The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Note: The Pickering Graduate Fellowship selects individuals seeking admission to graduate school for the following year.

The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program provides funding to participants as they are prepared academically and professionally to enter the United States Department of State Foreign Service. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is January 30, 2012.

The goal of the Fellowship Program is to attract outstanding students who enroll in two-year master’s degree programs in public policy, international affairs, public administration, or academic fields such as business, economics, political science, sociology, management or foreign languages, who represent all ethnic, racial and social backgrounds and who have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State. The program develops a source of trained men and women who will represent the skill needs of the Department and who are dedicated to representing America’s interests abroad.

The Award — In 2012, financial support of up to $40,000 annually for actual expenses during the first and second years of graduate school will be provided. This funding is to help cover tuition costs first, then room and board, books, mandatory fees, and one round trip ticket per academic year between the Fellow’s residence and his/her academic institution, pending availability of funds.

Internships — Graduate-level fellows receive stipends during participation in one ten-week domestic summer internship between the first and second year of graduate school, and one ten-week summer overseas internship following the second year of graduate school. These internships provide students with valuable work experience in foreign affairs as they engage in the teamwork, the challenges, and the skills needed to perform the duties of a foreign service officer.

The fellowship is named for Thomas R. Pickering, former undersecretary of state for political affairs in the U.S. Department of State. He served as United States ambassador to Russia, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan.

Chateaubriand Science Fellowship

The Chateaubriand Fellowship program is designed for doctoral students enrolled in an American university who wish to achieve part of their doctoral research in a French laboratory for a period of 4 to 10 months. The Office of Science and Technology funds the compensation (1400 euros per month), travel expenses, and health insurance.

Priority will be given to candidates who seek to establish a joint direction of their thesis with a French host university. All fields of Science, Technology and Health are eligible. The required level of French remains at the discretion of the host laboratory.

The deadline for applications is February 1,  2012. (The research stay can begin from September 1, 2011 to April 1, 2013.

More information and registration: http://www.chateaubriand-fellowship.org

François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), in whose honor the fellowship was named, was a French writer, politician, diplomat, and historian.  He is considered the father of Romanticism in French literature and beyond.  (And yes, the Chateaubriand steak is named for him as well, thanks to his personal chef, who created that particular dish.)

Berkeley Language Center Research Fellowship

The Berkeley Language Center announces the availability of up to two one-semester research fellowships for Unit 18 lecturers or language program coordinators and six one-semester GSRships (IV) for the academic year 21012-2013 (pending authorization of funds).

These fellowships will enable graduate students to work on special projects both to improve the quality of language instruction in their current department and to enhance their professional development as teachers, which can potentially benefit their future chances of employment at other institutions. Research projects might include research on: theoretical aspects of second language acquisition; language learning media and instructional materials; handbooks on specific aspects of language teaching; innovative activities to teach literature or culture in the language class; drama techniques to teach language; performance-based tests to assess linguistic, literary or cultural competence. The fellowship culminates in a presentation to the UC Berkeley language community. Past fellows have also presented their research at conferences, or published their work in established journals.

More information is available on the BLC website. Applications are available there and from Room B-40 in Dwinelle Hall. The application deadline is February 3, 2012.

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Dissertation Fellowship

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has an ongoing commitment to support graduate students making extraordinary contributions to their fields of study and recognizes the importance of providing assistance to those striving for excellence. The foundation has announced two new graduate funding opportunities: the Graduate Arts Award and the Jack Kent Cooke Dissertation Fellowship.

The Foundation’s new Graduate Arts Award is for up to $50,000 per year for up to three years to college seniors and recent graduates with significant financial need who will pursue a graduate or professional degree in the visual arts, performing arts, or creative writing. To be eligible, candidates must be nominated by the faculty representative at their undergraduate institution.

The Foundation’s new Dissertation Fellowship is for $25,000 for advanced doctoral students who are completing dissertations that further understanding of the educational pathways and experiences of high-achieving, low-income students. Minimum eligibility includes demonstration of superior academic ability and achievement, successful defense of the dissertation proposal, and unmet financial need.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established by Jack Kent Cooke to help exceptionally promising students reach their full potential through education. Launched in 2000, the Foundation focuses in particular on students with financial need. The Foundation’s scholarship and direct service programs support the education of approximately 650 remarkable students each year, while our grantmaking allows thousands more to engage in challenging educational experiences.

More information is available on the JKCF website. The application deadline is February 3, 2012.

New scholarship for health care students

The Nursing Home Abuse.net — Awareness and Prevention Scholarship was created by Education Aid, Inc. and funded by Nursing Home Abuse.net. Its purpose is to give the selected applicant the financial resources to pursue a career that will aid in raising awareness and/or preventing nursing home abuse.

Are you aware that nursing home abuse is a pervasive problem? According to the CDC, 11 percent, or about 159,000, nursing home residents suffered from abuse in 2004. And it’s growing, as 10,000 more Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. And only about a fifth of physical-abuse-of-the-elderly cases are ever reported.

Are you getting a degree in social work, psychology, health administration, or nursing? If you have either been personally affected by nursing home abuse and are determined to make a difference or feel strongly enough about the issue to strongly consider working with seniors for your career, this scholarship may be for you.

The aim of this $5,000 scholarship is to help enable the selected student to finish a degree, and to help him or her to achieve a goal of making better care for the elderly available in their community.

The application and more information are available from the NHA website. The application deadline is February 15, 2012.

California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships

Offered by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), the California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships place professional scientists and engineers in the California State Legislature for one-year appointments. These professional development opportunities will enable fellows to work hands on with policymakers to develop solutions to complex scientific and technical issues facing California through their interaction with the legislative process. The fellowships are ideal for qualified applicants who are interested in improving the interface between science and legislative decision-making and who want to learn the public policy decision-making process. Fellows will be placed, for one year, in various offices of the California State Legislature. The fellows will learn the intricacies of the California legislative process and will provide legislators and their staffs with clear and unbiased advice, answers to technical questions, and clarification of policy options for issues with science and technology related attributes. More information is available on the CCST websiteThe application deadline is February 29, 2012.

Previously listed (with upcoming deadlines):

October GradNews

  • Boren [1/31/12]
  • Udall  Environmental [2/24/12]
  • CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program [deadlines vary by CSU campus]

November GradNews

  • Philip Brett LBGT Fellowship  [2/21/12]
  • Science Education Programs at Oak Ridge Lab [year-round]

December GradNews

  • Clark Foundation Investment in Community [1/31/12]
  • Pursuit Award [2/1/12]
  • Phi Beta Kappa [2/29/12]