Apply for the Brady Program in Ethics and Civic Life
The Brady Scholars Program in Ethics and Civic Life is seeking four graduate students to serve as mentors for undergraduate participants in the program. Each graduate mentor is responsible for four Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS) undergraduate students for three years. Mentors will receive a total award of $15,000 spread over those three years. Applications from both within and outside WCAS are welcome.
The Brady Program is a scholarly community in which undergraduates join together with graduate students and faculty to learn about the city of Evanston and its social, economic, and political problems. Undergraduates will participate in three small seminars in moral and political philosophy as sophomores, study abroad as juniors or participate in a service learning program, and collaborate on a community service project as seniors. Graduate students assist them as they design and carry out their capstone projects.
Below is a letter of invitation from Vivasvan Soni, Interim Director of the Program. Continue reading and visit the Brady Program website for more information. Applications are due by Sunday, March 1.
Dear Graduate Students,
I am writing to invite you to consider joining the Brady Scholars Program in Ethics and Civic Life as a Graduate Fellow.
The Program seeks to build a community in which we reflect on ethical questions and act together to make a positive difference in Evanston. Each cohort includes about sixteen undergraduate students who participate in a three-year course of study and practical experience. They apply and are selected during the spring quarter of their freshman year. The Program begins in their sophomore year with a series of three philosophy seminars. Here they read a range of philosophical texts and ask questions about what we owe to each other, the nature of the good life, and the demands of justice. During that year, students also learn more about the character, history, assets, and challenges of the Evanston community. The Program gives them exposure to the wider world by requiring them to study abroad or participate in a service-learning program during their junior year. During the winter and spring of that year, students meet four times each quarter to discuss ethical issues in literary texts and to advance their thinking about the senior project. In their senior year, the cohort works together for two quarters on a single collaborative capstone project addressing a civic issue of their choosing.
We seek graduate students to mentor a small group of these undergraduates throughout their time in the Program. Graduate Fellows provide support and guidance to about four undergraduate students as they learn about the city of Evanston. They maintain frequent contact with Brady scholars as they study abroad or participate in a more local program. Fellows also oversee discussions concerning the selection and design of the capstone project during the sophomore and junior years and support its implementation during the senior year.
The Brady Program is an interdisciplinary community, drawing students from a wide range of majors. We welcome applications from graduate students in any Weinberg department and from other schools at Northwestern. Graduate Fellows must be in residence in Evanston during their class’s sophomore and senior years. It is possible to be away to do research elsewhere during their junior year, provided that you maintain frequent contact with your group and are available to attend meetings remotely. For their three-year participation, Graduate Fellows receive an award of $15,000. We will award four fellowships each year.
Please consider becoming a part of this lively, politically-engaged scholarly community. We attract some of the most interesting and impressive students at Northwestern. Past Brady Graduate Fellows have found their work in the Program to be a valuable and enjoyable experience. It is an excellent opportunity to gain experience mentoring undergraduates, which will prepare you for the academic job market. I would be happy to answer any questions you have, and to put you in touch with graduate students who are currently serving as Brady Graduate Fellows. You can email us at brady@northwestern.edu. A link to the application, due Sunday, March 1, 2026, can be found on our website.
Sincerely,
Vivasvan Soni
Associate Professor of English
Interim Director, Brady Program in Ethics and Civic Life
Categories: Social Sciences, Humanities, Broad Interest, STEM, Fellowships, Other