Lampert Scholars

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Lampert Scholars participate in a year-long series of integrated intellectual and professional activities during their senior year that encourage scholarly and practical engagement with complex policy issues. Through close interactions with faculty and outside experts and practitioners, the Scholars benefit from a rich set of experiences that encompasses studying policy, pursuing career and research opportunities, and gaining mentorship and networking experiences.

The Scholars program offers an invaluable opportunity for rising seniors interested in writing a senior honors thesis to begin conducting research, collecting data, and soliciting feedback from experts and practitioners ahead of their senior year. We highly encourage students considering an honors thesis to capitalize upon the elements of the summer program accordingly.

More about the Lampert Institute

Scholars are required to participate in the Program’s three elements:

Lampert Scholars are required to complete either an internship at an organization that focuses on issues related to the institute’s areas of inquiry or an independent research project during the summer after the junior year.

At the end of  summer, all Lampert Scholars will be required to submit a serious lengthy paper based upon their summer internship or research experiences. Under the supervision of a Colgate faculty sponsor, a mentor at the internship organization, or in some cases, both, students should aim to produce a high-quality paper that can form the foundation for a senior seminar or honors thesis project, and, ideally, be eligible for submission to a student journal.

Prospective Scholars interested in the internship route should begin the process of identifying positions well before the application deadline, as they will be required to provide a detailed description of their efforts to date in the application. In searching for internships, students are strongly encouraged to draw upon the resources of the Career Services office and to consult with the institute, so as to maximize the likelihood of obtaining a position that best suits their interests.

Prospective Scholars who wish to conduct an independent research project should submit a carefully researched and detailed proposal that describes an analytical question, literature review, hypotheses, and methodology. The research topic should be related to the institute’s areas of inquiry.

The institute sponsors a series of speaker events on topics related to the Changing World Order and Science, Technology and Public Policy Initiatives. Lampert Scholars are expected to attend these events throughout their senior year, which are opportunities for them to learn from expert practitioners, engage in informal conversations with them, and discuss career paths in policy-related sectors.

Lampert Scholars are required to enroll in a senior seminar that examines various topics related to the institute’s areas of inquiry. Students will receive course credit for the seminar in the instructor's department.

Lampert Prize

An annual Lampert Prize will be awarded to the Scholar who best represents the institute’s standards of academic excellence and intellectual engagement in significant policy issues. The Prize will be accompanied by a small monetary award.

Application Process

Completed applications should include:

  • A personal statement (3 to 5 pages, double-spaced) that describes the applicant’s interest in the Lampert Scholars program, commitment to the policy issues supported by the institute, and how the Scholars program will help advance their plans at Colgate and beyond.
  • Candidates intending to work at an internship should submit a description (750 words) of the job opportunities they have applied or plan to apply to and the progress made to date.  
  • Candidates intending to pursue independent research projects should submit a proposal (5 pages) that clearly states the research question, advances possible hypotheses, and outlines an analytically rigorous method by which they will examine the question and test the hypotheses. Applicants must also submit a detailed plan and schedule that outlines how they plan to use their time and funds.
  • A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has agreed to serve as the student’s faculty sponsor.
  • A transcript.

Applications are due Feb. 6, 2025. Please send your completed file to csparber@colgate.edu. Candidates will be invited for an interview and final selections will be made by Feb. 28, 2025. Students have until March 14, 2025 to accept selection as a Lampert Scholar.

About the Lampert Institute