P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) is a national women’s organization with a mission of advancing and supporting women in higher educational endeavors. Founded in 1869, P.E.O. has local chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada. It sponsors six international philanthropies, or projects, designed to assist women with their educational goals. One of these is the P.E.O. Scholar Award (PSA) which began in 1991. The PSA is a one-time merit-based, competitive scholarship focused on supporting women who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada and are within their final one-two years of study in doctoral level programs. With a current award amount of $20,000 per recipient, the PSA project has awarded $32.1 million as of April 2022.
A successful candidate for this Award must have demonstrated academic excellence and the potential to make significant contributions in her field of study and/or a positive impact on society. The decision on who receives the Award is made by the P.E.O. Scholar Awards Board of Trustees. However, potential candidates for the Award must be nominated by a local P.E.O. Chapter. To determine if you are eligible for this Award you are encouraged to consult the Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines available online at: www.peointernational.org/sites/www.peointernational.org/files/documents/psa_policies_1.2022_final.pdf
In order to facilitate the process of finding a nominating chapter in Connecticut, eligible students are urged to send their CV along with their personal statement to Kathy Johnson, CT State Chair, P.E.O. Scholar Award, by email to kajohns@gmail.com so that she can coordinate the dissemination of your information to local Connecticut Chapters. Your personal statement should confirm your eligibility and describe why you believe you will be making a significant contribution to your field of study and/or society. You are asked to submit your materials by Friday, October 7th, to place your last name and “PEO Scholar Award – UConn” in the subject line of your email, and to include in the body of the email the best manner and time for interested chapters to contact you.
Each chapter can nominate one or more candidate(s) each year, and nominations occur in the fall with a deadline in late November, after which the candidate has 45 days to prepare her application; awards are announced in May. Applicants in fall 2022 must have a planned date of graduation between August 2024 and August 2025.
For more information, contact: Kathy Johnson at kajohns@gmail.com