via the Office of External Fellowships:
Greetings from OEF! We hope that your fall semester is going well so far!
We're writing to let you know about external fellowship opportunities which have deadlines later this fall semester. Dr. Kim Germain is available to meet with any students who know they're interested in pursuing the fantastic opportunities outlined below, as well as students who aren't sure but think these sound like something they'd be interested in, even if that's in a future year.
We are inspired by the students and young people who are driving forces for change across Chicagoland, the US, and the world. If you too want to drive change and/or are thinking about learning and exploring beyond UIC and Chicago, you should consider how fellowship opportunities like these might be a good fit to help you do that.
The Office of External Fellowships offers students and alumni the option to schedule in-person, one-on-one, masked meetings in 800 UH, as well as the option to have fellowship advising meetings via Zoom. We have always been a by-appointment-only space, and that will continue. OEF is here to guide you all the way through the process, so please reach out! And please contact us for advice sooner rather than later, because we're here to help you put together the strongest application you possibly can.
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Churchill Scholarship -- last chance!
The Churchill Scholarship funds one year of graduate study at the University of Cambridge for students in STEM fields. In this cycle, that means funding in the 2022-23 academic year. Students may pursue research-only degrees or a combination of taught courses and research; click here to see eligible programs of study. To be eligible, you must be in your final year of undergraduate study during fall 2021, or have graduated with your bachelor's degree from UIC within the past 12 months; you must also be a US citizen. To be a strong candidate, you must have significant STEM research experience during college.
Contact OEF as soon as possible to declare your interest in receiving UIC's nomination for the Churchill, because the campus deadline for complete and final materials is October 1. Interested candidates will need to hurry, because it takes time and effort to identify a prospective research mentor at Cambridge.
See the Churchill website for more information, including access to the application.
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Goldwater Scholarship (STEM)
The Goldwater Scholarship application for 2022 is now open! The Goldwater Scholarship was created to honor the US's top young scientists and encourage outstanding sophomores and juniors to pursue research careers in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The award grants up to $7,500 annually for college tuition, fees, books, etc.
Competitive candidates will already have at least one significant research experience at the time of application and have a GPA that's strong enough to eventually be admitted to doctoral programs in their scientific field. To be eligible, a student must: be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior during the 2021-22 academic year; be majoring in a STEM field and intending to pursue a research career in a STEM field; and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Note: Their focus on a research career means that students planning to go into clinical medical practice are not eligible unless they are on the MD/PhD track and plan to emphasize research over clinical practice.
To apply for the Goldwater, you must be nominated by UIC; it is not possible to apply directly. To gain access to the full application, students must first submit a pre-application on the Goldwater website, so anyone who is interested should submit the pre-application soon after the application opens. UIC has a campus deadline of November 16 for the full, complete application - this includes all 3 required letters of recommendation. UIC's decisions on who we nominate (limited by Goldwater's rules) will be made based on the materials submitted for the campus deadline of Nov. 16. After our nominees are chosen, the Director of External Fellowships will work with them extensively to revise and polish their applications before the final nomination deadline of January 28, 2022.
Students typically work through several drafts with Dr. Germain, before and after the campus deadline. Start early! UIC's campus deadline will be here sooner than you think, and the advice OEF provides will help you. A lot.
UIC has had four Goldwater Scholars in the last three years. Will it be you this year?
You can learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship and soon access the pre-application (and later the full application) at their website here: https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/
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Fulbright Canada- Mitacs: Summer Research Internship
The Fulbright Canada- Mitacs Globalink internship program will enable high-performing US undergraduate students to do a 10- to 12-week research internship in Canada during Summer 2022. Students will be placed at a Canadian university and work under the supervision of faculty members in a variety of academic disciplines, from STEM to the humanities and social sciences. Students will also have extensive opportunities for cultural, social, and recreational experiences.
To be eligible, participants must:
- be currently enrolled as an undergraduate junior (preferred) or sophomore student. (The program is not suitable for 1st-year or final-year students.)
- be a US citizen and hold a valid US passport.
- be available to spend 10-12 weeks in Canada between May-August 2022.
- have a competitive GPA.
Applicants will be evaluated on a combination of factors, including their record of academic achievement, their personal statement, their current skills and interests, and how well their interests fit with the program.
The deadline to apply is October 15! OEF will advise applicants who contact us in a timely manner.
More information and access to the application can be found here
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Truman Scholarship
The Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation provides up to $30,000 in funding to current juniors who plan to pursue a graduate degree and have a career in a public service field. (Third-year seniors are also eligible for the Truman.) The Truman Scholarship is looking for students who are working to fix things that are broken in the world.
Competitive applicants will have a record of leadership and a commitment to public service. If you have participated extensively in two or more of the following activities:
- student government and/or other campus-based activities;
- community service;
- government internships, advocacy or interest groups, or nonpartisan political activities;
- partisan political organizations
- then you may be a good Truman Scholarship candidate, particularly if you have taken leadership roles in those activities.
To apply for the Truman, you must be nominated by UIC; it is not possible to apply by yourself. UIC has a campus deadline of November 16. On that date, you must submit a complete application, including all 3 letters of recommendation (which your recommenders should send directly to Dr. Germain).
