via the Office of External Fellowships:
Hello from OEF! We hope that spring semester ended well and you're gearing up for an excellent summer. Warmer weather has us feeling optimistic, and we hope you are too.
We're writing today to remind you that now is the perfect time for rising seniors (and alumni, in many cases) to begin planning your application(s) for a bunch of fellowship opportunities whose applications are due in the early fall. Yes, we know it sounds super early to be talking about fall deadlines when summer is just starting, but trust us and start now. Students who begin a conversation with OEF now will be better prepared to navigate these fellowship applications and better able to develop concrete plans and compelling essays over the summer months.
See below for more information about many fantastic awards with final deadlines in the early fall - as well as a couple of new opportunities with deadlines next week and next month. Unless the description says otherwise, each opportunity listed below is open to students in any academic or creative discipline, and fund opportunities in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Interested students and alumni should make initial, exploratory appointments with OEF as soon as possible. Seriously, reach out right now while you're reading this. OEF is here to guide you all the way through the process, and we are available to meet now and throughout the summer - we are on campus and also doing virtual appointments.
The Voyager Scholarship
Check out this new scholarship + travel opportunity!
The Voyager Scholarship, a.k.a. the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, is a brand new opportunity for rising juniors who have two remaining years of undergraduate study.
An increasingly globalized world needs young leaders who can bridge divides and help solve our biggest challenges together. The Voyager Scholarship was created by the Obamas and Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO, to help shape such leaders. Even though they come from different backgrounds, both the President and Brian believe that exposure to new places and experiences generates understanding, empathy, and cooperation which equips the next generation to create meaningful change. This scholarship gives college students financial aid to alleviate the burden of college debt, meaningful travel experiences to expand their horizons, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them.
Recipients will get funding for their two remaining years of undergraduate study, plus a travel stipend and housing for a Summer Voyage between junior and senior year, plus a 10-year post-graduation travel stipend of $2,000 per year to continue to broaden your horizons.
To be eligible, you must:
- be planning to be enrolled as a full-time junior in Fall 2022 (either a continuing or a transfer student)
- have demonstrated a commitment to public service and plan to pursue a career in public service after graduation
- have a minimum 3.0 GPA
- be a US citizen, a US permanent resident, or have status under DACA
Regarding public service, this is how they are defining it: Public service can include careers in government, non-profit, or the private sector, ranging from school teachers, community organizers, social workers, entrepreneurs with ideas for socially impactful businesses, journalism, arts, and design — a range of fields through which people are committed to creating a more connected, just, and equitable world.
The deadline to apply is June 14 at 3pm Chicago time! Interested students who want guidance from OEF should contact us soon given how soon the deadline is.
For more information and access to the application, click here.
New! CLS Spark
CLS Spark is a pilot program from the Critical Language Scholarship Program; it provides virtual language learning for US undergraduate students to spend an academic year learning either Arabic, Chinese, or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a host institution abroad. In academic year 2022-23, CLS Spark offers approximately 18 hours of virtual language instruction per month, as well as monthly cultural activities.
Key benefits include full scholarship covering all instruction plus a $300 stipend; online language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences over two 11-week terms; language gains certified with the ACTFL OPI test; automatic consideration as CLS Program semifinalists for the summer 2023 CLS program to continue language study.
Deadline is one week: May 26! More information and application here.
Fulbright US Student Program
The Fulbright US Student Program application for 2023-2024 has been open since March 31. If you're interested in spending an academic year abroad after graduation, this may be the perfect opportunity for you.
The Fulbright US Student Program provides academic-year grants in 140+ countries around the globe for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant programs. During their federally funded grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of their host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and everyday tasks, allowing the grantees to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think. Through engagement in the community, Fulbrighters will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.
To be eligible for this program, you must be a US citizen and have your bachelor's degree in hand before September 2023; this means that rising seniors who want to do a Fulbright starting in the fall after they graduate should begin their applications now. (Folks can apply later, as well; you're eligible until you have your PhD in hand.)
