The School of Engineering (SoE) provides funding and other resources (faculty time, space on campus for meetings and events) to engineering project and professional groups and engineering honor societies.  

Student groups should be affiliated with a governing body at Brown before seeking funding from the School of Engineering.

Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) - The vast majority of undergraduate organizations are recognized by the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) through a process called Categorization.

Graduate Student Council (GSC) - Organizations created specifically in the interest of graduate students are recognized by the Graduate Student Council (GSC) through an application process.

Departmental Organizations - SoE sponsors Departmental Groups (DUGs) for undergraduate concentration and honor societies and Departmental Graduate Groups (DGGs) for graduate students. In rare cases, when a group can not be recognized and governed by USC or GSC, a group can apply directly for SoE funding and staffing.

For UCS and GSC recognized groups, SoE acts as a sponsor and transfers approved funding to the Student Activities Office (SAO) for administration.

Budget Requests

Each student group is required to fill out a formal application to be considered for funding. Each year, every student organization must complete the Proposal for Support for Student Organizations (the budget form will open in February and is due before March, for the coming academic year.)

Budget requests will be reviewed based on planned activities, and their impact for the Brown Engineering community, comprehensiveness and detail of budget, proportion of dollars requested to total membership, and levels of participation in funded activities. Priority will be given to activities that have the most impact for the engineering undergraduate or graduate community. Activities with an audience primarily of non-engineering students, or events fully off campus may not be able to be funded.

 As a rule, Engineering funding requests for student groups:

• Should focus on student activities that support engineering students within our Brown University community
• Preference is given to activities that have broad impact to the students in the School of Engineering
• Engineering funds cannot be used to fund items such as alcohol, gifts, speaker honorarium, or consulting fees
• Funds awarded must be used for the designated purpose
• Groups with activities that directly relate to engineering, and have primarily engineering members are eligible 

Questions on proposals should be directed to Celinda Kofron, Associate Dean, Educational Initiatives, celinda_kofron@brown.edu

Timeline

All applications will be reviewed by the Executive Dean of Finance and Administration of Engineering and the Engineering Executive Committee by April 15th. They review the activities the group has conducted, their impact, and how much funding the School of Engineering will provide in the upcoming year.
 

SAO groups sponsored by SoE:

• Project Based Groups and Teams:
  • Alternative Protein Project
  • Brown Rocketry
  • Brown Space Engineering
  • Scientists for a Sustainable World
  • Women Build@Brown
• Professional Organizations and Societies:
  • Biomedical Engineering Board
  • Engineers without Borders
  • Graduate Engineering Council
  • Graduate Students of Color in STEM
  • Latinx Graduate Collective
  • National Society of Black Engineers
  • Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • Society of Women Engineers

SoE Departmental Organizations:

• Biomedical Engineering DUG - Biomedical Engineering Society
• Chemical Engineering DUG - American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Continua Research Society
• Environmental Engineering DUG - American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
• Formula Society of Automotive Engineers
• Materials Engineering DUG - Materials Research Society
• Sigma Xi
• Tau Beta Pi
• Women in Engineering Graduate and Postdoctoral Network

If you are interested in contributing to the formation of a DUG in Computer Engineering, Design Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and/or Engineering & Physics, please contact the student affairs team.