Laidlaw Scholars Application and Criteria

Open to first- and second-year Tufts undergraduates. Scholars must be able to commit to two summers while enrolled; the summer after graduation cannot be used.

By applying to be a Laidlaw Scholar, I understand that should I be accepted, I agree to:
• Spend one summer working on a 6-weeks (210-240 hours) research project.
• Spend one summer working on a 6-weeks (210-240 hours) Leadership in Action project.

• Leadership-in-Action (LiA) experiences should meet the following criteria:
  • An experience in a new community and personally challenging environment
  • Collaborating with and learning from community leaders
  • A project that creates sustainable impact (no ‘voluntourism’).
    • Please see the “Policy on Ethical Community Engagement” in the “Leadership-in-Action (LiA) Project Guidelines and Resources”
  • Developing and demonstrating your leadership skills, attributes, and Laidlaw values

• Meet the "Overseas Requirement": All Scholars must meet the requirement via one of the following manners. They include and are not limited to the following:

• Scholars spend at least 6-weeks in an area immersed in a culture not their own.
  • This may be during the research project, Leadership-in-Action project, or study abroad.
• Scholars who are from a foreign nation.
• Scholars who are unable to obtain travel documents
• Exemptions due to emergent issues must be approved by Tufts OEO.

• MANDATORY IN-PERSON (Unless otherwise posted): 86-hours of leadership workshops and research presentations during the program. Exact dates and locations will be shared as soon as they are determined by the Foundation.

• May 9 through May 16, 2026 on Tufts Medford Campus (Exact Schedule TBD)
• 3 Friday Afternoon Sessions - 1 fall of 2026, 1 spring 2027, & 1 fall 2027 (In-person or Remote)
• Laidlaw Scholars Conference, 2026 (Location & Dates TBD)
• 2 Presentation Days (September Dates TBD in 2026 & 2027)
• Laidlaw - Oxford Character Project Program 6-one-hour online sessions (Dates TBD) - 1 per month Nov. 2026 to April 2027 & 40-short online reflections

DELIVERABLES (please see the Timeline for Posts on the Laidlaw Scholars Network):
• Research (Summer I)

• • Research poster (presented within Tufts and posted on the Laidlaw Scholars Network).
  • Research essay (2,000+ words) for a non-specialist audience posted on the Network.
    • Optional: Academic paper for journal submission and a 1,000 word essay posted on the Network.
  • Weekly project updates on the Network during the research period.
• Leadership-in-Action (Summer II)
  • LiA poster or LiA report (≥2,000 words) posted on the Network, reporting against the project’s SMART goals.
  • Weekly project updates on the Network during the LiA period.
  • LiA evaluation survey (with option to express interest in serving as an LiA Champion).
  • “Leadership-in-Action (LiA) Project Guidelines and Resources”

• Character, Leadership, Global Mindset (in the fall following Summer II)
  • Deliver a 5–10 minute campus talk focusing on the 3C’s, Laidlaw values, and global mindset
  • Post the recording on the Network with a 250+ word summary.