Award Amounts

Awards are calculated based on your financial need and the self-calculated " budget gap" of your opportunity 

Gap Calculation: Housing +Travel to Host City - Employer Pay = Summer Budget Gap

All applications should exclude costs associated with food, daily transportation, insurance, and other expenses related to the cost of taking an unpaid or low-paying internship for the summer.

To maintain sustainability and to align with the original intent of this grant, funding is limited and not guaranteed. Funding awarded may be less than the individual budgetary needs of each applicant. All decisions are final and no appeal process is available.

Students must meet the qualifying criteria below in order to be eligible:

• Rising sophomore, junior, or senior, receiving financial aid from the University.
• Students with unpaid internships or low-paid internships resulting in a summer budget gap of $1000 or more (Housing + Travel to Host City - Employer Pay)
• For Summer Exploration Gap Funding, you must be enrolled during both the prior spring and following fall semesters. (Students who take a leave of absence during the Spring 2026 semester or plan to take a leave for the Fall 2026 semester will not be eligible for Summer Exploration Gap Funding.)
• Students who must pay rent for the summer in order to live in the location of their internship

Note: students receiving SPRINT Fellowships or other Brown fellowships for the same summer are not eligible to apply.

Students are permitted to submit ONE application for ONE internship opportunity.

• Students applying for Exploration Gap funding must have already accepted or have been offered an opportunity with an employer
• Opportunity must be supervised by a professional in the employing organization (a non-Brown sponsor) who signs the Exploration Gap funding Supervisor statement. The opportunity is required to have a supervisor who will provide regular oversight and mentorship throughout the summer. The supervisor must be a permanent employee of the organization and cannot be a student or part-time employee
• All Exploration Gap funding opportunities involving travel must adhere to Brown’s Travel Policy. Please note, section 3.9 in particular, as it relates to travel risk and safety. To receive funding, all eligible students participating in opportunities in person and outside of Rhode Island must register travel plans in TravelSafe (Sponsoring Department: Center for Career Exploration or Dean of the College; Purpose of Travel: Internship or Research)
• If a student’s program requires international travel, they must adhere to the University's travel policy, including but not limited to, registering their travel in TravelSafe and completing a Safety Plan for review and approval of Brown High-Risk travel, as applicable. Safety Plans for international travel to Brown High-Risk destinations must be reviewed and approved by the Global Travel Risk Assessment Committee (GTRAC) before awardees can be approved by SPRINT to receive funding. Opportunities in Brown High-Risk destinations may be declined and the funding may be rescinded if travel is deemed ineligible by GTRAC
• Research opportunities under Exploration Gap funding are only permitted at non-Brown affiliated institutions and with a non-Brown professor/sponsor
• Opportunities that start after Memorial Day and conclude by Labor Day
• Opportunities that are a student’s primary activity over the summer and last for at least 6 weeks

• Educational programs for credit, programs with fees to participate, and pay-to-participate internship placement programs coordinated through third-party vendors are not eligible for Exploration Gap funding
• Projects with an organization involved with the use, production, testing, or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana are not eligible (as the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level and Brown University receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law)
• Research or internship opportunities that require Exploration Gap awardees to pay tuition, fees, or pay to live in specified locations
• Camp counselors and tutoring positions are not considered internship opportunities and will not be eligible for Exploration Gap funding
• Opportunities with a Brown student club, organization, or class or experiences that are a continuation of work done with a Brown club or organization during the academic year.
• Organizations and programs that expect their interns and employees to engage in fundraising through street solicitations or call centers
• Training programs that do not contain operational responsibilities; these include programs where the main components include observing, shadowing, and attending lectures
• Internship or project receiving course credit (e.g. teaching requirement for teacher certification/education concentration)
• Projects that fulfill the criteria of the Brown University UTRA (Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards) or Advanced Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programs. Exploration Gap funding may not be used for research conducted on campus with a Brown professor, faculty, or staff member - please see UTRA Awards and Advanced Undergraduate Research Fellowships for this type of experience
• A Brown University sponsored, funded, or affiliated research opportunity or internship, or an opportunity in a program that is supported by Brown University.
• Internship at a Brown University department or office, or where a Brown faculty or staff member is the supervisor.
• Pre-thesis or independent research at Brown or elsewhere
• A member of a student's family cannot run or have a substantial management interest in a student's host organization nor serve as a student's sponsor directly or indirectly

All applications must submit their application in UFunds. Search for “Exploration Gap Funding”. Only students on financial aid are eligible to apply.

Application materials:

• Resume
• Position Description
  • (a description of your role, typically taken from the position posting or provided by the supervisor)
• Supervisor Statement Form
  • Document signed by the host organization offering the opportunity providing the dates of the experience and the total compensation.
    • If your employer has not yet returned the paperwork, you may still apply for funding consideration by uploading alternative documentation confirming you have been offered the opportunity, such as an email from the organization offering you the role. You will be required to send the completed supervisor statement form to student_exploration@brown.edu within 7 days of your application.
• Gap calculation (Housing + Travel to Host City - Employer Pay)
  • All applications should exclude costs associated with food, daily transportation, insurance, and other expenses related to cost of living.
• A brief written statement
  • Answer the following questions in no more than 500 words:
    • Why are you interested in this position and why is the opportunity important for you as it relates to your career exploration?
    • How does this opportunity utilize your current skills and provide opportunities for new skill development?

Application Deadline: April 30, 2026

Notification: May 7, 2026

Estimated payment date: Within two weeks of accepting award funding

Questions about Exploration Gap funding can be emailed to the Student Exploration Team.