Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships for Women and Minorities in USA

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

Course(s) Offered: All NOAA mission-related disciplines
Course Level: Graduate research (master, doctoral)
Provider: NOAA
Country to Study in: USA

Scholarship Description
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program for graduate students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or citizens of a U.S. territory.

The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding scholarship and encourages independent graduate level research — particularly by female and minority students — in NOAA mission-related sciences of oceanography, marine biology and maritime archaeology, including all science, engineering, and resource management of ocean and coastal areas.

The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships are distributed by disciplines, institutions and geography, and by degree sought, with selections within distributions based on financial need, the potential for success in a graduate level studies program (academic achievement), and the potential for achieving research and career goals. The program particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.

Eligibility
To apply, each applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or a citizen of a U.S. territory;
• pursue or intend to pursue a masters or doctoral level degree in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology—this can include, but is not limited to, ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, and resource management disciplines.
• have and maintain a minimum cumulative and term grade point average of 3.30 or higher; and
• maintain full-time student status for the duration of the scholarship award.

Universities or other organizations may not apply on behalf of an individual. Prospective scholars do not need to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application, but must be admitted to a graduate level program in order to be awarded this scholarship. Eligibility must be maintained for each succeeding year of support and annual reporting requirements, to be specified at a later date, will apply.

Eligible groups
U.S. citizens, permanent residents or citizens of a U.S. territory

Participating Institutions
All accredited higher institutions in the U.S.

Fields of study
Master’s and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology—this can include, but is not limited to, ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, and resource management disciplines.

Number of awards
Depending on funding, approximately two to four scholarships are awarded each year.

Sponsorship duration
Masters students may be supported for up to two years, and doctoral students for up to four years.

Scholarship benefits
The program may provide, subject to appropriations, yearly support of up to $42,000 per student (a 12-month stipend of $30,000 in addition to an education allowance of up to $12,000), and up to $10,000 of support for a 4-6 week program collaboration at a NOAA facility.

Method of Application
In order to have a competitive application for the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, it is recommended that you review the following bullets to assess whether or not you should apply for this scholarship.

• Your research proposal aligns closely with NOAA's mission, with particular emphasis on meeting the science needs of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. This is 20% of your application score.
• Your financial need statement documents a strong financial need due to challenges, hardships, or other information through a compelling personal narrative. This is 25% of your application score.
• You (likely) have exceptional letters of recommendation. This is 10% of your application score.
• Historically, proposals that do not support the science needs of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System do not rank as high.
• If you are in the last year of your Masters or Ph.D. program, it is not advised to apply for this scholarship.

It is important to visit the application webpage for complete information on how to apply for this scholarship program.

DEADLINES:
The application period for the 2020 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is now open. Applications are due by December 6, 2019 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

PLEASE NOTE:
Each application package must be included within the single Adobe PDF document in the correct order as outlined in the official Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO). Failure to submit any items as described in the FFO will disqualify the application from consideration. All detailed information is included in the FFO, yet a summary of what is required to be considered a complete application package is briefly listed on the official website.

Application Deadline: 6 December 2019
Open to International Applicants: No

More Scholarship Information and Application

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