Loewenstern
Fellowship

2025-2026 Loewenstern Application is Now Open!

Apply here: 2025-2026 Loewenstern Application
Deadline: Thursday, October 30, 2025

Through a generous donation by Walter Loewenstern (Rice class of 1958), the Loewenstern Fellowship provides undergraduate Rice students with funding, preparation, mentorship, and support to conduct civic research and/or critical service outside of the United States. Loewenstern fellows work across Latin and South America and Sub-Saharan Africa with partner organizations focused on a variety of social issues including education, healthcare, civil rights, and gender equality.

We are also proud to launch the International Changemaker cohort, a group of STEM focused placements funded by the Ross Rankin Moody fund for global leadership and civic engagement. 

Fellows receive funding to cover the cost of their summer abroad. Fellows enroll in a semester-long, two-credit International Service course in the spring before traveling to the host country in the summer. The course provides a critical lens to international development and frameworks for ethical global engagement. During the course, the fellow will also initiate conversations with their partner organization to prepare for their summer work.

Eligibility: 

• We welcome first-year, sophomore, and junior Rice undergraduate students from all majors to apply. (Seniors - check out other fellowships opportunities here.) 
• Fellows must be on campus for the spring 2026 semester to participate in the in-person International Service course.
• Other preferred qualifications such as foreign language proficiency are noted in the project descriptions. 

Instructions to Apply:

• Review application components here.
• Click here to check out placements offered for Summer 2026.
• Use your NetID to log-in here and submit your application by the deadline: Thursday, October 30, 11:59 pm Central. 

Save the Date for Upcoming Information Sessions & Events: 

• Friday, October 17, 5:30-6:30 pm, Herring 129: Information Session & Alumni Panel. Learn about the program and hear from program alumni about their experience in a Q&A panel. 
• Friday, October 24, 3:00-4:30 pm, Ray's Courtyard: Boba with Alumni. Join us for boba with program alumni to hear about their experiences and ask your questions about the program and placements.
• Tuesday, October 28, 4:00-5:00 pm, CCL conference room and Zoom: Drop-in Advising Hour with program lead Kelsey. Stop by the CCL (second floor of the RMC, above the Grand Hall) or jump on zoom to ask your final questions about the application before the deadline. 

The Center for Civic Leadership provides a number of advising resources to support you with the application process. Please reach out to us:

• Drop-in advising hours with CCL staff. 
• CCL Student Ambassadors: Sean Nyangeri (sn68@rice.edu) and Avalon Hogans (ah116@rice.edu)
• Program Lead: Kelsey Ullom, Associate Director (keu1@rice.edu, RMC 208, 713-348-6163)

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION HERE!

--> Click here to read the CCL Global Blog <--

Click here to watch a video about our East Africa placements.