The Royce Fellowship Program was established in 1996 through the generosity of Charles Royce, a 1961 graduate of Brown University and parent of two Brown alums. Mr. Royce, president of Royce Funds, has served as a University Trustee since 1989, actively involved in several committees, including CAFA, the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid.
Every spring, up to twenty students at Brown are inducted into the Society of Royce Fellows, receiving an award of up to $4,000 to pursue a project of their own design. The program seeks to enable undergraduates to explore their developing interests and passions and enhance the ideals of Brown’s innovative open curriculum.
In addition to the completion of their proposed project, fellows are expected to be active participants in the Society of Royce Fellows. Challenged through regularly scheduled events to present their vision and consider those held by others, the hope is that the Royce experience will ultimately encourage both a deep commitment to one’s own thoughts and ideas and a sense of responsibility to the community and world beyond Brown.
Six to eight faculty help craft this collaborative experience each year in their role as faculty fellows to the program. Hosting monthly dinners, attending presentations and, ultimately, generating discussion, their participation and support symbolize the notions of community that were the impetus behind the idea of the society. Bringing outstanding Brown students, faculty and Royce alumni together in a voluntary community, the Royce Fellowship Program strives to create an environment for accomplished and emerging scholars alike to engage their respective interests and mutual concerns.
