Global Health Scholars Training Grant (Fall Application Cycle)

The Global Health Scholars Training Grant provides an opportunity for eligible students and scholars to conduct research focused on global health and / or health equity. Projects do not need to include international travel. Successful applicants receive the award to support global health research linked to Brown University faculty scholarly projects. We encourage applicants who are underrepresented in medicine to apply (NIH URM definition).

Funding Structure

The Global Health Scholars Training grants provide stand-alone research seed grants to cover research and travel. Awards are made for up to $3,500 (local or remote projects) or $5,000 (projects at international sites). Applicants send detailed budgets.

Eligibility

An applicant must:

1. Be a 2nd-4th year medical students, graduate students, residents, and clinical and non-clinical post-doctoral fellows in any BioMed Department or Brown Affiliated Hospital. (Please note: The Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown is composed of The Warren Alpert Medical School, the Program in Biology, and affiliated teaching hospitals. The School of Public Health is not considered a part of BioMed.)
2. Have a demonstrated interest and/or have engaged in activities related to global health.
3. Have taken or propose to take academic courses in preparation for global health work.
4. Have a proposed plan for global health work with a scholarly activity related to research, service, or advocacy.
5. Describe the Brown University faculty mentoring available for the proposed global health activity, and provide a required letter of support from the mentor. Applications should also include a letter of support from a collaborating research institution advisor based at the partner site or institution.
6. Have a plan in place to submit for IRB approval (if required). The faculty mentor must include a statement in their letter acknowledging the IRB plan
7. Be returning to campus the academic year following the completion of the project.

NOTE: Previous recipients of the Global Health Scholars Training Grants (formerly the Framework in Global Health Scholarship) are not eligible to apply for a repeat award.  The Global Health Scholars Training Grants is not available to applicants who plan to graduate and leave Brown at the end of the spring semester. 

Application

Please complete the online application, including all required documents, by Sunday, November 9, 2025. Applications will be reviewed by the Global Health Advisory Committee using this rubric. A complete application must include the following:

A. Project Proposal: Your project proposal must include the following sections (5 pages maximum, not including bibliography):

• Project title
• Project details (location, name of collaborating institution, timeline and duration including approximate beginning and end dates)
• Objective and specific aims
• Background and significance
• Methods
• Data collection procedures
• Plan for data analysis
• Plan for dissemination
• Plan for IRB (Indicate whether your project will require IRB and/or IACUC approval* from Brown/Lifespan/CareNE or other institutions and a brief statement on your timeline for IRB and/or IACUC submission. If your project has already been approved by the IRB and/or IACUC, please include approval date, approval number, and upload approval letter.
• Bibliography
• Note: If preliminary data are available to support the feasibility of this proposed research, you may include it, but it is optional. Alternatively or in addition, you may mention previous experience working with the overseas mentor, institution, and/or community.

E. Letter of Support from Brown Faculty Mentor*:  Brown faculty advisors should briefly describe their prior mentorship experience and their role in mentoring the applicant and supporting the successful execution of the project. Faculty letters should also include how advisors plan to help the applicant integrate principles of equity, ethical engagement, and bidirectional collaboration throughout project design, implementation, and dissemination.

F. Letter of Support from co-mentor/advisor at collaborating research institution (if applicable)*: This letter should come from a collaborator based at the partner site or research institution where the project will take place. This applies particularly for applicants proposing to be based at another institution for the duration of the research experience but also for applicants proposing to remotely analyze data from another site (e.g., the applicant will be based in Providence but analyze data collected in partnership with an institution in Brazil). Advisors should briefly describe their prior mentorship experience and their role in mentoring the applicant and supporting the successful execution of the project. The letter should include a description of any previous collaborations between the collaborating co-mentor/institution and the primary mentor/institution, and should reflect a shared understanding of the project goals and highlight how the work aligns with local priorities. The letter should also describe the nature of the collaboration, expectations for mutual benefit, and local engagement in project planning or oversight.

G. IRB Approval Letter (if applicable): Include IRB plan in Project Proposal.

* If an IRB is required, faculty mentors and advisors must acknowledge the IRB plan in their letters. Letters of support from advisors can be emailed directly to the Program Specialist, Laura Pleasants (laura_pleasants@brown.edu).

IRB Approval 

Does my project need IRB review?

If your project involves human subjects (this includes data collection from living individuals through interaction or intervention, or data collection of identifiable, private information through secondary data analysis), Institutional Review Board (IRB) will be required. You must provide documentation that verifies approval by the respective IRB of the institution where the research will be carried out and/or Brown University. If this is not available at the time of application, you should describe your timeline for obtaining IRB approval in your proposal.

Requirements for funded projects 

Individuals who receive a Global Health Scholars Training Grant must:

1. Register with TravelSafe before travel begins. Brown University requires all students, faculty, and affiliates traveling on Brown-sponsored funds to register their international travel.
2. Participate in Global Health Research Day: Recipients agree to produce a quality scholarly product and to participate in a poster presentation at Global Health Research Day, held in April every year. Though data analysis may not be complete at the time of the poster session, the purpose of the event is to showcase your research-in-progress to your fellow awardees, faculty mentors, and interested members of the Brown community.
3. Complete pre-travel orientation: CGHE requires that all scholars complete a virtual asynchronous Global Health Research Experience training (including articles, videos, and a quiz) before the proposed research begins.

For more information and questions, please contact CGHE Program Specialist, Laura Pleasants (laura_pleasants@brown.edu).

Global Health Scholars Supplemental Travel Grant (Spring Application Cycle)

Funding type

Supplemental travel stipend  for medical students and PLME students who have had successful research grant funding (such as HEIDS, Warren Alpert Medical School SRA, PLME SRA, PCPM, BTR, etc), and need additional international travel support. (For a list of funding sources CGHE will coordinate with, see Other Funding Sources below.)

Eligibility

Brown medical students and PLME students

Application Deadline

Mid-February (to align with other funding sources)

Award amount

Up to $2,000