See the current RBSI Scholars here!

About the RBSI Program

Named in honor of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner, former APSA President, and the first African American to receive a PhD in political science, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI) encourages students to pursue academic careers in political science. The RBSI does this by:

• Enhancing writing, research, and analytical skills to increase competitiveness in the application and financial aid process for graduate school;
• Developing statistical skills for data analysis used in political science;
• Exposing participants to the significant questions in the discipline and profession of political science;  
• Introducing participants to leading political scientists; and
• Educating participants about political science career opportunities and encouraging their application to doctoral programs in political science.

* Learn more about the RBSI Program
* Learn about the RBSI 30th Anniversary
* Learn about the Ralph Bunche Award
* Learn about the RBSI Advisory Committee

The 2019 Application cycle is now closed.

Nadia Brown, PhD Associate Professor, Purdue University RBSI Class of 2003 "The skills I learned at RBSI were a crucial foundation that enabled me to be successful in graduate school at Rutgers University. The knowledge gained at RBSI and connections that I made through the program have helped me to produce innovative scholarship on Black women political elites." See more RBSI Alumni Reflections