Scholarships
The Honors Center houses the Office of National Scholarships. Each year, students are selected and mentored by faculty committees for participation in many major scholarship competitions. For national scholarships, students cannot apply directly to the scholarship organization, but must be nominated by the University. To be considered for nomination, students submit an application to the faculty representative or the national scholarship coordinator who choose the official URI candidate with the help of a selection committee. The chosen URI candidate then completes her or his official scholarship application with guidance from the scholarship coordinator or a faculty member or both. URI students have won or been finalists in a wide range of such prestigious competitions, including the Boren, Fulbright, Goldwater, Madison, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman, and Udall. In 2009, URI students have participated successfully in the following national scholarships competitions:
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP WINNER 2009 Kristin Almeida (Graduate student, Library and Information Science) GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 2009 Sarah Decato (Chemistry) UDALL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER 2009 TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FINALIST 2009 Andrew McQuaide (African and African-American Studies/Writing and Rhetoric)
In addition, the following honors students at URI have won prestigious awards and scholarships: METCALF SCHOLARSHIP WINNER 2009 Seth Steinmann (Political Science) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES
Callie Crawford Marine Biology)
Kelsey Molloy (Marine Biology)
The following National Scholarships are available: The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates National Security Education Program: David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships
Paul I. Abell Memorial Honors Student Award The Abell award provides financial support to deserving students in the Honors Program. Examples of eligible uses include expenses related to an Honors Senior Project; travel expenses for research; attending a conference or other meaningful event; research expenses and/or materials related to any particular course; or any other purpose as determined by the Honors Program Director. Special consideration will be given to students working in anthropology or the study of ancient cultures. Awards generally will be made up to an amount of $300. Click here for more information! Eric F. Kumpf Memorial Humanities Honors Student Endowment Deadline: November 25, 2009 The Eric F. Kumpf Memorial Humanities Honors Student Endowment was established in memory of Eric Kumpf, URI Class of 1994. Its purpose is to provide financial support to honors students for their Humanities research projects. Awards will be made up to an amount of $500, and they will be made to students working on senior honors research projects in the humanities. Humanities projects include work in history, philosophy, literature, and the social sciences that explores how ideas about the human experience are expressed and interpreted, as well as work in the Arts that explores the creative process. Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Scholarship Deadline: January 16, 2009
The Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Scholarship offers one-time awards between $2,000 and $5,000 for college sophomore and juniors to encourage personal growth through travel, study, and public service programs. Applicants must be Rhode Island residents. The award is for educational enrichment outside of the classroom and cannot be used for school tuition or participation in established study-abroad programs. Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie R. Clark Award for Environmental Research Deadline: December 5, 2009 The Smith-Clark scholarship provides financial support to honors students doing senior Honors Projects that involve studying ways to preserve and protect the environment and improve the quality of life. Preference will be given to research related to understanding, protecting, or preserving the coastal, marine, and/or freshwater environments, but all students doing research with an environmental focus are eligible. Awards of up to $500 will be given to honors students working on environmental projects for their Honors Senior Project during Fall 2008 or Spring 2009. Undergraduate and Graduate Research Award Deadline: November 25, 2009 Each student chosen for support will receive a grant of up to $500 for undergraduates and $800 for graduates to help support his or her original research, creative, or artistic projects. To apply for a grant, a student (or group of up to 3 students) must complete a proposal form and submit the proposal along with a letter of support from a faculty sponsor. The proposal must state whether or not IRB or IACUC approval is integral to the project and such approval must be obtained for consideration in this year's selection process. Click here for application forms. The University of Rhode Island Coastal Fellows Program provides URI students with a formal means to involve themselves in the exciting challenges of solving current coastal problems, both through research and URI's applied outreach efforts. Coastal Fellows are matched with established environmental research, management or outreach teams; they are obligated to work 20 hours per week during the summer, for which they receive a stipend. Applications are available on-line. The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is an alliance of fourteen schools of business in partnership with corporate America, working to facilitate the entry of minorities into managerial positions in business. The Consortium recruits college-trained African American, Hispanic American, and Native American United States citizens and invites them to compete for merit-based fellowships for graduate study leading to a Master's Degree in Business. Applications will be available on-line in the fall of 2008. Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities The Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships seek to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The Fellowship Program offers approximately 60 pre-doctoral fellowships of $20,000 per year for up to three years. Deadline: September 15, 2009 Fulbright U.S. Student Program give recent graduates, master's and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Most grantees plan their own programs. Projects may include university coursework, independent library or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination of these elements. The Fulbright Program also offers English Teaching Assistantships for graduates willing to teach the English language in foreign countries. Deadline: August 1, 2009 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hopes to create a network of future leaders from around the world who will bring new vision and commitment to improving the life circumstances of citizens in their respective countries. The program offers a substantial number of scholarships to pursue postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. The Golden Key Honour Society offers twelve $10,000 scholarships for graduate or professional study at accredited institutions of higher learning. Applicants must be members of Golden Key. Judging criteria include academic merit, campus/community/work commitments and significant involvement in local Golden Key chapter. Deadline: December 1, 2009 The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program provides a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually. The Hertz Foundation offers Graduate Fellowships in the applied physical and engineering sciences. The awards are based on merit, not need, and cover tuition at one of the tenable schools, as well as a personal-support stipend of $28,000 for nine months. The awards are renewable for five years upon a showing of satisfactory progress toward receipt of the Ph.D. degree. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Deadline: February 1, 2010 Every year, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi awards sixty Fellowships of $5,000 each and forty Awards of Excellence of $2,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study in a variety of fields including biology, chemistry, engineering, political science, mathematics and psychology. Every chapter has of Phi Kappa Phi can submit one nominee. Please contact Prof. James Tackach, President of the URI chapter, at jtackach@rwu.edu. Deadline: February 1, 2010 The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program will award approximately 30 scholarships to seniors and recent graduates planning to attend graduate school for the first time starting this fall. The award is based on academic merit and financial need. The amount and duration of awards vary by student based on the cost of attendance and the length of the graduate program as well as other scholarships or grants received. The maximum available per student per year of study is $50,000 and the maximum length is six years. The program provides financial assistance to students of superior ability, as demonstrated by their achievements and exceptional promise, to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) level in selected fields of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Panels of experts appointed by the Javits Fellowship Board (Board) select fellows according to criteria established by the Board. Students must also demonstrate financial need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Deadline: December 15, 2009 The James Madison Fellowship Program provides support for students pursuing a Master’s degree (or a MAT, Med, or MSE) in American history or in political science. After earning a master’s degree, each James Madison Fellow must teach American history, American government, or social studies in grades 7-12 for no less than one year for each full academic year of study under the fellowship. The maximum amount of each award is $24,000, prorated over the period of study. Deadline: August 1, 2009 Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. The scholarships are tenable at any British university and cover two years of study in any discipline, at either undergraduate or graduate level, leading to the award of a British University degree. McNair Fellowships, funded by the Department of Education, are minority fellowships to encourage students from populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in the ranks of graduate students to attend graduate school. The awards offer a $7,500 stipend and must be paired with a half-time graduate assistantship from the student’s department. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, enrolled full-time, and have at least a 3.0 GPA. McNair Graduate Fellowship awards are non-renewable. The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies are designed to help exceptionally promising students prepare for careers of teaching and scholarship in humanistic disciplines. The Mellon Fellowships provide a year of full graduate tuition and (in recent years) a $17,500 stipend to approximately 85 first-year doctoral students. Fellows may take their awards to any accredited graduate program in the United States or Canada. Deadline: August 1, 2009 The George J. Mitchell Scholarship is a national competitive fellowship sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance. Twelve Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, housing, a living expenses stipend, and an international travel stipend. Candidates are chosen based on academic excellence, leadership, and a sustained commitment to service and community. Deadline: January 15, 2010 The Morris K.Udall Foundation awards approximately 75 scholarships to outstanding sophomores and juniors who study the environment and related fields. The foundation also awards scholarships to Native American and Alaska Native students in fields related to health care or tribal public policy. Udall scholars receive up to $5,000, or the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board; whichever is less. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship The National Science Foundation (NSF) awards approximately 1,000 new three-year Graduate Research Fellowships to graduating seniors or beginning graduate students who are expected to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and industrial applications in science, mathematics, and engineering. Applicants must be United States citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States. Graduate Research Fellowships provide a stipend of $30,000 for a 12-month tenure period and a cost of education allowance of $10,500 per tenure year. National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates This NSF program provides educational opportunities for undergraduate students with an interest in research. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects designed especially for the purpose. Research projects are available in a wide range of fields and in locations throughout the US. Students participating in the program receive a normally fairly generous stipend. Deadlines and application procedures vary from program to program. Consult the NSF REU website at http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm for a searchable database of available research projects. National Security Education Program: David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships Deadline: January 1, 2010 The NSEP Boren Scholarships provide support for students studying abroad in countries and areas of the world that are critical to the future security of the US. Study of a foreign language must be an integral part of the study-abroad program. Scholarship awards range from $2,500 for summer study to $20,000 for an academic year. Award recipients must commit to working in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, or the Intelligence Community for at least one year upon graduation. Previous knowledge of the foreign language is not necessarily required. Study abroad in Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand is not supported by the NSEP. Deadline: August 1, 2009 The Rhodes Scholarships bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford for two years of graduate study, with a possibility of renewal for a third year. All educational costs, such as tuition and fees are paid by the Rhodes Trustees, and each Rhodes Scholar receives a maintenance allowance adequate to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. The Rhodes Trustees also cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford, and upon application, may approve additional grants for research purposes or study-related travel. The Rotary Foundation's Ambassadorial Scholarships provide funding for one academic year of study in another country in fields which will help address the humanitarian needs of the world community. The awards are designed to promote international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and provide a flat grant of (US)$23,000 or its equivalent. Applications must be submitted to the applicant’s local chapter. Deadline: August 15, 2009 The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provides opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields and to partake of the American dream. Fellows must have shown potential in the fields for which they seek further education; the capacity for creativity, persistence and work; and the commitment to the values of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which protect the American dream. Applicants must be either a resident alien or have been naturalized as a U.S. citizen; or be the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens. Fellowships are available for two years; for each year the fellow receives a maintenance grant of $20,000 and a tuition grant of one-half the tuition cost of the U.S. graduate program attended by the fellow. Deadline: December 1, 2009 The Truman Scholarship is a $30,000 merit-based grant awarded to undergraduate students who desire financial support to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in government, the non-profit sector or elsewhere in public service. The Foundation seeks candidates who have extensive records of public and community service, are committed to careers in government or elsewhere in public service, and have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills. Truman scholarships are based on merit; financial need is not a consideration.
Kristin will be going to Mauritius to do research
Megan O'Brien (Marine Biology)
Megan also won a Hollings scholarship
Elana Viola (Chemistry/Electrical Engineering/Mathematics)
This is Elana's second Goldwater scholarship
Joanna Panosky (Geosciences)
Joanna is the fifth consecutive Udall winner from URI
Seth will be going to Guatemala
