Barnard College Barnard College

Laidlaw Research & Leadership Program

Barnard College is incredibly proud to partner with the Laidlaw Foundation to provide students with opportunities to develop as researchers and leaders. The Laidlaw Research & Leadership Program offers up to 25 first-year and sophomore students each year access to funding for faculty mentored research and internships, alongside leadership development programming hosted by the Athena Center. The initiative is also supported by Beyond Barnard.

The Program is designed to develop a new generation of leaders committed to evidence-based truths and ethical leadership. Advance and drive change around the world through creative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary practice, alongside rigorous academic research.

Please note: students exploring this opportunity should fill out the 2023 interest form and can learn more by watching previous information sessions on Youtube. Additional questions can be sent to beyondbarnard@barnard.edu

    The core components of this two-year opportunity teach students to conduct research with impact and develop their leadership potential through supportive training with a cohort of their peers, provided by the Athena Center, Beyond Barnard, and the Laidlaw Foundation. Specifically, the program entails:

    • A two-year opportunity to pursue faculty mentored research, internships, and leadership training, designed for First-Year and Sophomore Students at Barnard College.
    • Students have access to (a) two summers of funding and subsidized housing for faculty-mentored research (in the first summer) and an internship (or second year of research if it has a direct impact on a community); and (b) year-round training in a supportive cohort of peers, provided by the Athena Center and Beyond Barnard.
    • Barnard students selected participate in the Program will have access to a global network of Laidlaw Scholars at 14 top universities and colleges.
    • In a student's first summer, they will complete 5-6 weeks of faculty-mentored research on a topic of their choosing
    • In a student's second summer, they will complete a leadership in action project or internship (or complete a second summer of research), depending on their individual interests, course of study, and objectives
    • Throughout the program, students will participate in leadership training provided by the Athena Leadership Center and additional supportive workshops hosted by Beyond Barnard

    • All first-year students and sophomores, regardless of majors, are eligible to apply. While students in STEM fields are welcome to submit applications, those who are conducting bench scientific research may find a better fit in Barnard's Summer Research Institute (the Laidlaw Program supports projects on a different time-scale and with different requirements than those typically pursued in SRI).
    • Interdisciplinary projects are welcome, as are topics with an international focus.
    • Proposed projects should develop analytical, investigative, problem-solving and data management skills

    Students should apply in the Spring Semester of their first year or sophomore year at Barnard. 

    Please fill out this interest form to ensure that you are receiving updates on the process. Please review the information session recording to learn more details about the timing of the inaugural cohort in 2022.

    2022 Timeline:

    • February 2: Workshop on finding a mentor and the application process (students can register here).

    • February 2: Application opens.

    • February 2-28: Students secure mentors and assemble application materials.

    • March 1: Application due.

    • March 21-25: Finalist interviews.

    • April 1: Selections announced to students.

    • May 31: Program begins.

    Barnard College offers its deep gratitude to the Laidlaw Foundation for its generous support of this important Program. The Laidlaw Foundation invests in the education of the underprivileged and underrepresented in order to break the cycle of poverty, reduce inequality and develop a new generation of leaders. The Foundation's funding supports three core programs: 

    • Sponsoring the Laidlaw Schools Trust – a growing, Multi Academy Trust in the North East of England, providing inspirational education to transform lives,
    • Developing a new generation of diverse leaders who embrace research-based decision making and ethical leadership through the Laidlaw Research & Leadership Program at the world’s leading universities, and
    • Ensuring more women reach the C-Suite by providing MBA scholarships at London Business School and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. 

    To learn more, follow the Laidlaw Foundation on LinkedIn and Twitter.