Overview

Charlotte C. Billingsley ’24 Memorial Fellowship Fund. Established in memory of Charlotte C. Billingsley ’24, the Billingsley fund will be used in support of student research in the natural sciences that is interdisciplinary in nature and is supervised by a Bowdoin faculty member. The Billingsley Fellowship shall have a preference for student research fellowships that use physics-based models or tools in concert with data from organism- or ecosystem-based science disciplines, such as climate change, coastal studies, environmental studies, marine biology, oceanography, or ornithology.

James Stacy Coles Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Established in 1999 to honor James Stacy Coles, a noted scientist and former president of Bowdoin College, the Coles fund supports fellowships for students doing research under the guidance of a faculty/staff member. The Coles Fund supports research in the natural sciences and mathematics. Coles Fellowships in the Sciences are intended to support substantial participation in a scientific research project by a student under the direction of a faculty member who is independently interested in the area under study. Research projects should give the student firsthand experience with productive scholarly scientific research.

Doherty Charitable Foundation Coastal Studies Research.  Established in 1999 with a gift from the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation Coastal Studies Research Fund, the Doherty Fund supports student research in marine and coastal studies.

Freedman Summer Research Fellowship in Coastal/Environmental Studies.  Established in 2008 with a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Alan M. Freedman ’76, P’08, the Freedman Fund provides support for a Bowdoin undergraduate who wishes to engage in a faculty-student summer research project in coastal or environmental studies. This interdisciplinary pursuit may include, but is not limited to environmental research, climate issues, biodiversity, water and air pollution, and use and abuse of natural resources affecting coastal Maine or the Maine heartland. Preference will be given to students majoring in the basic sciences and who plan to continue their studies at the graduate level. At the conclusion of the project, a final presentation of approximately three minutes, preferably in video format, will be made available to the public on the web. (Visit our Recent Recipients webpage, choose the year, click the "Office of Student Fellowships and Research" dropdown menu, and select the video submission associated with the Freedman Summer Research Fellowship in Coastal/Environmental Studies to watch.)

Robert Freedman '87, P'17 and Anne Cirillo P'17 Student Fellowship Fund. Established in 2019 with a gift from Robert A. Freedman ’87, P’17 and Anne Cirillo P’17, this fund supports research awards to Bowdoin undergraduates with preference for women and underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields).

Hughes Family Summer Research Fellowship.  In 2005 Jefferson E. and Karen T. Hughes, the parents of C. Andrew Hughes '05 and K. Alexandra Hughes '07, generously created an endowed fund to support students engaged in summer research in environmental studies.

Kaufman Family Fellowship.  Established in 2007 with a gift from Matthew R. Kaufman '72, P'02 and Marica A. Kaufman P'02, the Kaufman Family Fund supports research awards to Bowdoin undergraduates in any discipline. 

Kibbe Fellowship.  In 2003 Frank Wilson Kibbe ’37 and his wife, Lucy Kimberly Kibbe, established an endowed fund to support the Kibbe Science Lecture and, when sufficient funds remain, to support faculty and student scientific research. Kibbe Fellowships are intended to support substantial participation in a scientific research project by a student under the direction of a faculty member who is independently interested in the area under study. Research projects should give the student firsthand experience with productive scholarly scientific research.

Kufe Family Fellowship. Established in 2016 with a gift from Donald W. Kufe '66 and his wife Hillary R. Mankin-Kufe, this fund supports undergraduate research in the natural sciences with preference for those who major in Biology or Chemistry.

Langbein Summer Fellowship.  The Edward E. Langbein Sr. Summer Fellowship is a gift of the Bowdoin Parents Association in memory of a former president and secretary of the Association. A Langbein Fellowship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or recent graduate to enable the recipient to participate in summer research or advanced study directly related to his or her major field or life work.

Maine Space Grant. The Maine Space Grant Consortium Scholarship and Award Program at Bowdoin College provides summer and academic year research opportunities for Bowdoin students in aerospace-related research, including astronomical, biological, physical, social, earth science, human exploration and development of space, space science, and other science technology, computer or engineering related fields.

