Applicants must: 

• Be a current master’s or doctoral student 
• Be currently enrolled at a university within the 1890 land-grant system  (includes Alabama A&M University, Alcorn State University, Central State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University, Southern University System, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia State University, West Virginia State University)
• Students can be domestic or international, however, international students must be enrolled at an eligible university (linked above). Preference will be given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and international students from USAID Feed the Future target countries. 

Research focus

• Students can apply from any discipline, so long as it relates in a substantive way to inclusive and sustainable agricultural development — from plant sciences and nutrition to resilience and climate resilience and beyond. Not sure if your discipline is a good fit? Contact us using the form below!
• International research focus is not necessary, but is a bonus.

Fellows

• Fellows will receive a stipend of $28,654 for the 2022-20223 academic year. 
• Fellows will receive a tuition waiver to enroll in courses at Cornell for the 2022-2023 academic year. Credits are intended to count toward Fellows’ current degree program. Fellows will work with their home institution advisor and Cornell faculty mentor to determine which classes to take during their fellowship. Fellows will not receive a degree from Cornell. 
• Fellows will be exposed to multidisciplinary agricultural research for development, and support through mentorship and professional development.
• Fellows will be part of the inaugural cohort of TW Turner Fellows, sharing experiences and expertise with their colleagues from Cornell and other 1890 institutions.  
• Fellows and their home institution advisor will be paired with a faculty member at Cornell based on the Fellow’s area of expertise. Together they will identify a collaborative research project to be pursued throughout the academic year. We will strive to connect you with additional faculty you are interested in at Cornell should the faculty list on the application not fit your research.
• Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in the programming provided by the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement and its partners, which will support their sense of belonging, connection to student communities, and professional development while they are at Cornell. Fellows will also have the opportunity to engage with broader communities and student organizations of graduate students. 

Faculty advisors from Fellows’ home institution

• Receive 8 hours of culturally responsive mentorship training on the science of mentorship, the opportunities and challenges of mentorship, a framework for mentorship discussions, and a set of evidence-based tools mentors can use to align expectations for their work together
• Receive support aligned with the STEM Mentoring Ecosystem framework and Communities of Practice
• Build relationships and collaborative research with Cornell faculty

• Applications must be received from both the student and their home institution faculty advisors. Applications only received from one of these will not be considered complete. You can preview the application here.
• What we are looking for in a student:
  • Evidence of being able to work in areas related to sustainable agricultural development and/or international development
  • Potential to conduct independent and/or collaborative research.
  • Alignment with faculty mentor research focus areas.
  • Research interests that relate to inclusive and sustainable agricultural development
  • An interest in international development work – this could still be nascent
  • An ability and desire to work across disciplines
  • An ability to adapt to different academic, cultural and social settings
  • An ability to work effectively and positively in team settings
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Curiosity!
• Applications will be reviewed based on the strengths of both the student and faculty. The review committee will be composed of ILCI team members and representatives from the Cornell Graduate School. 
• Once selected, Fellows will be paired with a faculty mentor at Cornell based on their research focus and expressed interest in the application. 

• January 26, 2022: Application period opens
• March 15, 2022: Deadline extended! Applications are being reviewed on a rolling.
• Early April 2022: Acceptance letters sent
• April – May 2022: Fellows will be paired with Cornell faculty mentors, and develop their fellowship plans, which will include course options, research expectations, engagement with home institution faculty advisors, etc.
• Early August 2022: Fellows arrive at Cornell
• August 2022: Mentorship training for mentors and mentees
• August 2022 – May 2023: Fellows will be placed in research groups / labs at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. They will attend Cornell in-person and work closely with peers throughout their fellowship.