Fondren Fellows

Fondren Fellows Opportunities for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

Would you like to work on a compelling research or teaching project tied to the library, such as collecting and analyzing data on the history of industrial accidents in the Houston area, helping to create and test a framework for evaluating and implementing effective AI teaching practices, or researching and cataloging handwritten notes left in books held by the Woodson Research Center? If so, apply to become a Fondren Fellow. Projects will start in late August of 2025 and end by early May of 2026.

Fellows will earn $18 per hour (for up to 200 hours), work flexible schedules, hone their skills in research and communication, and be mentored by a Rice faculty member or Fondren staff member. 

Apply at https://rice.12twenty.com/job-postings/35006704118328 by March 31 at 11:59 p.m.

Available Projects for 2025-26

Rice undergraduate and graduate students may apply to work on the projects below:

• Document

  Building a History of Industrial Accidents and Disasters in Houston
• Document

  Who Owned Freedmen’s Town?: Tracking Deeds from 1867 to 1936
• Document

  Teaching Qualitative Data Analysis Research Tools
• Document

  Computing Cultural Heritage: Processing Physical and Born-digital Data in the White House Scientists Archive
• Document

  The Red Book of Houston
• Document

  Olivewood Cemetery Mapping Project
• Document

  Readers’ Marks: tracing the past in Fondren’s rare book collections
• Document

  Developing a Framework for Enhancing Teaching with AI
• Document

  65 Years of SEL: A Research Archive Project
• Document

  Open Data, Open Knowledge: Rice University Python-Based Solutions for Enhancing Access and Literacy in AI Era
• Document

  Analysis of Medical Humanities Research Resources, Strategies and Tools at Fondren Library

Applying for the Program

Applicants must be current Rice graduate or undergraduate students in good academic standing at the time of the program. 

To apply, please use 12twenty to submit the following documents:

• a resume or CV that includes your name, email address, telephone number and expected graduation date
• a cover letter. The cover letter should specify which project(s) you would like to participate in, what qualifications you bring to the project(s), and what you would like to get out of the fellowship. 

If your application is chosen to move to the next stage, you will be contacted to interview with your prospective mentor.

Only applications submitted on 12twenty will be considered!

Applications are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, March 31, 2025.

Any questions should be directed to fondrenfellows@rice.edu

Check out the Slides from Our Info Session

Held on Monday, March 24

Benefits for Fellows

The Fondren Fellows program offers the following benefits to students:

• Competitive wage of $18/ hour for up to 200 hours of work.
• Create a meaningful research or teaching project in collaboration with experts.
• Hone research and communication skills.
• Work flexible hours 

Expectations

Once selected, Fondren Fellows are expected to:

• Participate in regular meetings with their mentor(s) and, as appropriate, with other Fellows
• Develop and submit a research plan in cooperation with the project group and Mentor    
• Be able to dedicate at least 5-10 hours of work per week to their project
• Provide reports on their progress in meeting the project goals
• Present their project at a public forum, such as the Rice Undergraduate Research Symposium (RURS), Fondren Town Hall Meeting, or as part of our Fondren Fellows Showcase  
• Acknowledge the Fondren Fellows program in any publications or presentations resulting from the fellowship
• Provide feedback on the Fellows program, including by completing a brief survey at the middle and end of the fellowship

About the program

The Fondren Fellows program funds Rice undergraduate or graduate students to conduct research or teaching projects sponsored by Fondren Library that involve skills, collections, spaces, or services related to libraries and archives. Projects are proposed by Rice faculty members or Fondren staff who serve as mentors, helping Fellows to establish a work plan, develop the project, and acquire needed skills. These projects cover a wide range of topics, such as describing archival collections, developing digital scholarship projects, or creating educational resources.

Outcomes and Highlights

Explore the outcomes and project deliverables of recent Fondren Fellows projects.

Fondren Fellows Steering Committee

The Fondren Fellows program is overseen by:

• TBN (Fondren Fellows coordinator)
• Lisa Spiro (Fondren Fellows director and Assistant University Librarian for Digital Scholarship and Organizational Development)
• Amanda Focke (Head of Special Collections)
• Denis Galvin (Assistant University Librarian for IT and Technical Services)
• Cindy Pierard (Assistant University Librarian for Research Services)

More about the Fondren Fellows Program

Fondren Library gratefully acknowledges the John “Terry” Maltsberger III estate for creating an endowment to support expanding the Fondren Fellows program - "Surprise for Fondren Library: $2 million endowment to fund experiential research," Rice News (November 5, 2018).

Between 2016 and 2019, the Fondren Fellows program was funded through the generous support of Trish Brice. The program's inception originally drew inspiration from a similar program at Vanderbilt, as well as by student research programs at Rice’s Center for Civic Leadership and Rice’s Humanities Research Center.

For more information, see Jeff Falk's article: "Fondren Fellows Program showcases students’ research prowess," Rice News (April 17, 2017) and Andrew Bell's "Rice’s Fondren Fellows program displays projects at showcase event," Rice News (April 29, 2024).

Fellows are encouraged to upload completed project materials and presentations to the Rice Research Repository (R-3).