Strong applicants will then be interviewed (likely on Zoom) by a faculty committee; decisions on who we nominate will be made based on the submitted materials plus the interview. After our nominees are selected, OEF will work with them extensively to revise and polish their applications before the national deadline of February 1, 2022.
Students typically work through several drafts with Dr. Germain, before and after the campus deadline. Start now! The campus deadline is coming up faster than you expect, and OEF will help you with important first steps to this application.
Learn more about what makes a good Truman Scholar candidate here, and everything you need to know about this year's competition here.
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Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Each year, the Soros Fellowship supports 30 "New Americans," i.e. immigrants or the children of immigrants regardless of citizenship status, who are pursuing or plan to pursue graduate or professional school in the United States. The 2022 application, which is for funding beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year, is now open! Deadline October 28!
Students may apply at the same time they are applying to graduate/professional school, or as enrolled graduate/professional school students who will still be enrolled next year. The Fellowship provides up to a total of $90,000 over two years in stipend and tuition support.
Competitive candidates will:
- demonstrate creativity, originality, and initiative;
- show commitment to and capacity for sustained effort in pursuit of your accomplishments;
- demonstrate commitment to the values expressed in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
There is much helpful information, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application itself, on their website: https://www.pdsoros.org/apply
While UIC nomination is not required for the Soros, interested students are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from OEF due to the high level of competition involved. If you seek feedback on your essays, please do so by early October, well in advance of the Oct. 28 deadline
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CBYX Fellowship to Germany
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) is a fellowship funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Department of State that annually provides 75 American young professionals, between the ages of 18½–24, the opportunity to spend one year in Germany studying, interning, and living with hosts on a cultural immersion program.
The program consists of three phases:
- Two months of intensive German language training
- One semester of classes in one’s academic or career field at a university, technical or professional school
- Three- to five-month internship in one’s career field
CBYX is open to candidates in all career fields who are interested in a year of academic, professional, and cultural exchange. They do require US citizenship.
Deadline: November 1. More information is available on their website.
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International Affairs and International Development: Multiple opportunities
The Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship application for 2022 is open, with a deadline on September 29. The Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship application is open too, and the Pickering deadline is September 22. Both of these fellowships are for young people interested in careers in international affairs. They each provide up to $84,000 in benefits over a two-year graduate program in international affairs (so up to $42,000 annually); this includes two summer internships and professional development activities, all to prepare you for a career in the US Foreign Service. Both fellowships also encourage the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need.
OEF encourages UIC seniors and alumni who want to go into diplomacy and foreign affairs, and who plan to apply to graduate school to begin in Fall 2022 in a field related to international affairs, to apply to both of these wonderful opportunities -- and the programs themselves encourage applications to both, too. They are similar in content and benefits, but they have distinct selection processes and will select different fellows. Why not double your chances of receiving this funding and professional support?
More info and application access here: Rangel Fellowship and here: Pickering Fellowship
Payne International Development Fellowship: This opportunity is similar to the two above, although this one prepares fellows for careers in USAID specifically. For seniors or alumni who are currently seeking admission to graduate school in fall 2022 in an area of study related to international development and international affairs, the Payne Fellowship provides up to $96,000 in benefits over a two-year program for tuition and other graduate school costs, plus two summer internships and professional development activities. The aim of the Payne Fellowship is to attract and prepare outstanding individuals for careers as USAID Foreign Service Officers.
This year's application is now open! Learn more at their website: https://www.paynefellows.org/ Payne has still not announced when this year's deadline will be; last year it was November 1.
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AANAPISI Scholarship
The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship provides funding to underserved APIA students, with a special focus on those who have financial need, who are first-generation college students, who are representative of the diversity within the APIA community, and who embrace community service and leadership as well as academic achievement. Scholarship awards range from $2,500 to $5,000. UIC is a partner campus, so UIC undergraduates are eligible to apply! The application is now open, and the deadline is November 10!
To be eligible, you must:
- Be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the US Census.
- Be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply.
- Be enrolled as a full-time student during the Spring 2022 semester.
- Have applied for federal financial aid using the FAFSA for the 2021-2022 academic year, though you do not necessarily need to be a recipient of federal aid.
All eligible students are encouraged to apply! OEF can provide advice and guidance on your application, but please don't wait until the last minute.
More information and application available here.
...and more coming soon!
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Among the applications opening soon, with deadlines in fall or winter, are these great opportunities:
- James C. Gaither/Carnegie Junior Fellows: Provides a paid research fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. Applications distributed through OEF in October; UIC nomination required, so contact OEF.
- Critical Language Scholarship: Provides full funding for intensive overseas summer language institutes in 15 critical foreign languages. All costs are met, including travel, room and board. Opens in early October, deadline Nov. 16.
- DAAD-RISE: Provides a paid summer research internship in science and engineering in Germany. Opens Nov. 1, deadline Dec. 15.
- Udall Scholarship: Awards $7,000 to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. Nomination required, so contact OEF.
That's just a sample, so stay tuned!
