Kahn Student Fellowships

Long-term Projects

Each long-term project accepts four fellows from among Smith juniors and seniors. They research their own independent question within the broader project theme, while participating as equals with faculty fellows in weekly seminar meetings, meals, and special events throughout the project.

Most students will not have had much previous experience defining a research topic or doing original research, so the institute established a research orientation program for student fellows. It is critical that student fellows participate in the summer planning activities in May and return to campus a few days before the start of the fall semester to attend a three-day research orientation that will help you prepare to sit as a peer with faculty at weekly seminars.

A Kahn student fellow is an enrolled Smith College junior or senior who:

will be on campus during the duration of the project. Long-term projects can be a full academic year or one semester.
is prepared to take initiative in conducting independent research
takes themselves seriously as a scholar
is sufficiently confident to present their research to faculty and visiting experts

Additional Information

Student Fellows are expected to:

develop a significant intellectual question and pursue research on it throughout the project year.
read five or six key works on their topic over the summer before the project year. participate in an orientation and training program.
attend all of the project’s weekly colloquium meetings and meals, as well as project special events.
participate equally and in collaboration with faculty members.
present their research during the project seminar and at Celebrating Collaborations in April
pursue a separate research project from any thesis or other work

Student Fellows

are provided with a $600 stipend at the end of the summer to support their research.
are paid $1,730 for a semester-long project and $3,460 for a year-long project, disbursed as student payroll in equal bi-weekly payments.
must integrate the Kahn stipend into their total aid package if they receive financial aid. Contact Student Financial Services to discuss how this may impact your aid package.
may not hold another ongoing job (i.e. one that requires a set work schedule) during the project.

Submit an application via Google Forms no later than Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Include:

Research Description: a 250-word statement explaining:

What research questions are you interested in pursuing as they relate to the “Foodways: Rooted, Made, Shared, Imagined” project description?
How does this interest connect to other aspects of your intellectual life and studies?
What research methodology or methodologies are you considering for this project?

Prior Independent Research Experience

Please describe, in 100 words or less, a prior experience you have had with independent research during an internship, volunteering, coursework, or employment, or something you pursued on your own time. How did you navigate any challenges you encountered? How did you keep yourself on task? What research methodologies did you use?
Names of four Smith faculty members as references (note: the organizers of the project you’re applying for are not eligible as references and only one of the four references can be faculty fellows in the project you’re applying for).
A current resume.
An unofficial Smith College transcript.

Students may apply for only one Kahn project during a given year.

Key Dates & Deadlines

2025–26

Date	Item
Tuesday, December 2	Project Information Session for students with faculty organizers
Tuesday, February 3	Student Application Writing Workshop
Tuesday, February 10	Deadline for student fellowship applications
Week of March 1	Candidate interviews
Week of March 9	Finalists and waitlist notifications sent
Thursday, May 7	Project Kickoff Meetings
May–August	Library research session, summer reading and research, prepare and submit research questions and annotated bibliography
Late August, early September	Mandatory Kahn Institute Student Fellows Orientation

From Current Fellows

Curious what current student fellows are researching? Read about two fellows in the long-term project “Hauntings.”

Cynthia Arguijo ’27J

Mathematical Sciences major; Environmental Science & Policy minor

The increased frequency of flooding due to global warming has haunted marginalized communities. Incorporating statistical and data science methods, Arguijo is researching how water quality, homes/infrastructure, health, and finances are affected by frequent flooding in Harris, Cameron, Galveston, Brazoria, and Jackson Counties in Texas and is determining how resilience varies in communities of different racial and economic demographics.

Hala Anderson ’26

Architecture & Urbanism and Government double major

Anderson is examining how architectural homogenization haunts contemporary society, erasing cultural specificity and disconnecting communities from their histories. Her primary interest is understanding how people are influenced by the built environment and how governance and policy influence urban development.