Details

This graduate research grant honors the memory of Manon Michels Einaudi, a Cornell faculty wife and mother. One award is given each year for graduate research in a field close to Mrs. Einaudi's interests: European art and architecture, art history, literature, philosophy, and culture. 

Graduate students in those fields whose research is in Europe and who are recommended by their faculty committee are eligible.

The primary aim of the Manon Einaudi Grant is to help Cornell doctoral candidates explore possible topics or otherwise launch their dissertation work, although applications from students whose dissertations are already in progress may also be considered if funding is available.  

Criteria

• The quality and feasibility of the applicant's research proposal
• Evidence that funded research focused on Europe will advance the applicant’s doctoral program
• Applicant's academic performance and qualifications to complete the proposed project
• Strength of the applicant's letters of recommendation

Requirements

• 4-5 page project proposal (double-spaced) with bibliography
• Project budget
• 1 letter of recommendation

Winners receive up to $4,000 in funding, distributed through their bursar account. The Manon Michels Einaudi Grant competition is conducted together with the IES Graduate Research Grant and Michele Sicca Grant competitions. Candidates submit a single application and are automatically considered for each of the awards.

Contact IES with questions about this award.

Details

The Michele Sicca Research Grant was created by the late Mario Einaudi, Goldwin Smith Professor of International and Comparative Politics and former director of the Center for International Studies. Michele Sicca was an antifascist physician with whom Einaudi worked in exile during the Mussolini period.

The primary aim of the Sicca grant program is to help Cornell doctoral candidates explore possible research topics in European studies or otherwise launch their dissertation work via preliminary summer fieldwork in Europe. Applications from advanced doctoral students for completion of Europe-related dissertations may also be considered if funding is available. 

Criteria

• The quality and feasibility of the applicant's Europe-focused research proposal
• Evidence that field research in Europe will advance the applicant’s doctoral program
• Applicant's academic performance and qualifications to complete the proposed project
• Strength of the applicant's letters of recommendation

Requirements

• 4-5 page project proposal (double-spaced) with bibliography
• Project budget
• 1 letter of recommendation

Winners receive up to $4,000 in funding, distributed through their bursar account. The Michele Sicca Grant competition is conducted together with the IES Graduate Research Grant and Manon Michels Einaudi Grant competitions. Candidates submit a single application and are automatically considered for each of the awards.

Contact IES with questions about this award.

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 two-year cohort program for emerging leaders lays out a path for you to invest your skills, knowledge, and experience to make global change. Learn more about the program and its global reach on the Laidlaw Foundation website.

The Program

Leadership Training

Learn about your unique leadership strengths, further develop your skills through critical reflection, and prepare to encounter difference from a creative and mindful place.

Leadership-in-Action

Develop a six-week independent leadership-in-action project contributing to a community-based project in an international setting. We'll help you identify an international organization where you can learn from real-world leaders enacting change in their communities and beyond.

Networking

Meet like-minded scholars who are passionate about Laidlaw's shared values—ethical leadership, global perspective, and research with a real-world impact. The international network of Laidlaw scholars extends beyond Cornell to a global community that shares an online collaboration space.

Research

Work on an internationally focused research project with the support of a faculty mentor and/or an experienced research team during your second summer. We'll help you find a project and a faculty mentor!

Award

Summer 1: Up to $3,900 stipend for living expenses during your leadership-in-action experience, plus up to $1,950 stipend for international travel expenses.

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

Eligibility

First- and second-year students from any college or major may apply. 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. 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

Apply by January 12, 2026 using the link below. Students who are selected to become Laidlaw scholars are notified by March 1.

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 2027, apply for a passport now.
• At least one reference who can submit a letter of recommendation

Questions? 

Contact our Laidlaw coordinator.

Details

The Michael J. Harum Memorial Award for Students of Slavic Languages was established with generous contributions from Michael's family, the Institute for European Studies, and many others who loved and respected this extraordinary man.

The purpose of the award is to support Cornell undergraduates while they continue their language studies in countries where Slavic languages are spoken or while they do research in these countries. In a typical year, funding for this award is used for international summer travel.

Funding Options

• 2-3 week project at 20-40 hours per week = $1,500 - $2,500
• 4-6 week project at 20-40 hours per week = $2,500 - $4,000 

Funding will be distributed through bursar accounts to be made available for use in Summer 2025.

Requirements

• Project proposal detailing the applicant's motivation and preparation for language study, or the proposed research
• Detailed budget included in the proposal
• 1 letter of recommendation
• Transcript 

Contact IES with questions about this award.

Details

Established in 1993 with a generous bequest from the estate of Cornell alumnus and trustee Frederic Conger Wood, these fellowships support undergraduate research in Europe.

Undergraduates from all colleges are invited to submit applications to pursue independent research projects focused on Europe.

During the summer, Conger Wood fellows spend two to eight weeks pursuing field study in Europe, and upon their return write up the results of their research. These fellowships can be combined with projects tied to attending Cornell summer courses taught in Europe.

Application deadline for winter break travel: December 1, 2025

Application deadline for summer travel: March 1, 2026

Funding Guidelines

• 2-3 week project at 20-40 hours per week = $1,500 - $2,500
• 4-8 week project at 20-40 hours per week = $2,500 - $4,000

Funding will be distributed through bursar accounts.

Requirements

• 4-5 page project proposal (double-spaced) with bibliography
• Budget (identify the level of funding requested using the options above, and list your estimated costs for airfare, lodging, food, etc.)
• 1 letter of recommendation from Cornell faculty
• Transcript 

Contact IES with questions about this award.

Details

The purpose of the Abraham and Henrietta Brettschneider Oxford Exchange Fund is to facilitate academic exchanges between Cornell and Oxford University (UK).

