Rosemary and Stan Marcuss ’63 Fellowships

About the fellowship

The Rosemary and Stan Marcuss ’63 Fellowships provide opportunities for students interested in advancing inquiry into and research related to issues faced by urban communities. The funded research will culminate in senior honors theses or capstone independent research project by the selected students and the good-faith effort to submit articles written by them for publication in relevant scholarly journals or other online outlets; students may propose to otherwise present the work to the public by way of in-person presentations to governmental bodies or other prominent organizations. Each year, the Marcuss Fellowships provide stipends of $4000 each to two students and stipends of $5000 each to the faculty mentors who agree supervise the Fellows’ research. Ordinarily, students apply during the spring of their junior year; rising juniors with strong proposals for independent research may also apply. Applicants need not be Urban Studies majors, but they should have a clear urban focus to the proposed research and sufficient expertise in urban studies to conduct the study. The awards will be announced during the Trinity Honors Day ceremony. Fellows will then be expected to conduct the research for the thesis or capstone, write the thesis/capstone, present their findings during their fellowship year and either submit the thesis/capstone or a portion of it for publication, ideally by graduation, or otherwise present the final work to the public.

Applications consist of a:

• Cover Page
• Two-Page (single-spaced, 12-inch font, 1-inch margins) Project Description detailing the proposed research question, methods, intellectual merits and broader impacts of the urban research, as well as a dissemination plan for findings
• One-Page (single-spaced, 12-inch font, 1-inch margins) Personal Statement detailing how the project fits within the academic program and career plans of the applicant as well as their engagement with urban studies
• Copy of the applicant’s Transcript at Trinity
• Letter of Reference from the Faculty Mentor certifying their commitment to supervise the project (can be emailed directly by the faculty member to CUGS or included with the application materials); faculty mentors will be expected to work closely with the student to meet all of the goals laid out in the project description, including the dissemination plan. Faculty mentors: see below for more information about the role of the faculty mentor for Marcuss Fellows.

Applications for 2025-2026 fellowships are due to CUGS by email to [email protected] by Friday, April 12, 2025, 5:00 pm.

The role of the faculty advisor for this program is to:

• Develop a feasible research proposal,
• Find and understand relevant academic literature,
• Select and implement appropriate methodology for the research question,
• Understand how to conduct research ethically and responsibly, working with the student to submit the project to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) if needed,
• Edit student writing,
• Identify outlets for publication, academic or otherwise, and/or public presentation,
• Submit the research for publication.

While the frequency of meetings will vary depending on the student and advisor, Marcuss Fellows generally meet with their advisor at least every other week.

If a student is selected for the program, the advisor will receive a $5,000 stipend.

Faculty with questions about Marcuss Fellows can direct their inquiry to [email protected] or [email protected].