Additional Requirements: Within 60 days of the completion of their projects, Maine Space Grant Consortium award recipients must submit a final project report to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research. This report should not exceed five pages and must conform to standard scientific reporting format. In compliance with copyright laws, submitted final reports must be unpublished material. Final reports will be compiled by the Consortium as a compendium to be circulated to NASA officials and affiliate members of the Consortium.

Recipients are expected to conduct research outreach activities that may include one or more of the following:

First-years, sophomores, and juniors may apply. Current seniors are ineligible. In addition, applicants must:

• be a US citizen,
• be enrolled as a full-time student at Bowdoin,
• have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (lower GPAs may be considered if there is sufficient justification based on the letter of recommendation and relevant courses taken or enrolled in),
• make a good faith effort at the time of application to identify a NASA researcher who could be a mentor during the project period. The Office of Student Fellowships and Research can answer questions about this eligibility.

Please note: Minorities, women and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply to this program.

Rusack Coastal Studies Fellowship.  The Rusack Fellowships, made possible through the generous donation of Geoffrey Rusack ('78) and Alison Wrigley Rusack, support students engaged in summer research at the Coastal Studies Center or locations nearby that impact the coastal environment. Marking the boundary between the land and the ocean, the coast is a transitional zone that embodies a complex interplay of forces and human interests. Rusack Fellows conduct research projects or complete artistic works that explore the relationship between the forces affecting this transition zone. These fellowships are open to students of all disciplines and must be carried out under the direction of a faculty member(s) who is independently interested in the area of study.

Just as our liberal-arts curriculum seeks to expose students to different ways of viewing the world and encourages them to forge new connections between them, the Student Fellowships Committee explicitly recognizes that a better understanding of our college's location in coastal Maine requires different approaches to, and the formation of new connections between, the complex forces affecting our coastal environment. Toward this end, the Student Fellowships Committee seeks each year to support a cohort of Rusack Fellows that encompasses a range of interests and approaches to the study of the coast.

Surdna Foundation Research Fellowship.  An undergraduate research fellowship program originally established in 1959, this fund was renamed in 1968 the Surdna Foundation Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program in recognition of gifts from the Surdna Foundation. Each Surdna fellow participates in summer research or advanced study directly related to his or her major field or life work.

Christenfeld Fellowship. Established in 2011 with a gift from Alan M. Christenfeld '73, this fund supports undergraduate research with a preference for work in the social sciences and humanities.

Coles Fellowship, Martha Reed. The Martha Reed Coles Fund supports fellowships for students doing research under the guidance of a faculty/staff member. Coles Fellowships in the Arts and Humanities are intended to support substantial participation in an arts or humanities research project by a student under the direction of a faculty member who is independently interested in the area under study.

Gessner, Sarah A. '96 Memorial Fellowship. Established in 2022 by James S. Gessner '68 and Ann Gessner in memory of their daugher, Sarah A. Gessner '96, this fund supports research projects in the fields of English language, English literature, and creative writing.

Kaufman Family Fellowship. Established in 2007 with a gift from Matthew R. Kaufman '72, P'02 and Marica A. Kaufman P'02, the Kaufman Family Fund supports research awards to Bowdoin undergraduates in any discipline.

Langbein Summer Fellowship. The Edward E. Langbein Sr. Summer Fellowship is a gift of the Bowdoin Parents Association in memory of a former president and secretary of the Association. A Langbein Fellowship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or recent graduate to enable the recipient to participate in summer research or advanced study directly related to his or her major field or life work.

Lifson Family Summer Research Fellowship. The Lawrence E. Lifson ’63, P’95 Family Summer Research Fellowship in the Social Sciences was established in 2013 by Lawrence Lifson, a member of the Class of 1963 and parent of Deborah Lifson Vogel of the Class of 1995.  The fellowship is designed to support summer research by a student mentored by a Bowdoin faculty member.  Preference will be given first to students engaged in research in psychology and second to students engaged in research in the other social sciences. 

