How to Apply

About the Fellowship

The Maguire Center, with financial assistance from the Irby Family Foundation, awards summer fellowships to SMU students who wish to devote time to public service or ethics research. Over the past 20 years, we have awarded summer fellowship stipends totaling over $400,000 to nearly 200 SMU students for public service and research in ethics. We have supported volunteers in more than 150 agencies across 18 states, 25 countries, and 5 continents.

Maguire Public Service Fellows have volunteered in a vast number of diverse internship placements. Through such opportunities, students gain concrete information about others' needs, as well as differing perspectives on how to resolve them. Drawing on their university education and personal talent, Fellows hone their skills and gain both humility and self-confidence to become bold, curious, and creative leaders.

Who is eligible to apply?

All full-time SMU undergraduate and graduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible to apply. Students must be returning to campus for the fall 2026 semester. Fellows must complete at least 200 hours of service during the course of the project.

How to apply

The application consists of four parts: the standard application form, a biography and fellowship proposal document (2–4 pages), a letter of acknowledgement from a sponsoring organization, and an SMU faculty or staff letter of reference/recommendation.

The application consists of four parts:

  1. Biography
    • Use this section to help us understand who you are and why this opportunity matters to you. We’re especially interested in what motivates you—your interests, values, and the experiences that push you toward ethical inquiry and public service.
    • You may touch on things like:
      • Moments or personal experiences that sparked your interest in ethics or public responsibility.
      • Academic work or classes that shaped your thinking.
      • Jobs, internships, or extracurriculars that nurtured your curiosity or grounded your commitments.
      • Service or volunteer work that reflects what you care about.
      • How this fellowship connects to the future you’re building—academically, professionally, or personally.
    • View biographies from previous fellows here.

  2. Fellowship Proposal
    • Your proposal should outline the work you intend to pursue this summer while giving us a clear sense of why this project matters to you. Use this section to connect the practical details of your work with the ethical questions, motivations, and goals that brought you to it.
    • Your proposal should include the following components:
      • Overview of Your Summer Project
        • Introduce your project by explaining both what you plan to do and why you’ve chosen to do it. Provide a brief summary of your goals, the issue you want to address, and the personal, academic, or community-driven reasons this project feels important to you.
      • Relevance to Ethics and Public Service
        • Explain how your project engages ethics or public responsibility. What ethical questions, community needs, or public service challenges shape your work?
      • Fellowship Placement
        • Provide the name and location of your placement site. Then help us understand why you selected this organization—how its mission, community, or work aligns with the purpose of your project.
      • Project Details
        • Describe the specific tasks, responsibilities, and needs you’ll address during your fellowship. This is where we learn what your project will look like in practice.
      • Stipend Justification
        • Explain why the stipend is essential for your participation. Share any financial considerations that would affect your ability to complete this work without support.
    • View proposals from previous fellows here.

  3. Sponsoring Organization Letter
    • The letter should be from the person who would serve as your supervisor for the summer service project/fellowship. This should be an individual who is intimately familiar with your proposed project and your role within the organization.
    • The letter should confirm that you have discussed the project and the specific tasks you will be performing during your fellowship. It should include details about the project’s goals and how your role contributes to those goals.
    • The supervisor should explicitly confirm their willingness and ability to supervise you for a minimum of 200 hours over the summer.
    • The letter should briefly outline the organization's expectations and how they plan to support your professional development during the fellowship.
    • If you anticipate any challenges in obtaining the letter by the application deadline, please notify the Maguire Ethics Center in advance to discuss alternative arrangements.
    • View sponsoring organization letters from previous fellows here.
    • *If you don’t yet have your faculty reference letter or sponsoring organization letter, you may upload a brief note in that field explaining your situation. Your application will remain incomplete until all required materials are received, and it will not be reviewed until everything is in. Missing items may be emailed to Center Coordinator Rylee Bailey at rbbailey@smu.edu, or the person writing the letter may send it directly to that address.

  4. SMU Faculty or Staff Reference Letter
    • Your reference letter must be from a current SMU faculty or staff member.
    • Does not have to come from someone in ethics, philosophy, public responsibility, etc.—any professor who can speak to your strengths is perfectly fine.
    • Should speak to your academic strengths, aptitude for the chosen project, and your commitment to ethics and public service.
    • Will provide an assessment of your academic qualifications, including specific courses or experiences that demonstrate your preparedness for the proposed project.
    • Will discuss your ability to apply academic knowledge to practical situations, particularly as it relates to the project you plan to undertake.
    • Will address your character and dedication to ethical values and public service, citing any relevant experiences or coursework.
    • Will confirm that the faculty or staff member endorses your application for the fellowship and believes that you are well-suited for the program.
    • View faculty/staff reference letters from previous fellows here.
    • *If you don’t yet have your faculty reference letter or sponsoring organization letter, you may upload a brief note in that field explaining your situation. Your application will remain incomplete until all required materials are received, and it will not be reviewed until everything is in. Missing items may be emailed to Center Coordinator Rylee Bailey at rbbailey@smu.edu, or the person writing the letter may send it directly to that address.