Details

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Program promotes ethical leadership and international research around the world—starting with the passionate leaders and learners found on campuses like Cornell.

With generous support for your leadership development, a summer abroad putting your skills into action, and research, this 2 year program for emerging leaders lays out a path for you to invest your skills, knowledge, and experience to help others. As a Laidlaw scholar, your talent and motivation are cultivated through international experiences, leadership training and research, and networking with like-minded peers.

The Program's Key Components

Leadership Training

Leadership training is an essential component of the program that continues throughout your time as a Laidlaw scholar. You’ll learn core leadership values and skills that include how to be a global citizen, prioritize collective action and critical reflection, and meaningfully engage with your community. 

Leadership-in-Action Experience

Spend your summer abroad to gain intercultural competency, learn from mentors in the field, and reflect on your role as a leader and researcher in creating a better world. You will be able to choose from a variety of options: 

1. Placement at a partner NGO with a cohort of your fellow Laidlaw scholars learning from real-world leaders and exploring how these organizations are enacting change in their communities and beyond. 
2. Apply to a Laidlaw central leadership program. Through the Central Laidlaw projects, Cornell scholars have worked on community health promotion in Fiji, human rights issues in Zambia, climate change in Mexico, and conservation education in Uganda. 

These skills are directly transferable to future work across disciplines, while also introducing you to different life experiences and expanding your perspective.

Networking

Over your two years in the program, you will get to know like-minded scholars who are passionate about Laidlaw's shared values. The international network of Laidlaw scholars extends beyond Cornell University to a global community that shares an online space for continued collaboration.

Research

You will spend a summer as a Laidlaw scholar working on campus on an internationally-focused research project that is supervised by a faculty member or an experienced research team. Your work is supported by a weekly stipend. 

We support you in finding a research project with an international focus and faculty mentor for your second summer of the program. 

Award

Summer 1: Program fees or stipend while you engage in an international leadership-in-action experience. Additional support is available for travel or research-related expenses.  

Summer 2: Up to $3,900 stipend while you conduct full-time research.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Einaudi Center's Laidlaw Scholars program, a student must:

• Be a first- or second-year undergraduate student at Cornell University.
• Be in good standing academically and have no unresolved disciplinary charges or sanctions.
• Be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program throughout the program (e.g., not on LOA).
• Be committed to full participation in all components of the program through March 2027. This includes but is not limited to full-time commitment over at least six weeks for two summers. It is your responsibility to ensure full participation in the Laidlaw Scholars program does not conflict with your other Cornell and external responsibilities. Please note that full participation is expected even if you will be off campus during the school year (for example, participating in study abroad or Cornell in Washington programs). 

First- and second-year students from any college or major may apply. We are looking for students who seek to be globally engaged citizens, ethical leaders, and internationally focused researchers. You should have a strong academic background and must be able to commit to full participation in the program. U.S. citizenship is not required. 

In order to be eligible for program funding, scholars must commit to all components of the program. Upon acceptance, scholars will be required to sign a commitment form by March 14, 2025. These expectations and important upcoming dates are outlined below. If you have any questions about what full commitment to the program entails, please contact us at laidlaw.scholars@cornell.edu 

How to Apply

Applications are open! The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025 using the link below. Students who are selected to become Laidlaw scholars are notified by March 15.

Documents to Submit with Your Application

• Short Answer Questions
• Leadership in Action Reflection Question
• Resume/CV (2 page maximum, upload as PDF)
• Copy of your passport. If you do not have one or if it will expire before February 2026, apply for a passport now.
• At least one reference who can submit a letter of recommendation

Contact our Laidlaw coordinator with any questions.