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Distinguished Fellowship Initiative

The Distinguished Fellowship Initiative at CSUSB is designed to support three interrelated goals, all with the fundamental purpose of encouraging students to apply for and win prestigious national and international fellowships to support their undergraduate and graduate education. Please find below a list of major awards, deadlines, links to the award webpages, and CSUSB point of contact. If there is no listed campus representative, please contact Dr. Ryan Keating (rkeating@csusb.edu).


Opportunities for Seniors

International

Fulbright Scholarship: About 1,400 scholars were selected for 1 year of teaching or research in more than 140 countries. Requirements: American citizen, very strong academic achievement, proficiency in the language of the host country.

http://us.fulbrightonline.org/

Campus Representatives: Dr. HyunKyoung Oh (hkoh@csusb.edu) and Dr. Ryan Keating (Rkeating@csusb.edu)

Application deadline: October 11th, 2022


United Kingdom

Rhodes Scholarship: 32 scholars selected regionally for 2 or 3 years of graduate study in any field at Oxford University. Requirements: (American citizen or national from select countries), very strong academic achievements, leadership, some involvement in sports (but not necessarily intercollegiate participation) 

http://www.rhodesscholar.org

Application deadline: October 3rd, 2022


Marshall Scholarship: 40 scholars selected for 2 or 3 years for graduate study in any field at any university in the United Kingdom. Requirements: American citizen, very strong academic achievement.

http://www.marshallscholarship.org

Application deadline: September 20th, 2022


Gates Cambridge Scholarship: 100 scholars selected for 1 to 3 years for many subject available at Cambridge University for diverse programs, including research leading to Ph.D., courses leading to Masters degree, including M.B.A., or a second bachelors degree. Scholarship favors students planning to improve the lives of people around the world.  Requirements: Very strong academic achievement, college degree completed or anticipated by award's beginning, independent acceptance to Cambridge University (must apply separately for admission)

https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship

Application deadline: deadline has passed.


George J. Mitchell Scholarship: 12 scholars selected for 1 year of post-graduate study in any field at colleges and universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland for the purpose of furthering ties between the U.S., Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Requirements: American citizen, very strong academic achievement, leadership and public service.

http://us-irelandalliance.org/

Application deadline: To be announced. 


Schwarzman Scholars:  One-year master's program in Public Policy, Economics and Business, or International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing.  All classes will be in English, and students live and study together at Schwarzman College.  Dubbed "the Chinese Rhodes Scholarship", the award emphasizes that the success of today's leaders depends upon "an understanding of China's role in global trends."

http://schwarzmanscholars.org/

Application deadline: September 21, 2021


France

American Assistants in France Program: 1,500 teaching assistantships in French Primary and Secondary Schools. Requirements: American citizen, min. 20 years old, proficiency in French.

https://frenchhighereducation.org/teaching-assistant-program

Application deadline: Deadline has passed.


Germany

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Offers a variety of undergraduate and post-graduate study opportunities in Germany, including language immersion courses and science and engineering research internships. German proficiency NOT required for some programs.

http://www.daad.org/

Application deadline: Please see website, deadline vary.


Spain

Grants Program for North American Teaching Assistants in Spain: The Spanish Embassy Office of Education and Science awards more than 1,000 grants for juniors, seniors, or recent graduates to teach English in Spain. Requirements: American or Canadian citizen, intermediate Spanish or better.

http://www.mecd.gob.es/portada-mecd/en/

Application deadline: deadline has passed.


United States

National Science Foundation: 1,100 scholars selected for up to 3 years of study towards an M.S. or any of the natural or social sciences at any university. Requirements: American citizen or permanent resident, research-oriented work experience.

https://www.nsfgrfp.org/

Application deadline: Various deadline by discipline, please see website.