McEwen Student Research Fellowship in the Social Sciences. Established in 2012 in honor of Daniel B. Fayerweather Professor of Political Economy and Sociology Emeritus Craig A. McEwen, the McEwen Student Research Fellowship in the Social Sciences supports Bowdoin student research in the social sciences and humanities, with preference given to research in sociology.

Patterson Research Fellowship.  The Ellen M. P'78 and Herbert M. Patterson '42, P'78 Research Fellowship was established in 2009 by Ellen Patterson, widow of Herbert Patterson.  This fund celebrates Ellen and Herb's long association with the College and honors the couple's daughter Amy Baird '78 and her two children, their grandchildren, Bruce Baird '08 and Emily Baird '09.  This fellowship is designed to support students engaged in research, with preference to students conducting research in the humanities over the summer months.

Patterson/Baird Family Research Fellowship.  The Patterson/Baird Family Research Fellowship Fund was established in 2008 by Amy Patterson Baird '78, P'08, P '09, to honor three generations of the Patterson and Baird families: Amy's late father Herbert M. Patterson '42, Amy '78,  and her two children, Bruce Baird '08 and Emily Baird '09.  This fellowship is designed to support students engaged in research, with preference to students conducting research in the humanities over the summer months.

Rusack Coastal Studies Fellowship.  The Rusack Fellowship, made possible through the generous donation of Geoffrey Rusack ('78) and Alison Wrigley Rusack, support students engaged in summer research at the Coastal Studies Center or locations nearby that impact the coastal environment. Marking the boundary between the land and the ocean, the coast is a transitional zone that embodies a complex interplay of forces and human interests. Rusack Fellows conduct research projects or complete artistic works that explore the relationship between the forces affecting this transition zone. These fellowships are open to students of all disciplines and must be carried out under the direction of a faculty member(s) who is independently interested in the area of study.

Just as our liberal-arts curriculum seeks to expose students to different ways of viewing the world and encourages them to forge new connections between them, the Student Fellowships Committee explicitly recognizes that a better understanding of our college's location in coastal Maine requires different approaches to, and the formation of new connections between, the complex forces affecting our coastal environment. Toward this end, the Student Fellowships Committee seeks each year to support a cohort of Rusack Fellows that encompasses a range of interests and approaches to the study of the coast.

Surdna Foundation Research Fellowship.  An undergraduate research fellowship program originally established in 1959, this fund was renamed in 1968 the Surdna Foundation Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program in recognition of gifts from the Surdna Foundation. Each Surdna fellow participates in summer research or advanced study directly related to his or her major field or life work.

Goldsmith Adams Research Award. Motivated by her own transformative experience traveling to Asia as a Bowdoin student, Jennifer Goldsmith Adams ’90, along with her husband Ben Adams P'21, generously created an endowed fund in 2003 to support student travel and research in Asian Studies.  The Goldsmith Adams Research Award will support students’ academic summer experiences in Asia.  Funds can support student travel that will (1) substantially enhance a student’s honors project or research remotely mentored by a Bowdoin faculty member or (2) allow a student to participate in a summer language program based in Asia.  In some instances, when the link to the student’s academic program is evident, this award could also be used to support an unpaid internship in Asia.  Given the intent of the gift, preference will be given to students who have not lived in Asia and who wish to spend time in China. 

First-years, sophomores, and juniors may apply. Current seniors are ineligible. Preference will be given to students (1) who have not previously lived in Asia, (2) who wish to spend time in China, and (3) whose proposed Goldsmith Adams projects will substantially enhance their honors projects or research remotely mentored by a Bowdoin faculty member.

Applications from students wishing to conduct research or participate in a language program in China are preferred; however, applications involving travel to the following countries in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are eligible.

East Asia
•   China
•   Hong Kong
•   Japan
•   Korea
•   Taiwan

South Asia
•   Bangladesh
•   India
•   Nepal
•   Pakistan
•   Sri Lanka

Southeast Asia
•   Brunei
•   Cambodia
•   East Timor
•   Laos
•   Malaysia
•   Myanmar/Burma
•   Philippines
•   Singapore
•   Thailand
•   Vietnam