagement at communityengagementcenter@duke.edu.

Student Application Information

To apply, students must reach out to a potential host organization, develop an project plan, and distill that plan into a 1-2 page description of anticipated undertakings, including research and analysis related to a core project and any shadowing of organizational meetings.

Student application required components:

A 1-2 page description of their project plan that includes anticipated undertakings, including research and analysis related to a core project and any shadowing of organizational meetings experience. The plan should also discuss how the experience will contribute to the student’s intellectual trajectory and professional goals.
Letter of support from the host organization
Letter of support from their DGS
2-page CV

Duke Community Affairs support for finding a host partner

Students may submit a short application to the Duke Center for Community Engagement to request assistance in identifying local community partners who may be a good fit for a summer fellowship. Between December 15 and February 15, submit an application with a short paragraph describing your interest and a copy of your CV, and we will follow up with you. Be sure to leave enough time to complete your exploration and define a project prior to the application deadline. Applications including all required components must be submitted by March 15, 2025.

Application timing

Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2025.

An evaluation committee will make decisions on the applications and notify students. The award will include a summer stipend, associated fringe, and the summer health fee. Tuition will be provided by the school of the recipient.

Fellows will complete training before beginning their work and will be required to enroll in the experiential workshop, GS950, during Duke Summer Session.

Apply

Fellowship Duration and Funding

Fellowships must take place between mid-May and mid-August, 2025, with no more than 19.9 hours/week of engagement. In-person, remote, and hybrid internships of six, eight, or twelve weeks will be considered. A stipend will be provided according to length of fellowship, as follows:

Internship Duration	Stipend
6 weeks	$5,225
8 weeks	$7,000
12 weeks	$10,500

Eligibility

All current doctoral students who do not have full summer funding may apply. Doctoral students in any year of study are eligible if they are enrolled in the semester before and after the fellowship. Students graduating either before or during Summer 2025 terms are not eligible.

Recipients may receive other Duke summer funding, but students with external funding should consult with their doctoral programs on their eligibility for funding.

Students must reside in North Carolina or an approved U.S. jurisdiction available for Duke employment.

International student applicants who reside in North Carolina or an approved U.S. jurisdiction should consult as soon as possible with Duke Visa Services for assistance with filing applications for Curricular Practical Training and any other visa-related requirements.

Contacts

Interested doctoral students should contact communityengagementcenter@duke.edu to learn more.

Doctoral students with questions about planning around existing summer funding can contact grad-finaid@duke.edu.

For Local Host Organizations

Fellowship hosts can be community organizations, government agencies, NGOs, or cultural institutions. Duke provides funding for the internships. For-profit institutions are not currently eligible. In-person, remote, and hybrid internships are possible.

If your organization is interested in collaborating with a Duke doctoral student on a summer internship program, please complete this form to be matched with a student.

More Student Opportunities With Nonprofits

Duke offers a range of community-engaged work-study opportunities and an online platform for matching with volunteer opportunities.

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