Knight-Hennessy Scholars: 100 students selected for three years of fully-funded graduate education in any discipline at Stanford University for the purpose of creating a multidisciplinary community of scholar-leaders “dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.” Departments continue funding individual scholars past three years.

https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/ 

Application deadline: October 12th, 2022


Opportunities for Juniors

Beinecke Scholarship: 22 scholars selected for two years of graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social science at any university. Requirements: Strong academic achievement, financial need.

http://fdnweb.org/beinecke/ 

Application deadline: February 8th, 2023


Truman Scholarship: Around 75 scholars selected for merit-based awards to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or more broadly in public service. Requirements: American citizen, or national commitment to public service, leadership, top quarter of his or her class.

http://www.truman.gov

Campus Representative: Dr. David Marshall (DMarshall@csusb.edu)

Application deadline: February 7th, 2023


Opportunities for Sophomores

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship: Junior and sophomores majoring in math and science and interested in pursuing math/science careers selected for undergraduate financial assistance. Requirements: Strong academic achievement, American citizen, national or permanent resident.

https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/

Campus Representative: Dr. Kimberly Cousins (KCousins@csusb.edu)

Informational Session: October 17th at 12:00pm

Register to Attend Virtual Info Session HERE

Application deadline: November 17th, 2023


Morris K. Udall Foundation Scholarships: Juniors and sophomores studying the environment and related fields selected for undergraduate financial assistance. Requirements: American citizen, national or permanent resident.

http://www.udall.gov

Application deadline: Deadline has passed.


Opportunities for All Classes

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU):

NSF-funded summer programs that allow students to conduct science and social research at other colleges and universities.

http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

Application deadline: Deadline has passed.


Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund: 

Need-based undergraduate tuition assistance for students who work for social change.

http://www.davisputter.org/apply/apply-for-scholarships/

Application deadline: April 1st, 2023


Language Initiatives and Study-Abroad Grants

NSEP/Boren

Boren Scholarships (undergraduate): Provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduates "to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests but underrepresented in study abroad." Programs include full-year, one-semester, and summer-immersion. Requirements: American citizen.

https://www.borenawards.org/apply-now

Campus Representative: Emilio Rodriguez (emilio@csusb.edu)

Application deadline: February 1st,  2023


Boren Fellowships (graduate): Provides support for graduate students who want to include an international component to their master's or doctoral programs. "Boren Fellowships provide support for overseas study, domestic study, or a combination of both." Awards range from one semester to two years, including special opportunities for Asian studies. Requirements: American citizen, enrolled in or applying for graduate student at U.S. universities.

https://www.borenawards.org/fellowships/boren-fellowship-basics

Campus Representative: Emilio Rodriguez (emilio@csusb.edu)

Application deadline: January 25th, 2023


Gilman: Provides aid for financially needy students to pursue study abroad in non-traditional areas. Note that emphasis is placed on the development of "critical need" languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Turkic, Persian, Indic, Korea, and Russian.

Attributes: U.S. citizen; demonstrable financial need.

http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.

Application deadline: October 6th, 2022


U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes:

Opportunities for undergraduates and graduating seniors to develop languages critical to develop U.S. interests: Arabic, Bangla/Bengali, hindi, Punjabi, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese, Persian, Russian, and Azerbaijani.

Attributes: U.S. citizen, varying prerequisites.

http://www.clscholarship.org

Application deadline: Please see website for more details.


Princeton: Awards in each region provide 'immersive work experiences" by connecting "service-minded graduates and partner organization."

Princeton in Africa (PIAf): http://www.princetoninafrica.org (about 50/year)
Princeton in Asia (PIA):  https://piaweb.princeton.edu/ (about 150/year)
Princeton in Latin America (PiLA): https://pila-princeton.org/ (about 50/year)

Application deadline: Dates vary, please see websites.


Kathryn Davis Fellows for Peace at Middlebury College:  Kathryn Davis Fellows for Peace scholarships for summer language study at Middlebury College:  Mandarin, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Italian and Korean 

http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/finaid/fellowships/kwd

Application deadline: December 15th, 2022


Summer Research Programs: Suggestions for undergraduate researchers

Though we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the deadlines and descriptions on our list may be out-of-date. Check program websites for the most accurate information.


Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP) at UC Riverside

Established in 1987, the Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP) is UCR’s eight-week summer research program designed for rising juniors, seniors (and some masters students) from educationally and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants work under the supervision of a faculty mentor on the mentor’s research project. The goal of MSRIP is to increase the number of outstanding students from diverse backgrounds who pursue the Ph.D. by strengthening their academic and professional development for admission to the University of California campuses and UC Riverside, in particular, as well as colleges and universities nationwide.

The program term is eight weeks. A stipend (generally $3000), room & board, and out of state transportation are typically provided, where needed.

For eligibility requirements, areas of research, program activities, and more visit the MSRIP website: https://graduate.ucr.edu/mentoring-summer-research-internship-program-msrip


Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

The Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) Summer Workshop in Andover, Massachusetts helps students sharpen their writing, speaking, and critical analysis skills in preparation for graduate school. This program features interviews with graduate school deans and a waiver of application fees to 35 top graduate schools. The IRT Associates program also assists students with the graduate school application process.

Please see the IRT site for more details: https://irt.andover.edu/programs/summer-workshop/


The African American Literatures and Cultures Institute University of Texas at San Antonio

The University of Texas at San Antonio African American Literatures and Cultures Institute cultivates students to join the US professoriate by providing research stipends, rigorous mentoring, and innovative academic training. The program responds to the pressing need for diversifying all areas of US higher education — from graduate study to academic research through administrative leadership. Participants are selected through a competitive application process and will receive a $2,000 research stipend. The four-week program also provides participants with housing, materials, and instruction related to African American literature and black studies, preparation for graduate school applications (i.e. personal statement and GRE), and a scholarly excursion to New York City.

Please visit the AALCI website for more information: https://www.utsa.edu/aalci/


Leadership Alliance

The Leadership Alliance offers summer research experiences in all academic disciplines. SR-EIP participants are engaged in scholarly research projects at 21 member institutions and one corporate partner. Programs involve weekly seminars and regularly scheduled field trips and social and cultural activities. The institutions set high standards and offer outstanding, closely mentored research experiences. With one common application, students can apply to up to three of 22 program sites. Interested students should review these research areas carefully and make selections that best match their own interests and experience with the selected institutions’ programs. Please visit the program website for more information: https://theleadershipalliance.org/

Leadership Alliance and Mellon Initiativehttps://graddiversity.virginia.edu/leadership-alliance-mellon-initiative-lami

Note: Eleven of the Leadership Alliance partners offer a special Mellon Initiative program for research in Mellon-approved fields. For a list of participating schools and disciplines, visit the Mellon Initiative website: http://www.theleadershipalliance.org/programs/summer- research/mellon-initiative Application instructions and deadlines are the same as the Leadership Alliance, above. *Open for graduate student*


MMUF Summer Research Training Program University of Chicago

The MMUF Summer Research Training Program prepares rising junior and senior undergraduate students for graduate study by enhancing their critical and analytical thinking capacities, developing their scholarly writing and presentation skills, introducing them to methodology and research design relevant to their areas of study.

More information is available at the program web site: https://mellonmays.uchicago.edu/

**For current MMUF Fellows only. Check the program website for updates.


Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP) is committed to increasing diversity, gaining research experience, and pursuing doctoral degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Students design and conduct research projects, interact with faculty mentors, and receive GRE-preparatory courses during the summer program. MURAP invites applications for a ten-week paid summer research internship for undergraduate students (rising juniors or rising seniors at the end of this academic year). The program will be held from May 26-August 1, 2013 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The MURAP program seeks to prepare talented and motivated students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, or those with a proven commitment to diversity, for graduate study and academic careers in fields in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts. The program provides students with a rigorous research experience under the guidance of a UNC faculty mentor. Each student participant will receive:

  • Stipend
  • Campus Housing
  • Meal Allowance
  • Weekly or biweekly writing, communication skills and professional development workshops
  • GRE prep course
  • Paid domestic travel expenses

Visit the website for more information http://murap.unc.edu/


Summer Research Initiative (SRI) University of Maryland College Park

Students will be provided a meaningful research experience by working with a faculty mentor in one of nine academic departments that include: African American Studies, Anthropology, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Government and Politics, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology. The program will also supplement the student’s research experience with lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities. Students will be provided round-trip airfare, meals, room and board in University on-campus housing and a stipend of $2,700.