The awards are designed to promote scholarly interchange between Cornell and Oxford colleges, primarily in the social sciences and humanities. Cornell scholars from all colleges are invited to apply. 

Eligibility 

This fund is available to Cornell faculty, postdocs, students (graduate and undergraduate), and permanent RTE faculty. Priority is given to faculty and PhD students. Students planning to travel to Oxford after graduation or postdocs without an active appointment at the time of travel are not eligible.

Criteria

Successful grant applicants will receive funding to support research stays at Oxford. The award is also open to faculty and faculty-student research teams to travel to Oxford for collaborations and to make use of Oxford’s extensive research and library resources. Appropriate uses of the fund include thesis or dissertation research, workshop participation, and initiating or sustaining research partnerships. Projects that foster ongoing, close collaborations between Cornell and Oxford are given priority.

Requirements

• Four to five-page (double-spaced) research proposal (including bibliography)
• Detailed budget (does not count towards proposal page limit)
• Proposed research timeline (does not count towards proposal page limit)
• One Cornell faculty letter of recommendation (for students and postdocs)
• One Oxford faculty letter of support (for students and postdocs)
• For staff applications, please inquire for requirements at ies@cornell.edu

The online application form requires applicants to provide the names and email addresses of faculty recommenders. The online system automatically generates a notification email to the recommenders with instructions on how to log in and upload a recommendation letter. The submission deadline for the letters of recommendation and support is March 8, 2026. The letters of support from Oxford faculty can be mailed directly to IES Program Manager Patricia Young, pty6@cornell.edu.

Contact IES with questions about this award.

Details

The Freeman Prize is awarded annually in the spring to a Cornell graduating senior and/or a graduating Master's student. The Freemans established the prize to offer recognition and encouragement to Cornell students actively engaged in promoting peace and to encourage continued work or education in the field of peace studies. 

The Freeman Fellowship is awarded annually to one or more Cornell students to pursue unpaid projects in the field of peace and conflict studies, including unpaid internships, training seminars, and conferences.

In 1984, the Harrop and Ruth Freeman Prize and Fellowship was established to honor Ruth Freeman, the first woman on the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences. A bequest from the Freemans ensures that future Cornell students will be recognized for their achievements and continuing work in peace activities.

Eligibility

For the Freeman prize, you must be a Cornell graduating senior or Master's student who has demonstrated a commitment to working for world peace. Preference will be given to students who plan to work in peace-related organizations after graduation, but students who are going on to graduate work in the field are also eligible for consideration. The Freeman Fellowship is open to all Cornell students.

Amount

We award one or more Freeman prizes of $2,500 each. The Freeman fellowship amount varies based on activity, location, and duration.

How to Apply

Apply online:

• Include a brief (1-2 pages) statement of purpose.
• If applying for the fellowship, describe the project you plan to engage in, and include a budget in your statement of purpose.
• Identify and ask your advisor or a faculty member who knows your work well to provide a letter of recommendation. They will be emailed to submit a letter in the online application.
• Upload an e-transcript to the online application.

Details

These fellowships from the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies support graduate students during a semester of international fieldwork.

The fellowships are awarded to Cornell PhD students in any field whose dissertation research is relevant to the concerns of the institute. Up to two students receive awards each year.

Eun A Jo, PhD student

The fellowships cover in-absentia tuition, a stipend, and health insurance for one semester. The competition for these academic year fellowships is usually announced at the beginning of the spring semester, with an application deadline in March for fellowships beginning the following academic year.

Examples of topics that have been supported in the past include dual-use technology and weapons proliferation; international humanitarian law and the norms of warfare; the impact of new technologies on peace or conflict; regional security; histories of war or peace; studies of ethnic conflict; international political economy related to security; civil-military relations; terrorism; and post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction.

Requirements

• You must be a doctoral student at Cornell conducting off-campus research related to peace and conflict studies.
• The fellowship support (external funds) is not intended to substitute for Cornell financial support, and should not lead to a reduction in the fellow’s guaranteed package of support at Cornell.
• You are expected to provide a written output related to your off-campus research—such as one or more dissertation chapters or publications-in-progress—and you may be invited to present on this work in the Reppy Institute seminar series.
• For equally competitive applications, preference will be granted to those submitted by students with a record of active participation in the intellectual and social life of the Institute, particularly as our weekly seminar series.

How to Apply

• Complete an online application. You will be asked to provide a thesis title or area of research interest and a short thesis prospectus. Describe what you intend to do during the duration of your research fellowship, including what written work will be produced as a result (e.g., dissertation chapters or a peer-reviewed article) and whether it might make for a suitable research presentation. The recommended length of the prospectus is approximately 2500 words (about 10 pages double-spaced), but longer or shorter proposals are also acceptable.
• Save your online application as you go. Once you submit your application you will still be able to edit your submission up until the deadline.
• Ask your committee chairperson to write a letter of recommendation. Once you submit your fellowship application online, your recommender will be given access to the online system and will receive an automatic email prompting him or her to upload a recommendation letter.

Details

The Lourdes Benería Award for summer field research supports students studying gender and planning in Latin America or the Caribbean.

The award was established in 2018 with a generous gift from Lourdes Benería. LACS manages the awards, which fund up to $2,000 for in-country travel and field expenses directly related to dissertation or project paper research (not conference travel or international airfare).

If you need a grant for the cost of international airfare to get to the country of your study site from the U.S., please apply for an Einaudi Center Travel Grant.  

Eligibility

Recipients must be enrolled (full-time or in absentia) in a graduate degree program and be registered at the time of the award. Students must be Cornellians doing research in Latin America or the Caribbean. 

Notification of award selection will be sent in late March.