About the Fellowship

The Broughton Graduate Fellowship was established by the late William G. Broughton of Schenectady, New York, in honor of his parents, Henry Primm Broughton and Jane Tinkham Broughton.

The Broughton Graduate Fellowship is an award for advanced scholarly research by graduate students that may be part of their dissertation, thesis, or final project for a graduate degree at Russell Sage College. Students in graduate programs from the Esteves School of Education, the School of Health Sciences, and the School of Management are eligible and may apply as an individual or a team.

The criteria for selection of Broughton Fellows are:

  • meritorious graduate research conducted by students
  • record of outstanding academic achievement
  • evidence of creative and innovative problem solving

To be awarded, Fellows must maintain outstanding academic status and satisfactory progress in their graduate degree program. In addition, each Broughton Fellow is required to give a public lecture, at the Russell Sage Graduate Research Symposium or a similar venue. Broughton Fellows will be recognized at commencement by wearing a blue cord.

How to Apply

Application Overview

Deadline: Sunday, February 11, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EST

  • The Broughton Graduate Fellowship is open to current graduate students who are currently planning or engaging in research at Russell Sage College.
  • A team of student researchers may submit a single application.
  • Awards are made annually in the spring semester.
  • Final application packets will be accepted by the specified due date via email to the Broughton Fellowship email account at [email protected].
  • Please instruct those who are writing the recommendation to submit signed letters of recommendation to [email protected].
  • Unsigned recommendation letters will not be accepted and applications will be considered incomplete.
  • Student applicants are responsible for verifying that their submission is complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Paper Details 

  • Applications should be limited to a maximum of TEN PAGES. This does not include the: title page, reference page, and resume. Be sure to use size 12 Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced, and proper APA citation format.
  • Applications that exceed the 10-PAGE LIMIT; do not adhere to the Specific Details Outlined in the Instructions or are otherwise incomplete will NOT BE REVIEWED. The application should include the following elements:
  • Title of Project and listing of all active researchers.
  • Introduction including Primary Study Aim and Purpose of the Study
  • Background including abbreviated Literature Review
  • Research Methodology, including: Study Methodology, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Study Limitations, and Proposed Timeline for completion of your research.
  • Proposed Budget and Justification (aligned with the proposed research methodology). Funds may be requested for: Small equipment purchases; Software used for data collection or analysis; Transcription services; Travel for data collection; Printing and postage of surveys; and other expenses directly related to data collection and analysis. No stipends will be considered.  Justification for each item in your budget must be clearly included.
  • Students may apply for varying funding amounts up to a maximum of $2,000 per proposal. If selected, students may be only partially funded for their research. Please include any additional funding sources that you have either applied for or secured.
  • Projected dissemination plan
  • References
  • All of the above application materials should be sent in one PDF document via email to [email protected].

Student applicants are responsible for the content and quality of the submitted materials. Upon submission, student applicants certify that the application reflects their own, original work and includes formal approval for any external sources (e.g., measurement tools) integrated into the conduct of this study.

Applicants are responsible for verifying that the contents of their applications are complete prior to final submission. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed or considered for a Broughton Graduate Fellowship award.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy McLaughlin, Office of the Provost, at [email protected].

Broughton Application Instructions
Broughton Graduate Fellowship Coversheet

2024 Recipients

  • Madison Barnhart, Erin Fouracre, Evelyn Gile and Julia Murray, PT students, under the advisement of Rupali Singh, PhD, for their project, “Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Pilot Study”
  • Kainat Raza, OT student, under the advisement of Ireta London, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, on her project “Occupational Deprivation Among the Homeless Population”
  • Rebecca Sauer, OT student, under the advisement of Erica Dessingue, OTD, OTR/L, on her project “Use of Individualized Sensory Input to Decrease Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia”
  • Katherine Scoville, EDL student, under the advisement of Francesca Durand, PhD, on her project “The Role of Professional Development Related to the Career Trajectory and Leadership Practices of Registrars at Small Colleges in New York State”

