Adams Summer Legal Scholars Program

Competitive Awards for Student-Faculty Research Teams in Socio-Legal Studies

The John W. Adams Summer Legal Scholars Program in Socio-legal Studies provides opportunities for students to work in close collaboration with faculty members as full participants in the design and execution of a socio-legal studies research project. A primary component of the program is the public presentation of the summer scholar's work at the conclusion of the research project.

Summer Research Fellowships - The current fellowship award is $3,000 per student plus provision of on-campus summer housing. This year (2010) the fellowship also includes a two (2) week seminar in England at Oxford University under the auspices of The Foundation for Law, Justice and Society.


Selection of Awards - Selection of recipients for the competitive summer fellowships will be made by a committee comprised of the Associate Provost, Director of the Law & Society Program, and other faculty teaching within the program as appropriate.

Proposals are to be written and submitted by the student member of a student/faculty research team. Complete applications for a summer research award must include the following:

  • A clear description of the project (in 2 to 4 pages);
  • A statement about the qualifications of the student researcher (e.g. relevant coursework, research skills, etc.);
  • A schedule for the project (normally 8 weeks in length but may vary from 8 to 10 weeks);
  • A letter of support from the faculty mentor, including a statement about the qualifications of the student to successfully complete the project; if the research is part of a project undertaken by the faculty member, the letter should indicate whether the faculty member has grant funding to cover the student stipend and any necessary equipment; faculty mentors should submit their letters directly to the Associate Provost;
  • An expense budget and budget narrative (e.g. travel, postage, copying, transcripts, etc.)

Guidelines for Preparing Research Proposals for Kenyon's Summer Legal Studies Scholars Program

Faculty Mentors Guide

Submit proposals to Melissa Pohl (use Form ) no later than 12:00 Noon, January 4, 2010. Awards will be announced on January 15, 2010.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) - Students awarded a summer research scholarship whose research involves the use of human subjects, must apply to the Kenyon College IRB for review of their research protocol. Information about IRB application may be found on the IRB web page. Be sure to go to Information for Researchers and pay special attention to "Advice to Students" and "Summer Scholars." IRB applications should be submitted well in advance of the start dates of your program and research.

Equipment and Materials - Students may apply for assistance in meeting the costs of research, including presenting results at a conference. If these requests are funded, any materials, supplies, and equipment will become the property of the College and remain with the sponsoring faculty member's department or the Law and Society Program. An estimated budget must be prepared and submitted with each proposal. Costs for equipment and materials or conference travel, if appropriately invoiced and receipted in the Accounting Office and approved by the faculty mentor, may not exceed $500.

Reports - On Monday, January 24, 2010, students awarded fellowships for the preceding summer are required to submit an electronic copy of the final comprehensive paper that serves as the research project's concluding report. Submit the paper via email to Melissa Pohl pohl@kenyon.edu

Summer Legal Scholars will present their research at a public talk before the end of the semester immediately following their summer research experience.

Transcript Notation - Students who successfully complete a summer socio-legal research project in accord with program and project requirements and who are endorsed by their faculty mentor will have this summer research experience specially noted on their transcript.

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