Now is the ideal time to start! UIC's campus deadline is September 8, 2022! You should expect to work with your Fulbright advisor on campus through multiple drafts during the summer. UIC has two Fulbright Program Advisors: Dr. Kim Germain in OEF works with undergraduates, undergraduate alumni, and some grad/professional school students who do not fall under the purview of the Graduate College. Mr. Benn Williams works with graduate students and alumni of the Graduate College. Both advisors work closely with applicants, and we're here to help you put together the best application possible!
UK/Ireland Awards
There are multiple opportunities which provide full funding for graduate study in the United Kingdom or Ireland, and OEF advises on these opportunities collectively, at least as far as initial steps. All of these seek a combination of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. All have early fall deadlines for matriculation in the subsequent fall, and all but one require UIC to nominate you; therefore, it is very important that you get in contact with OEF sooner rather than later in order to begin seeking UIC nomination for these opportunities.
The Rhodes Scholarship funds graduate study (or a second bachelor's degree) at the University of Oxford in the UK. There are many jurisdictions aside from the US which have their own Rhodes competitions, and there is a new Rhodes Global competition such that everyone, regardless of citizenship, is eligible to pursue the Rhodes. Deadlines vary, but you must contact OEF soon to declare your interest in seeking UIC's nomination, because nomination decisions are made during July and August. See Rhodes website for further information.
The Marshall Scholarship funds graduate study in nearly any British university for two years, with a one-year option available for particular circumstances. This award is open only to US citizens, and it is required that you be nominated by UIC, so contact OEF as soon as possible about getting nominated, because nomination decisions are made during July and August. The final deadline will fall in late September, but OEF works with potential nominees through the summer on things like finding graduate degree programs in the UK that are the best fit for you given your interests and goals. See the Marshall website for more information. The 2023 application will be open in early June, though OEF is taking, and encouraging, advising meetings before then.
The Churchill Scholarship funds one year of graduate study at the University of Cambridge for students in STEM fields. Students may pursue research-only degrees or a combination of research and taught courses; click here to see eligible programs of study. To be eligible, you must be in your final year of undergraduate study during fall 2022, or have graduated with your bachelor's degree from UIC within the past 12 months; you must also be a US citizen. Contact OEF soon to declare your interest in receiving UIC's nomination for the Churchill. See the Churchill website for more information, including access to the application, which is already open.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds graduate study in the program of your choice at the University of Cambridge in the UK. There is one competition for US citizens and another for citizens of other nations; these have different deadlines. This award does not require UIC nomination, but given the similar competitiveness between this award and the others in this category, OEF strongly recommends getting our advice early. More info at their website.
The Mitchell Scholarship funds one year of graduate study or research at one of the universities in Ireland. Requires nomination by UIC if you are a current student; alumni may apply directly, without nomination. For US citizens. Candidates who seek nomination should be in touch with OEF early. Final deadline: September 30. More info at the Mitchell website.
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Each year, the Soros Fellowship supports 30 "New Americans," i.e. immigrants or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing or plan to pursue graduate or professional school in the United States. The 2023 fellowship application is already open! Deadline: October 27, 2022.
Students may apply at the same time they are applying to graduate/professional school, or as first-year graduate/professional school students. Each Fellowship supports one to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program in the US. Each award is for up to a total of $90,000.
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 advice and feedback on your essays, please do so well in advance of the October 27 deadline.
UIC alumnus Anis Barmada was named a 2022 Soros Fellow. Who's next?
Schwarzman Scholarship
Modeled on the Rhodes and designed to prepare young leaders to serve as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, the Schwarzman Scholars Program is a global leadership and academic experience which provides full funding for a one-year Master's degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Schwarzman Scholars pursue a Master's in Global Affairs, with a concentration in one of the following areas: public policy, economics and business, or international studies.
It is open to students of all nationalities. No previous study of China or Chinese language is required. For the US/Global application, the deadline is September 20, 2022, for study beginning in summer 2023.
