Smith Global Fellowship
Father Philip A. Smith Global Fellowship
Fellowship Program Description
The Father Philip A. Smith, O.P. Student Fellowships for Study and Service Abroad are awarded on a competitive basis to rising juniors and seniors. The fellowships enable students to undertake summer study or service at Catholic and Dominican sites outside the continental United States. The fellowships cover travel, living, and incidental expenses, and provide fellows with a modest stipend. The fellowships are funded through the generosity of, among others, members of the Providence College Board of Trustees, current and former.
Purpose
The Fellowships are designed to encourage motivated students to immerse in a global Dominican community, in questions of faith and vocation, and in service or study. Fellows will deepen their acquaintance with the Catholic and Dominican intellectual tradition and the ethos of Christian service, as well as be introduced to the breadth and richness of the church universal.
Criteria for Selection
Proposals from rising juniors and seniors are considered on the basis of:
- the aptness of the proposed course of study or service, given the purpose of the Fellowships;
- the demonstrated ability and readiness of the student to undertake what is proposed
- the feasibility and timeliness of the proposal.
Timeline
Information sessions about Smith Fellowships are held in October and will be advertised in Morning Mail and the Chaplain’s Bulletin. Attendance at one of these informational meetings is strongly encouraged and looked favorably on for anyone applying for a Smith Global Fellowship. Additionally, we encourage anyone interested to set up a meeting time with program director, Bob Pfunder (rpfunder@providence.edu), in October-November to speak through options, program possibilities, etc.
An online application form, with a preliminary description of the proposed course of travel, study, or service, will be due November 26, 2024. If a student is interested in applying and learning more about site locations, our summer 2025 application can be found at: prov.ly/smith-fellowship-2025. After reviewing each application, a selection committee will communicate with each applicant about how to proceed with drafting a formal proposal. If selected to submit a final proposal, the deadline is in January 24. Fellows are announced in early February.
Additional Considerations
Fellows must be full-time undergraduates in good standing. Three letters of recommendation are required, at least one of which must be from an ordinary member of the Providence College faculty. Fellows agree to give a presentation about their experience in the Center for Catholic & Dominican Studies during the semester following their return.
Although prospective fellows may propose a course of study or service according to their interests, the program has established relationships with sites and individuals in Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. Students may wish to contact the Smith Global Fellowships director to determine whether they can pursue their study or service at one or more of these sites.
Father Philip A. Smith, O.P.
Father Philip A. Smith, O.P. was the 11th President of Providence College (1994-2005). A native of Prince Edward Island, Canada, Father Smith graduated from Providence College and entered the Dominican Order in 1961. A philosopher by training and a specialist in bioethics, Father Smith also served as president of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., as a member of the Provincial Council of St. Joseph Province of the Dominican Friars, and as a delegate to the 1995 General Chapter of the Dominican Order in Caleruega, Spain. In gratitude for his many years of service to the Church, Order, and to the students of Providence College, these fellowships are named in his honor.
