Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Undergraduate Research

Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Undergraduate Research

Written by: Anastasia Lin, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President, Research & Engagement

In February 2018, University of North Georgia was named a Top Producer of Fulbright scholarship students, the second in our Carnegie classification. 8 UNG students are currently abroad on a Fulbright; perhaps unsurprisingly, 4 of them hold either a minor or a major in International Affairs. It’s clear that UNG produces students and graduates well-poised to earn major national and international accolades. But, how does one get started?
Perhaps the first place is by making an appointment with the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office run by Dr. Anastasia Lin and Assistant Director Dr. Victoria Hightower. Both work with student to discuss national scholarship options that fit with your own individual career path and to craft a plan for applying. We also work hand in hand throughout the scholarship process, offering feedback on scholarship drafts, running writing workshops, and putting you in touch with other students who are applying for the same scholarships. It’s never too early (or too late!) to meet with us. We work with first year students through alumni.

Scholarships of Interest
Some of the scholarships that are exceptionally well-suited to PSIA students are the Gilman, Boren, Truman, and Fulbright scholarships, as well as the Pickering, Payne, and Rangel Fellowships.
The first two scholarships support study abroad. The Gilman is for Pell-eligible students studying more than 3 weeks in a single country, while the Boren supports undergraduate and graduate students studying a critical language in a country key to national security interests for 6 months or more. There are varying deadlines for both of the scholarships, depending on your study abroad term and level of schooling (grad vs. undergrad). We urge students interested in studying abroad in the summer to make sure they apply for the Gilman early summer deadline in October. This allows students TWO shots at applying for (and hopefully winning!) summer funding.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship awards approximately 62 juniors nationwide with $30,000 for graduate or professional school. Truman scholars maintain excellent GPAs and are dedicated to a career in public service. They also boast a history of service and leadership and hope to be a “change-agent” in society by working within government, educational, or non-profit sectors to solve issues within American society. Students interested in this scholarship must work very closely with our office early in their junior year to ensure they receive UNG’s nomination.
The Fulbright is our favorite scholarship – it provides funding for students holding a bachelor’s degree or above to spend a year either doing research or teaching English abroad in one of more than 150 countries. Students can begin applying for the Fulbright the summer following their junior year. We encourage students interested to attend or skype into our “Fulbright boot camp” in the summer, hosted on both the Gainesville and Dahlonega campuses. We also encourage recent graduates and graduate students to also consider the Fulbright; alumni often make very compelling candidates!
Finally, the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program, and Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship are aimed at providing funding and training for graduating students who wish to work either in the Foreign Service or USAID. The Rangel also runs a small summer enrichment program for students earlier in their college career.

Preparing Strong Applications: Undergraduate Research
We find that our winners of Nationally Competitive Scholarships tend to have the three G’s: Grit, a Good story, and a high GPA. If they are lacking one of the three, they make up for it in another area. Successful students also demonstrate leadership, are engaged in community service, and often have experience in undergraduate research.
We encourage all students to work with CURCA – the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities – to improve their applications. Dr. Lin runs this center as well, along with assistant director Dr. Bryan Dawson. CURCA offers workshops on presenting at conferences, preparing abstracts for conferences, and other topics related to undergraduate research. In addition, CURCA offers travel grants of up to $500 each to support students presenting research at external conferences. Students looking to present in the fall should apply for the fall travel grant cycle (deadline typically the third Friday in September), while those looking to present in spring should wait for the spring cycle (deadline typically the last Friday in January). Students can also present their research on campus during UNG’s Annual Research Conference, held each year on the Friday after spring break on either the Gainesville or Dahlonega campus.
In 2018 and 2019, UNG students have a few unique opportunities of presenting at regional and national conferences being held nearby. First, the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference will be held on the Gainesville campus in 2018 and on the Dahlonega campus in 2019. What’s more, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research will be held at Kennesaw State University April 11 – 13, 2019. Adding these two conferences and/or a travel grant to your resume can certainly make you competitive not only for scholarships but also for other career opportunities and/or internships.
Keep an eye on the CURCA website for more information and specific dates on each of these opportunities!
Contact us!
Any students interested in learning more about the opportunities here and others, please contact us! We look forward to working with you.
Anastasia Lin, Assistant Vice President, Research and Engagement, ncs@ung.edu