2023 Recipients

  • Taylor M. Gerrain, OTD Student, under the advisement of Ireta London, OTD, MPH, CHES, OTR/L, for her project, “Advocacy for the Utilization of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Care Services Within New York State” 
  • Jacquelyn Nash, OTD Student, under the advisement of Bonnie Fischer-Camara, OTD, OTR/L, for her project, “The Role of Occupational Therapy on the Primary Care Team: Management of Chronic Conditions”
  • Emily G. Peters, OTD Student, under the advisement of Becky Bernhardt, OTD, OTR/L, C/NDT, CAPS, Associate Professor, Department Chair, Capstone Coordinator, for her project, “Development and Evaluation of an Online Symptom Management Resource for Young-onset Parkinson’s Disease” 

2022 Recipients

  • Logan Brennan, OTD Student, under the advisement of Bonnie Fischer-Camara, OTD, OTR/L, for her project “Sports for All: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Inclusive Sports for Students with Disabilities”  
  • Sarah Brockway, EDL Student and Occupational Therapy Faculty, under the advisement of Dr. Janice White, Associate Professor, for her project in the Educational Leadership Program, “An exploration of leadership in the implementation of the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges(2015)”
  • Alexis Curley, OTD Student, under the advisement of Dr. Dayna Maniccia, Associate Professor, for her project, “Exercise Adherence and the Impacts on Quality of Life in Adults over 65”  
  • Amatollah Elsirafy, OTD Student, under the advisement of Dr. Debra Collette, OTD, OTR/L, for her project, “Exploring Occupational Therapy and Behavior Analysis in Residential Care for Children with Disabilities”
  • Sarah Salvatore, EDL Student and Physical Therapy Faculty, under the advisement of Francesca Durand, Ph.D., for her project in the Educational Leadership Program, “Noncognitive factors in Doctor of Physical Therapy program admissions: Interpretation and implementation of holistic review procedures”

2021 Recipients

  • Erin Elkins, under the advisement of Francesca Durand, Ph.D. for her project in the Educational Leadership program, “Doctoral Student Mental Health and the Utilization of College Based Services: A Review of the Healthy Minds Study”  
  • Giovanna Fichera, Brittany Gage, Nicole Groll, and Maegan Villa, under the advisement of Debra Collette, OTD, OTR/L for their project in the Educational Leadership program, “3D Hand Model for Splinting Scleroderma Patients”
  • Giovanni Virgiglio, under the advisement of Lynne R. Wells, Ed.D. for his project in the Educational Leadership program, “Exploring the Role of the School Superintendent in Crisis Management”  

2020 Recipients

  • Shylah Addante, under the advisement of Joseph Dragone, Ph.D. for her project in the Educational Leadership program, “Implementation of Behavioral Intervention Team Best Practices at Institutions of Higher Education in New York State”
  • Shelby Cull & Rachel Truax, under the advisement of Debra Collette, OTD, OTR/L, for their project in the Occupational Therapy program, “The Role of Occupational Therapy in Women’s Maternal Health”
  • Jennifer Grigoli, under the advisement of Kathleen A. Kelly, Ph.D., MPH, MS, FNP, for her project in the Doctor of Nursing Science program, “The Burden of Proof: The Lived Experiences of Nurses with Substance Use Disorders: Returning to Work following Alternative to Discipline Programs”
  • Angelina Parks, under the advisement of Alicia Harlow, Ph.D., for her project in the Counseling and Community Psychology program, “How Disclosing Trauma and Life Experiences Impacts Individual and Intimate Relationship Functioning”
  • April Prestipino, under the advisement of Joseph Dragone, Ph.D. for her project in the Educational Leadership program, “Exploring the Role of Secondary Principal Leadership in Advancing the School Improvement Process”
  • Anne Young, under the advisement of Francesca Durand, Ph.D. for her project in the Educational Leadership program, “Cultural Proficiency Initiatives in Suburban and Rural School Districts as a Result of ESSA”

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