Greetings from OEF! We are very excited to be back on campus this fall and to welcome students back as well!
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.
We're writing as the semester is about to begin 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.
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
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 will open on September 7. 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 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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Knight-Hennessy Scholarship
Each year, up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world (regardless of citizenship) will receive full funding to pursue any graduate or professional degree at Stanford, as well as joint and dual-degrees. Knight-Hennessy Scholars aims to develop a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. It is the largest fully endowed scholars program in the world.
Strong seniors and alumni who are already planning to apply this fall for graduate or professional study at Stanford should consider applying for the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship too. But note: this means that you must complete the Knight-Hennessy application by their October 6, 2021 deadline and your separate Stanford degree program application earlier than is typical. OEF is here to advise applicants who draft their materials early, so don't wait until the last minute.
The 2022 application is now open, and they're hosting online information sessions for interested students. More info on their website: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
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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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Gates Cambridge Scholarship
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds graduate study beginning in Fall 2022 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. The application will open in September and the deadline for US citizens is October 13; the international deadline is roughly two months later. This award does not require UIC nomination, but given its competitiveness, OEF strongly recommends getting our advice early. More info at 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. Although this year's application is not yet open, you can learn much at their website: https://www.paynefellows.org/ Payne has not yet announced when this year's deadline will be; for comparison, last year it was November 1.
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...and more coming soon!
Among the applications opening soon, with deadlines in late 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.
DAAD-RISE: Provides a paid summer research internship in science and engineering in Germany. Opens Nov. 1, deadline Dec. 15.
Truman Scholarship: For juniors who plan to go into public service careers, the Truman provides $30,000 toward graduate study as well as mentoring. Opening date TBD. Nomination required, so contact OEF.
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!
