As society's understanding of disability policy develops, new research questions about the needs, experiences, and unmet needs of people with disabilities will arise. Tackling those questions requires new ways of conceptualizing disability as a social, political, cultural, and medical phenomenon. To develop the next generation of disability-policy scholars, the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy has created the Student Fellowship in Disability Policy. Established in 2019, the fellowship offers Brandeis University undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to develop research skills and expand their knowledge of disability policy through direct research training with established Lurie Institute investigators. As of spring 2024, we have trained nearly forty fellows.
Applications for the upcoming fellowship cohort will be accepted starting Feburary 24th from current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors on the 5-year track, and Heller students.
The Lurie Institute Student Fellowship in Disability Policy provides an opportunity for Brandeis University undergraduate and Heller students with a strong interest in disability policy to develop research skills and expand their knowledge of disability policy. The goal of the fellowship program is to identify future researchers and offer them direct research training with established investigators currently working at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.
Applications for the upcoming fellowship cohort will be accepted starting Feburary 24th from current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors on the 5-year track, and Heller students.
The submission of application materials will include a completed online application with a one-page statement of interest, resume, and your Brandeis transcript. A letter of recommendation from a Brandeis professor should be sent directly to RubySiegel@brandeis.edu from the faculty member.
Applications will be due by the yet to be announced deadline. Candidates from the total pool of applicants may be asked to interview with the Lurie Institute team. Selected students will be then chosen as research fellows for the upcoming year; notification of acceptance will occur by mid-May of 2025.
Fellows will be compensated $20 per hour and will be expected to work approximately 6–8 hours per week during the school year (September 2025–early May 2026), with Lurie Institute for Disability Policy senior researchers. Fellows will work with a Lurie mentor on ongoing research in disability policy at the Lurie Institute and will be expected to attend all fellow workshops to complement the research. Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in local disability community events and may be able to attend a disability-related research conference and co-author a peer reviewed publication. Toward the conclusion of the fellowship, students will be expected to create a dissemination product related to the topic they have been studying, and to present their research to the Heller School for Social Policy and Brandeis community.
Your application should be proofread carefully, assembled according to the instructions provided, and submitted online by April 11, 2025 11:59pm.
Late applications will not be considered.
Statement of Interest, Resume, and Transcript may be submitted through the online form.
Letters of Recommendation should be sent directly from the professor to RubySiegel@brandeis.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact: Ruby Siegel at RubySiegel@brandeis.edu.
Access previous years' Fellows Presentation Videos
