Brumley NextGen Graduate Fellows

The Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows Program at the Strauss Center provides research training and mentorship opportunities to exceptional graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. Involving students in international affairs early in their career is an important part of the Strauss Center’s mission to prepare the next generation of leaders to help develop solutions to the most pressing public policy challenges. The program is made possible by the generous support of Jon and Rebecca Brumley.

What Does the Program Entail?

The mission of the Brumley Next Generation Fellows Program is to provide a transformative experience for UT graduate students from an array of disciplines, accelerating their path towards career success through an emphasis on building professional and scholarly skills and networks. Students selected for the Brumley Next Generation Fellows Program participate in the life of the Strauss Center and receive support in several ways:

  1. Participation in Public Events on Behalf of the Strauss Center. Fellows are expected to maintain a deep level of engagement with the Strauss Center. As part of the Brumley Speaker Series, each Fellow is responsible for identifying a policymaker, practitioner, or scholar working in the Fellow’s policy field of interest, who will be invited to the UT campus to provide a public talk. Each Fellow will be responsible for introducing their guest speaker and moderating a short Q&A session at the public talk.
  2. Brumley Fellows Colloquium. In conjunction with the Brumley Speaker Series, Fellows will have access to a semi-monthly luncheon during which the Fellows convene to engage with the Brumley Speaker Series guest speaker, discussing substantive issues in their field, connections to the Fellows’ policy areas of interest, and career development. The date and time of each colloquium is dependent upon the respective guest speaker’s and Fellows' schedules.
  3. Research, Writing, and Professional Mentorship. Each fellowship is connected to one of the Strauss Center’s current research programs. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and backed by the financial support detailed below, Brumley Fellows will conduct their own research project and submit it to the Strauss Center by May 31, 2026. The mentor will assist the Fellow in developing a research plan, help determine the form of the final product, and advise on career and professional development matters. Fellows will be required to meet regularly with their mentor as part of the fellowship requirements.
  4. Receive Funding, Contingent Upon Participation. Fellows will receive a fellowship award in the amount of $3,000 for the 2025-26 academic year, disbursed evenly in the first few weeks of the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Fellows will also be eligible to apply for additional funding from the Strauss Center, in support of travel for conferences, research expenses, and other scholarly or professional activities approved on a case-by-case basis.
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