Goldwater Scholarship
Deadlines:
UConn deadline: November 1, 2016
Foundation deadline: January 27, 2017 (5:00 p.m. CT)
*Candidates must be nominated by UConn and may not apply directly. Students interested in applying should contact the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships STEM Fellowships advisor, Rowena Grainger for more information about the application process. Contact: rowena.grainger@uconn.edu
Description:
Established by Congress in 1986 to honor the career of Senator Barry Goldwater, the scholarships recognize promising undergraduates who plan to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD followed by a research career in engineering, mathematics or the natural sciences. Up to 300 scholarships are awarded annually.
Award:
The scholarships provide $7,500/year toward undergraduate expenses junior and/or senior year, including tuition, required books and living expenses. Junior level recipients may receive a maximum of two years of support. Senior level recipients will receive a maximum of one year of support.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Full-time sophomore or junior during academic year of application (defined as two years or one year of undergraduate study remaining after application year)
- Planning to pursue a PhD and research career in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering research (MD alone does not qualify, but MD/PhD does)
- Outstanding undergraduate academic record (GPA >3.7)
- Engaged in undergraduate research
- U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident
Selection Criteria:
- Academic achievement (grades, level of courses, awards, scholarships)
- Progress toward research goals (research activities, career goals, course work)
- Research essay (technical content, bibliography, organization/grammar)
- Letters of recommendation (commitment to research, intellectual curiosity, potential for research contributions). Equal weight is given to the four evaluation criteria.
Application Process:
To be considered for nomination, students must submit a completed application by the campus deadline (see section below). In November/December, the UConn campus nominating committee reviews applications and endorses up to four nominees. Nominees will have the opportunity to revise their applications based on feedback from the campus committee. The Foundation deadline is late January. In March the Goldwater Scholars and alternates are selected; in April nominees are notified of their final status in the competition.
Campus Nomination Process:
Please submit the following materials electronically 11:59 p.m. on the campus deadline to UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships by completing the application form here.
Goldwater Scholarship Website:
For official information on the Goldwater Scholarship (which supersedes any information provided here), please see http://www.act.org/goldwater/.
For more information, contact: Rowena Grainger at rowena.grainger@uconn.edu