Student Application to TRI-Lab:
Healthy Food Access in Rhode Island (2014-2015)
About the TRI-Lab
The TRI-Lab at Brown is a new initiative that brings together students, faculty and
community practitioners to engage with complex social issues and collaboratively
develop, refine and test evidence-based solutions.
The heart of the Lab is a year-long seminar in which participants explore context and
community experience, use multiple research methods to advance understanding, and
creatively harness their diverse perspectives and expertise towards testing solutions. In
the year following the seminar, TRI-Lab cohorts may apply for funding to continue to
build practice and knowledge around the findings of the Lab.
For more information about TRI-Lab, please visit our website: http://brown.edu/go/trilab or contact trilab@brown.edu.
Focus on Healthy Food Access in Rhode Island
A new Lab for the academic year 2014-2015 will focus on Healthy Food Access in Rhode
Island. The Healthy Food Access Lab will investigate community-based and food
systems approaches to increasing access to healthy food and reducing food insecurity.
The Lab will be co-chaired by Professor Kim Gans (Professor, School of Public Health
and Director, Institute for Community Health Promotion) and Courtney Bourns (Senior
Program Officer, the Henry Kendall Foundation). The exact scope of the Lab's work will
be fleshed out in ongoing conversations with partners and stakeholders.
Seminar time for Fall 2014 - Spring 2015: Wednesdays from 3-5:20pm. Please note that
students must be available at this time to participate in the Healthy Food Access Lab.
Application and Selection Timeline
 Information Sessions:
 Friday, February 21st from 2-3pm at the Urban Environmental Laboratory,
classroom 106 (Directions here)
 Monday, February 24th from 12-1pm at Partridge Hall, 68 Brown Street, Formal
Lounges 1 and 2
 Applications are due on Wednesday, March 5th by 11:59pm. Please email complete
applications to trilab@brown.edu.
 Students will be notified if they are selected for TRI-Lab by Friday, March 21st.
If you have any questions, please contact: trilab@brown.edu or 401.867-3735.
I. Application Responses
Please keep your responses to ALL questions under 250 words (strictly enforced).
1. Provide a personal statement about your interest and experience in healthy food
access. What question do you want to ask and/or answer? Why is this an important
challenge to solve?
2. Describe your coursework, independent research, and community work and how it
could be enriched by participation in TRI-Lab.
3. Tell us about an experience where you fostered a collaborative environment with
diverse team members.
4. Describe ways that you have integrated your coursework, preferably in multiple
disciplines, with your community practice. How has knowledge informed your practice
and vice versa?
5. Tell us about a time when you have been pushed to your creative or innovative limits.
6. Please indicate your concentration and year/class.
7. Please confirm your availability for the TRI-Lab seminar on Wednesdays from 3:005:20pm during the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters.
__ I am available
__ I am not available
__ I am not sure of my availability
II. Additional Materials
1. Faculty recommendation (either a letter of support or a phone number where we can
call them for a recommendation.)
2. Resume and transcript
3. Reference from someone you have worked with outside of academia (preferred but
not required). Again, this can be a written letter of support or a phone number where
we can call for a reference.