Please visit the program website for more information: https://bsos.umd.edu/diversity/summer-research-initiative


Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) Northwestern University (IL)

The SROP program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) provides sophomores and juniors an opportunity for direct involvement in research. Each student who is selected to participate in the program will work with a faculty member in the student’s area of interest on an individual or ongoing research project. The student will present their project at a research forum at the end of the program. Each student chosen to participate in the SROP will receive a $4000 stipend, access to $500 for research supplies, round-trip airfare, housing, and a campus meal subsidy of $450.

Please visit the program website for more information: https://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/diversity/diversity-recruitment/summer-research-opportunity-program/


Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate School

The SROP program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, offers outstanding undergraduates underrepresented in their field of study the opportunity to conduct intensive research across a variety of disciplines. SROP allows undergraduates the opportunity to work on graduate level research projects with faculty. Students work with faculty mentors either on an individual basis or as part of a research team. Students participating in the 4-week program will receive a $4,000 stipend, travel expenses, room and board in University on-campus housing, GRE preparation,access to campus facilities, and a fee waiver to apply to a future Rackham Graduate School doctoral program.

Please visit the program website for more information: https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/srop/


Summer Research Program (SRP) Columbia University

The SRP program has a dual purpose: to expose underrepresented students to graduate-level academic research so that they can begin to view the academy as a viable and realistic career path and to address the shortage of underrepresented minorities in doctoral study. The Program promotes and develops skills that are necessary for success in doctoral study as students receive an introduction to the rigors and pleasures of advanced academic work. The SRP is designed to approximate graduate study, particularly in mentor relationships, scholarly research and independent living. Group excursions to places of cultural and academic interest are also planned to complement the formal research.

Please visit the program website for more information: https://gsas.columbia.edu/our-intellectual-community/diversity/summer-research-program


Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) University of California Irvine

UCI’s unique Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offers undergraduate diversity students with outstanding academic potential an opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on research projects. The program provides students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. degree and enter academic careers with the tools needed to facilitate the application, admission, and enrollment process for graduate school. The program is open to virtually all academic fields (e.g., arts, education, humanities, social sciences, social ecology, biological sciences, engineering, computer science, physical science, etc.).

Please visit the program website for more information. Please visit the program website for more information: https://www.grad.uci.edu/about-us/diversity/grad-prep-programs/surf.php


Montgomery Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science for Undergraduate Students

American Bar Foundation

The American Bar Foundation sponsors a program of summer research fellowships to interest undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in pursuing graduate study in the social sciences. The summer program is designed to introduce students to the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the American Bar Foundation is an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to the study of law, legal institutions, and legal processes. The Foundation conducts empirically-based research on a broad range of civil and criminal justice issues.

Current research areas include professionalism and the transformation of the legal profession in the United States and abroad, the dynamics of employment discrimination disputes, the impact of civil rights law on the economic progress of minorities, jury decision making, public interest lawyering and social reform, historical analyses of labor, group libel, and regulatory law, and the role of law in racial relations, postcolonial settings, and globalization. The Foundation’s research is conducted by a multidisciplinary resident research faculty with academic training in law, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, history, and anthropology. Many ABF Research Professors hold joint appointments at Chicago-area universities. Recognized as a major institution in the field of law and social science, the Foundation offers a rich environment to students considering an academic or research career.

Please visit their website for more information: https://www.americanbarfoundation.org/news/848


Mellon Mays Summer Program for Visiting Fellows University of California, Los Angeles

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Writing and Research Training Program at UCLA is a six-week writing and research summer program for 20 current Mellon Mays Fellows from participating Mellon Mays colleges and universities. The program is especially geared toward Mellon Mays Fellows from institutions in the western United States. Fellows participate in a rigorous scholarly writing and research methodology course, individual and group mentoring sessions, workshops, events, and a final research colloquium. The centerpiece of the program is an intensive scholarly writing and research methodology course. In addition to working on their individual research projects, students learn to write in disciplinary contexts, cultivate their interpretive skills, and experiment with new digital research tools. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive UCLA course credit.

