What does it mean to live an ethical life?

Kenan Summer Fellows spend a summer exploring — in a variety of ways — the answers to that question. Fellows receive funds to support a project which spans eight consecutive weeks. Projects must begin by June 2 and conclude by August 11. Fellows will gather as a cohort periodically for workshops led by the faculty director, and reflect on the ethical questions raised in their projects and any practical difficulties they encounter over the course of the fellowship.

Application Information

ELIGIBILITY

Status: Duke undergraduates who are in their first or second year of study at the time of application, and who are enrolled in classes at Duke’s Durham campus for Spring 2025.

Discipline: Students with ALL backgrounds, experience and interests are encouraged to apply. Priority given to Ethics & Society Certificate students.

Combining with other funding: Students may combine KSF funds with other Duke funds, such as other fellowships, but must indicate the source of those funds on the application, as well as whether those other funds are applied for or approved.

Participation of Faculty Mentor: Applicants must indicate in their application that a Duke faculty member has agreed to serve as their mentor for the fellowship. Kenan Institute staff will reach out to the faculty mentors of selected applicants to confirm their agreement to participate.

COMMITMENT

-8 consecutive weeks (amounting to 300 hours) on proposed project. Project must begin no later than June 2 and must conclude by August 11. Exceptions will be considered for minor timeline adjustments, please indicate any expected need for adjustment in your application.

-Attendance to the following events (exact dates TBD):

Spring: Orientation, in-person IRB training
June: Zoom group workshop
July: Zoom group workshop
August: Zoom group workshop
First week of September: In-person debrief and presentations

-Completion of short readings/assignments in preparation for each workshop

-Three reflection essays: Essays will be workshopped with KIE advisor and faculty director. Fellows will write at least two drafts of each essay.

-Project presentation at debrief gathering in September

-Final budget report accounting for how KSF funds were used

-Faculty mentor check-ins, as agreed on with faculty mentor. A minimum of four check-ins is required

AWARD

Up to $5,000 to support a project with spans eight consecutive weeks during the summer of 2025. Fellows’ faculty mentors will receive $500 each to their research funds for their participation.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applicants must submit a 2-3 page proposal (single-spaced) outlining their summer project. Proposals should include:

-A cover page indicating:

project title
your name
your graduation year
name of faculty advisor

– The main question your project will ask

-A detailed explanation of your project, and how it addresses living an ethical life

-Description of overall project significance

-Explanation of how you are prepared for this project

-Project dates and week-by-week schedule

-The plan you and your faculty mentor have agreed on for how/when you will meet (minimum of four times): e.g. weekly phone calls or zoom check-ins

-A detailed budget accounting for how you will use the funding (see sample):

Send applications via email to: jesse.summers@duke.edu

Email subject should read: KSF APPLICATION

DEADLINE:

Applications are due by midnight on March 1.

Final decisions will be communicated by March 18.

Questions? Contact: jesse.summers@duke.edu

Past Questions Have Included:

What is the place of integrity, sincerity, or steadfast truthfulness, in living an ethical life?
Ethical journalism – what does it mean to ethically tell others’ stories?
What are the qualities of character required to live an ethical life?
Does engaging in politics require compromising one’s ethical principles?
What does ethical outdoor recreation look like?
How do institutions nurture or impede people’s ability to lead more ethical lives?
How should we define and balance our obligations of justice and care to fellow citizens, immigrants and refugees, human beings across the globe, and the injustices of the past?

2024 Kenan Summer Fellows

Marko Jakovljevic

Hi! I am Marko Jakovljevic, and I am a rising sophomore pursuing a double major in Political Science and Economics with a minor in Philosophy. I am passionate about political theory, ethics, and American politics. Apart from academics, I am a rower on the club team, an associate editor of a literary magazine on campus, and love to explore coffee-shops in my free time.

Margot Madison

My name is Margot Madison, and I am a rising sophomore from Newton, MA, studying Economics and Global Health. In my spare time I enjoy running, cooking, and long walks with podcasts. This summer, with Julia Simon and Elly Ronald, I will be investigating the secularization and commercialization of pilgrimage while on El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. We are specifically hoping to investigate the economic, environmental, and social impacts of pilgrims on towns along the route.

Catherine Nachalwe

My name is Catherine Nachalwe, and I am a sophomore from Lusaka, Zambia. During my free time, I sing, dance, braid my friends’ hair, and watch movies. I also enjoy playing volleyball, netball, and soccer. On campus, I am a part of the Duke Chorale, an executive board member of Duke Africa, and a member of the Bull City Scholars.

Elly Ronald

Hi, my name is Elly Ronald and I am a rising sophomore from Mill Valley, California. I plan to study environmental science and visual media studies. In my free time I love to do anything outside, including surfing, rock climbing, and backpacking. I have always been intrigued by how we can more ethically navigate the outdoor world while enjoying it for recreation or other reasons. This summer as my group and I walk one of the routes of El Camino de Santiago, a month-long catholic pilgrimage across Spain, we are investigating ethical cultural tourism as well as the economic, environmental, and social effects of the recent secularization of the pilgrimage on the local towns and people.

Julia Simon

I am a rising sophomore from Sonoma County, California. In my free time I love spending time exploring the outdoors, running, and going to concerts! I am planning on majoring in both Neuroscience and Philosophy — a path of study that I hope will guide me to a better understanding of individual people and humanity as a whole. This is my primary intellectual interest, and also what I will explore as a Kenan fellow. This summer I will be looking into the secularization of El Camino de Santiago, an ancient Catholic pilgrimage, primarily through a person-centered lens. I hope to gain an understanding of how shifting demographics and modernization impact both the lives of locals and the experiences of pilgrims, and how these effects can be applied broadly.

Divya Srijay

My name is Divya Srijay, and I am a rising sophomore from Spartanburg, South Carolina interested in majoring in physics and neuroscience. I spend most of my time working on protein design in the programmable biology lab in the BME department, and in my free time, I enjoy playing the cello, reading, and spending time outside!

Read Taylor Plett’s 2019 blog on young activists of the school strikes for climate change as modeled by Greta Thunberg.

Read Alex Johnson’s 2019 blog on researching best practices for reporters to ethically interview vulnerable populations.

Read Noah Bruess-Burgess’ 2019 blog on exploring what it means to live the Christian ethical life.

Read Anna Kasradze’s 2019 blog about Russian literature and the ethics of accessing others’ subjective experiences.

Read Lucas Lynn’s 2019 blog about defining what home truly is for American homeless communities.