Newcomb Scholars Program

The 2025 application opens on August 5, 2025 and closes September 29, 2025 at 11:59 PM. 

The due date of the application will be Sept. 29th

Check back here in August 2025 for the new application 

By the end of this program, Newcomb Scholars will be able to:

• Understand feminist and gender theories and their application to knowledge production  
• Lay out a research question or design or novel art that guides understanding and thought around a key gender equity issue
• Independently undertake research or creation of a novel scholarly work that reflects on gender equity in a way that can contribute to discourse and action
• Understand their field’s expectations of knowledge production and how new knowledge is shared within professional settings  
• Effectively communicate their work, in writing and in presentation, in a way that can be grasped as meaningful in advancing thought and action for your field of focus
• Compete effectively for jobs or graduate programs requiring or expecting academic capacity for independent creation of scholarly outputs 

You will achieve this via:

• Four semesters of seminar courses to build theory, critical thinking, writing, and presenting skills and to create an independent piece of research, technology, or art.
• Production of an independent piece of scholarly output (research study or artistic or technological expression)
• Professional presentation of independent work 

FAQs

How do we train scholars for gender equity work?  

• Seminars that center on building writing, research, and presentation skills within a framework that deploys a gender lens, borrowing from feminist and gender theories to research or scholarly methodologies and approaches, no matter their chosen major  
• Experiential learning opportunities including conference presentations, and publication of their own work
• Cohort development opportunities that strengthen ties to the Newcomb Network while providing skill building in teamwork, project management, and community building

What do the seminars look like?  

• First Year: INTU 1000: Applying A Gender Lens Across Disciplines
• NTC Distribution Requirement: Textual and Historical Perspectives
• As this is the first seminar, students will be introduced to gender as a category of analysis across fields. Visiting faculty from across the university, as well as invited guests, will speak to the cohort about their work and how they apply feminist and gender theories to their own research methods. Alone and in groups, they will develop skills that allow them to:
• Consider research production as gendered terrain
• Develop research questions
• Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources
• Engage with academic resources and research librarians
• Strengthen writing mechanics, with an emphasis on processing feedback and revision
• Produce an individual academic research paper  

What will my final project on gender equity look like?  

• Students must complete six credits of independent research or honors thesis credit in their home department their senior year. Approval of the project is at the discretion of their home department.
• Senior students must present their research at the Newcomb Scholars symposium in the spring, a culminating experience that leverages all of the academic research, writing, and communications skills they have learned throughout the program.

How do cohort development opportunities build my research skills?

• First-year retreat in New Orleans sets personal goals and creates accountability partners.
• Senior writing retreat held in Gulf Shores in January provides the final push to complete independent research project requirements
• Group travel provides a safe opportunity for students to have new experiences. International opportunities are in the works that will expose students to international academic communities.
• Events offer networking opportunities and possibilities to engage with feminist thought leaders around the country and the globe
• Builds an ongoing alum network that fosters opportunities that last long beyond graduation