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Office of External Fellowships October Updates!

Oct 27, 2021 12:00 am by cnilss2@uic.eduInternships

OEF 10/18/2021 Fellowship Updates

Happy Halloween season from OEF! I'm not sure how it got to be mid-October already, but here we are.

Below, you'll find brief descriptions and key info about external fellowship opportunities which have deadlines later this fall semester. Now is absolutely the time to start on these! The OEF Director, 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 advising students who aren't sure but think these sound like something they'd be interested in.

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, and that takes time -- usually many more drafts than you think.

Goldwater Scholarship (STEM)

The Goldwater Scholarship application for 2022 is open now! 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 2020-21 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 as soon as possible. UIC's campus deadline has been extended a few days to November 22; on this date, candidates should submit a full, complete application - this includes all 3 required letters of recommendation (which should be sent directly from your recommenders to Dr. Germain). 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. 22. 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 now! UIC's campus deadline is coming up 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 access the pre-application (and later the full application) at their website here.

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.) And they are 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's campus deadline has been extended a few days until November 22. 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 panel; 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.

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 available on their website.

Critical Language Scholarship

The Critical Language Scholarship provides full funding for intensive summer language institutes in 15 critical foreign languages. All costs are met, including travel, room and board. (In the past two summers, CLS ran virtual summer institutes; hopefully the 2022 grantees will again travel and have the full immersive experience as intended.) The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

Applications for Summer 2022 are open now! The deadline is November 16 at 7pm central time!

The CLS Program offers instruction in the following languages: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. (Some languages have beginner level coursework, and others expect some knowledge going in; see the website for more details.)

There is much helpful information, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application itself, on their website: https://clscholarship.org/

While UIC nomination is not required for the Critical Language Scholarship, interested undergraduate students are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from OEF, because we will help you make your application stronger. If you seek feedback on your essays, please do so well in advance of the deadline. (Graduate students may seek advice from the Fellowships Coordinator in the Graduate College.)

Public Policy and International Affairs: Multiple opportunities

PPIA Junior Summer Institutes: For juniors, this provides a funded 7-week summer program before senior year, which includes coursework, mentoring, and career development in public policy and international affairs. PPIA Fellows who participate in the Junior Summer Institutes will later have the opportunity to receive funding for graduate study in public policy and international affairs. Deadline: November 1, which is coming up fast! More info here.

Payne International Development Fellowship: For seniors/alumni who are currently seeking admission to graduate school for fall 2022 in an area of study related to international affairs and international development, the Payne Fellowship provides up to $96,000 over two years for graduate school, 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. Deadline: November 1. More info at https://www.paynefellows.org/

Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship: If you want to use your tech skills to make a difference, see the world, and experience different cultures, the Foreign Affairs IT (FAIT) Fellowship is an opportunity of a lifetime. This two-year Fellowship program is a path to a career in the Foreign Service by providing academic funding for an IT-related degree, internships, professional development and mentorship – culminating in an appointment in the Foreign Service as an Information Management Specialist (IMS). Two distinct categories of students are eligible: either underclassmen who have two years remaining of their undergraduate career in fall 2022 (i.e. sophomores) or seniors/alumni who are seeking admission to an IT-related master’s degree program at a U.S.-based accredited institution beginning in fall 2022. Deadline: January 31, 2022. More info here: https://www.faitfellowship.org/

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!

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 by request; UIC nomination required, so contact OEF if you're interested. Campus deadline: Dec. 13.
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!

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