More information and application details: http://hass.ugresearch.ucla.edu/opportunities/mmsummer/

**For current MMUF Fellows only.

 

Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP): Purdue University

The Purdue SROP has the goal of enhancing diversity in academic, government, and industry positions that require graduate degrees. It is our aim to encourage talented undergraduate students from social and economic backgrounds that are underrepresented in research careers to pursue graduate education, and to enhance their preparation for graduate study. This program involves intensive research experiences with faculty mentors. All qualified students, including but not limited to African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American, are encouraged to apply. Participants will be selected on the basis of their interest in pursuing a doctoral degree, relevant college coursework and grades, letters of recommendation, and their ability to contribute to the goal of the program. The program is supported by the Graduate School, Center for Cancer Research, Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate and other groups on the Purdue campus. The program provides:

  • Round trip transportation
  • University housing for 8 weeks
  • Generous Research Stipend
  • Workshops on preparation for GRE
  • Poster and Oral Research Presentations
  • Professional Development Seminars
  • Access to Libraries, Computers, Research Labs, & Health Center

Please see the program’s website for more details: http://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/diversity/programs/summer-research-opportunities-program/

 

Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP): University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a summer research program that provides undergraduate students from populations underrepresented in graduate study at Illinois with an opportunity to explore careers in research. The program at Illinois provides each student with an experience that will help strengthen his or her knowledge, skills, and understanding of graduate school.

The many activities offered through the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) will afford participants an opportunity to establish important relationships with faculty in their respective fields of study, conduct graduate-level research under the supervision of a renowned University of Illinois faculty member, become acquainted with the culture of graduate school, and to learn what is needed and expected of them as graduate students in their discipline at the University of Illinois.

Please visit their website for more information: http://www.grad.illinois.edu/diversity/srop

 

Emerging Scholars Summer Mentoring Program

The Richards Center Emerging Scholars Summer Mentoring Program exposes students to doctoral study in the discipline of history. During a one-week summer residential program, Pennsylvania State University faculty and staff demystify the graduate school admissions process and educate participants about the academic profession. Students will participate in a simulated doctoral seminar and attend workshops on a variety of topics, including writing, digital research, and graduate student life. All expenses including travel, housing, meals, and course materials are provided by the university. Students also will receive a $250 stipend upon completion of the program. Penn State’s Richards Center, the Department of History, the Latina/o Studies program, and the Department of African American Studies sponsor the program in a collaborative effort to attract and enroll students from underrepresented populations.

For more information please visit: https://richardscenter.la.psu.edu/news/4th-annual-emerging-scholars-mentoring-program/

 

Cooper-Du Bois Mentoring Program

We would like to encourage students interested in a Dual-Title PhD in African American and Diaspora Studies, especially with a focus on African American literary studies and/or rhetoric and Black digital and public research to apply to the Cooper-Du Bois Mentoring Program.

We are particularly excited about the program this year because of the historic hire of 11 new faculty in African American studies under the leadership of department head, Cynthia Young, including the hires of both Jim Casey and Gabrielle Foreman (co-directors of the Colored Conventions Project).  In Fall 2020, the award-winning Colored Conventions Project will move to Penn State and we’ll be launching a new center for black public and digital research, which Dr. Shirley Moody-Turner will be co-directing with Gabrielle Foreman.  These big changes mean exciting opportunities for historically underrepresented graduate students to learn about, and potentially participate in, project-based, collaborative, and public-facing research and to learn more about opportunities for graduate fellowships with CCP. 

We are looking forward to introducing the next generation of scholars to the work we’ll be doing here, but also to the ins-and-outs of applying to graduate school more generally and to new opportunities and directions for graduates studies in English, the digital and public humanities, and African American Studies. 

Here is the link to the Application Form: http://english.la.psu.edu/graduate/cooper-du-bois-mentoring-program